Sunday, May 17, 2009

ALBUM OF THE WEEK


Insect Warfare 's/t' LP 2009, 625 Thrashcore

So this is the final Insect Warfare release- they split up months ago but not before recording this one sided 12". Based on that alone it seems like a weird way to go out- but trust me my fellow record fiends, this joint epitomizes the phrase 'going out with a bang.' Because it bangs hard as fuck. Now Insect Warfare have been reviewed here before with the World Extermination LP, a grind masterpiece that truly separates the worthy from the weinery. And even though that shit blasts harder than really, anything- this LP right here is the next level of what they did there. From reading an interview with IW in Short Fast and Loud last year, they let it be known that after playing as fast and as rough as humanly possible they were inevitably gravitated towards the noise genre- one with no set limitations- if there are limits to what is possible in noise, they are only self-imposed ones. Also in the true grindcore spirit, their intentions were to anger and alienate the die hard grinders by breaking grind's said 'rules' with the release of a noise album. But to me, their plan was more curious than it was alarming or rebellious- I myself being pretty into noise music, power electronics, what have you. So when I received this one sided LP in the mailbox last week, its reputation and hype preceded the music therein- a fact that I approached with intrigue and a bit of uncertainty. Once again, World Extermination and all their other records fucking slay shit, and I am quite the avid IW listener- but I also am way into bands trying something new versus churning the same shit over and over. Alas though- when the time was right, I dropped the needle expecting to hear this 'noisy' shit and couldn't have been more surprised. There are fucking fifty-three blasts of panic on this release...only drums, vocals, and electronics. Noisecore. I couldn't have been more pleased with it. This is still some grind shit- its just far more abstract and fierce than one would imagine. It is obviously 'noisy' but it can still smash your head wide open and it totally, completely rips. They really did it right, hyping it and all making the heads doubt it before they unveiled it. Insect Warfare fucking ruled. 625 is the shit. Artwork by Feeding, who is one of the dudes from Iron Lung/Pig Heart Transplant- certainly his design is on the come up, the record looks fantastic and its harsh simplicity shadows the brutality inside like whoa. Get this now- it is great and it will make you smile, that is, after you clean the blood out from your mouth and eyes and ears. And also please think good thoughts towards my ill dog- she and I both could use the encouragement. x o

and this week-
My top ten list of albums i got on tour this year(09). Part One
by Ol' Dirty Phil aka Phillip Cope from Kylesa
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1. Cavo-?
Touring in japan was an ear opening experience to lots of music i knew nothing about. This cd was given to me over there. I know very little about this band including the title of it(it's in japanese). However this album is almost beyond description anyways. Out of all the stuff i got, this is the most mind bending. Only two songs the first being 22 minutes. Completely epic, it starts out with really strange singing/chanting that almost sounds silly, but when the music kicks in it is completely soul stirring. Anyone seeking a heavy band on some new shit should check this out.

2.Black Elk-"Always a Six, Never a Nine"/ Made out of Babies-"The Ruiner"
The last few years have been great for newer noise rock stuff and both these bands i think are up there on top of the list. Got these both on the same day(we played a show on an off day with them in L.A.).I listened to them in a row a few days later on headphones. While they were great live, both of these albums are perfect for listening on headphones. They add another dimension that is lost in the live setting. Another thing these bands share are vocalists that truly come across sinister in their approach. Like there is something truly disturbing deep inside these folks.

3.Curse The Heavens-demo
I get lots of demos given to me on tour and i listen to them all sooner or later, my girlfriend once asked me why, since so many of them are really bad. Curse the Heavens is why, because eventually i will get something that kicks ass as much as their demo does. I should have known anyways as it features some veteran Texas d.i.y punk dudes. I have known them for years and they are as cool as it gets. This reminds me of the heyday of Prank records without actually sounding retro. This is just straight up good heavy punk/hardcore.

4. Jesus Lizard-"Inch"
So i broke down and spent 40 dollars on this when i should have been paying bills but anyways fuck it. It is every damn 7" in some shower curtain looking thing that i will probably sell to a friend one day on the cheap when i am hurting for money, who in return, guilty like, will tell me that he ended up selling it on ebay for 5 times the amount he paid me for it. Oh shit, why did i buy this?

5. Rockers Almighty Dub
At our show in brooklyn the worst thing that could happen to my finances became reality. I was stuck three hours with nothing to do by a record store next to the venue. I spent all my money on a stack of badass dub records. As I was showing off my score to some friends they looked confused, asking "Isn't dub like that Jimmy Buffet beach music stuff?" I had a good laugh at that. The "Rockers Almighty Dub" aint laughing though, the backside of the lp announces that it isnt sophisticated dub or uptown, it is downtown ghetto dub...dubwise like dirt. This album rules!

6. Black Math Horseman-"Wyllt"
While watching them play at sxsw, a friend(woman) looks over and laughingly says "This music makes me want to smoke weed and make love". I think that is the best recommendation i can give this record.

7.Mastodon-"Crack the Skye"
After five weeks of hearing it played live in its entirety you would think that it would be the last thing i would want to hear my first day home from tour. It was the first thing i put on.

8. Chinese Buddhist Music recorded by John Levy
Another record store score. Recorded mostly in 1964. intense stuff. "...evokes a distinctive mood of serenity and confidence and brings comfort to the living who intercede for the dead..."

9.Irepress-"Sol Eye Sea I"
Drew from Translation Loss Records is a cool dude and regularly hooks me up with stuff on the label. This is one of my favorites. At first I didn't dig the production, a little too modern for my tastes, and it has some sort of cheesy electronic parts too but after three times listening in a row i forgot about it. I can't remember the last time i listened to a record three times in a row. This is a good one.

10.Pink Panther Punk
Yes that pink panther. A very strange childrens record that will definitely be used on upcoming mix tapes I make.

As stated, Phillip shreds and howls in Kylesa, who just released their fourth LP, Static Tensions. He played in the legendary southern crust band Damad, and recognized my young mind's interest in records and the like about 10 years ago. From then to the present, we've traded an endless amount of albums- he's a true lifer and a cool ass dude whose been around the block a bunch of times. Cheers, Big Phil! SAV always in the house!

1 comment:

the xarlacc said...

the list rules- my brother its ill to have that heads up on here in public. i'll hit you up with the member info-