Axegrinder - The Rise Of The Serpent Men [1989] and a couple of demos

Seeing as we've all been saying (okay, I've been saying) for a while that this blog sorely lacks some classic crust, I thought I'd mark my return home (and thus more frequent posts for a while) with some of it. Axegrinder is one of the classic British crust bands, and as was the trademark of that time period, there's no d-beat to be found here. Instead, there's a sound that's described much better by this post at the Terminal Sound Nuisance blog than I could ever do (incidentally, it's a fucking solid blog, you should check it out if you have the chance and are into punk music). But I'll just lazily paraphrase the post - the demos are more like Antisect while the full-length is more like Amebix. The demos included in the file (I'm not uploading separately because I'm lazy, so if you already have the full length and have a poor connection it might be best to find the demos elsewhere) are the Grind the Enemy and Live in Wimbledon demos from 1987. Sorry about the poor quality of the latter.

96 kbps (LiW); 128 kbps (GtE); 192 kbps (TRotSM)

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Re-upload: Cro-Mags - The Age Of Quarrel [1986]

N.B. The archive and files have the WRONG year on them.

Cro-Mags' debut is one of the quintessential albums of the New York hardcore (punk, not techno) scene. Although I'm not normally one for talk of 'Street Justice' and the like, preferring my comfortable bedroom, this is catchy and essential.

Re-upload notes: Don't think the N.B. is still true after the re-upload but I can't be bothered checking. Also, don't bother checking out any of the other material, very little of it's any good (OOH CONTROVERSIAL).

192 kbps

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Atomski Rat - Iluzije Stvarnosti [2012]

I haven't even heard this shit yet, but I was so excited when it popped up on the Degen Erik (excellent blog) RSS that I just had to post it. Seriously, Atomski Rat's debut EP (I think it was up here but it's still a Megaupload link - I'll sort that out in the next few days) was some seriously good noisy, crusty hardcore shit and essentially got me into the awesome Serbian music scene (also check out Dishumanity in particular). For a short while earlier in the year, it was looking like the band was never going to release more material but now they have - and it's a full-length (although I'm as of yet unsure of its actual length I'm guessing it'll be around 25-30 minutes long). The track I've heard from Youtube is very solid too, and there are some other samples on there in case my fanboyism wasn't enough to convince you. I never normally do this but I'm nicking a link from Degen Erik (dear other blogs, if you use a link at least acknowledge the source):

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Re-upload: Discharge - Realities Of War EP [1980]

Another pre-'Hear Nothing...' Discharge release here. Discharge are pretty much the kings of hardcore punk, despite ill-advised trips to glam metal on 'Grave New World'. This EP was recorded in 3 hours, and so has a great punk vibe to it, throughout its 5 minutes.

Re-upload notes: Although it doesn't quite touch on the quality of Why or Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, Realities Of War is certainly a solid release, even by Discharge standards. It's the first studio evidence of the d-beat as far as I'm aware (their '77 demo is just straight up punk), which adds historical value to the release.

192 kbps

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Swans - Filth [1983]

Blog alone for a few days.

This is Swans debut and one of the most "heavy" if not the most heavy one, in this first release Swans featured Norman Westberg for the first time Michael Gira obviously and two drummers, Jarboe was not yet in the band. The consequences of that and given that Gira was not yet using the whole folky stuff he later used never to let go completely (at least till this point) is a no wavy, noisy and repetitive as fuck release. Gira's vocals are far from melodic. For Swans fans or noisy stuff fans this might be a masterpiece for the others only a listen will tell.

Download

Re-upload: Doom - War Crimes: Inhuman Beings [1988]

This highly politicised record is one of the key records of the entire crust punk sound, which would in the future influence bands from an entirely different background (Darkthrone being a good example). 37 minutes of pure punk energy.

Re-upload notes: This is, along with the Police Bastard EP, the best crust record in my opinion. Unparalleled in simplistic, but great compositional capabilites, although some of Doom's later stuff would pale in comparison (World Of Shit is rather mediocre), this has stood the test of time.

320 kbps

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The Swanky's - The Very Best Of Hero [1985]

Yes, that apostrophe irritates me as much as it does you. But I'm willing to overlook it just this once, as this is pretty much the defining album of Japanese hardcore punk. As that won't mean much to many of my readers, imagine if S.O.B. had released Don't Be Swindle in the early to mid 80s - this essentially sounds like that (with a few differences, obviously). Don't worry, it's also the case that this sounds far more different to Never Mind The Bollocks than the cover would suggest. In reality, this is proto-grind, with the emphasis on the 'proto'; for much of the album this is closer to standard punk than grind or powerviolence, but when The Swanky's (ugh) let rip, for instance on 'Damaging Noise', one can certainly hear a few of those sounds in the mix.

320 kbps

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Satanic Malfunctions/SM-70 - Born To Lose, Out To Lunch split [1988]

I've been listening to the new Napalm Death pretty much constantly since it leaked yesterday (I'm not posting it here just now, it's not hard to find), and it rules. Also, sorry for the delay in posts the blog's had, my lethargy has caused this somewhat. Anyway, I've got something somewhat rare, but awesome for you here. I was recommended this by an old curmudgeon on last.fm after I asked for proto-grind/powerviolence in the vein of Siege (well, he recommended Satanic Malfunctions). And boy, it does that job damn well. Satanic Malfunctions, a band from a town only about 30 miles from where I live, are certainly the faster, and probably better of the two, but the German SM-70 are no slouches either - the former is probably a little closer to Siege and early Napalm Death, whilst the latter has a fair amount of mid-80s European Oi! influence. I love splits, and this is an excellent example why.

128 kbps

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Reagan Youth - A Collection Of Pop Classics EP [1984]

One of the more unsung heroes of US hardcore punk, Reagan Youth repeatedly produced anthems for the damned and divine, preaching peace or satirically attacking the politics of the time. The songs themselves are great - this eight-track EP is a very good example of their craft, and indeed, some of the best examples of the style that will be heard anywhere. Admittedly, I was a hardcore newb when I first heard this, after downloading it because I liked the name, but now I have something of a more developed taste in the genre, and would still recommend the EP to anyone.

192 kbps

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Ratos de Porão - Crucificados Pelo Sistema [1984]

Although Lobotomia have a few claims, I'd say that this is the seminal album of Brazilian hardcore punk. As with South American takes on all genres, this is substantially more aggressive than their North American counterparts, and to be honest, it brings a lot more to the table. Clean-ish vocals allow the (Portuguese) lyrics to be heard quite clearly - and this allows the fantastic 'shout-along' vocal lines to shine through (my personal favourite being 'Agressão - Repressão'). Even for those like me who understand little Portuguese, a decidedly political approach is evident.

192 kbps

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Uproar - Die For Me EP [1982]

This is a little known piece of d-beat inspired punk from the early days of hardcore. It's quite impressive, especially considering it was released at roughly the same time as 'Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing'. The melodic vocals give it a slight difference from the rest of the pack.

128 kbps

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POST #600: My Chemical Romance - I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love [2002]

'PAH!', you may say, 'My Chemical Toilet fucking SUCK!'. That's a popular opinion, and I'm not going to challenge anyone who holds it. I love this album, though; it's one of the albums which got me into rock music and thus music in general. It's not a deep, 200 minute prog rock triple concept album, nor is it a 7-minute long grindcore demo (attempting to polarize our audience here...). It's simply a damn fine pop album - it has strong elements of punk, and is probably the sort of music that the term 'popcore' originally meant. The likes of 'Our Lady Of Sorrows' and its aggression contrast well with songs like 'Early Sunsets Over Monroeville' and 'Demolition Lovers' and their brooding balladry. If you've judged My Chem on the virtues of 'I'm Not Okay' and whatever that fucking nananana song is, that's fine, but I strongly advise you give this album a shot, particularly if you like pop-punk or screamo. This album is special to me, hence my choice of it for the blog's 600th post.

160 kbps

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REVIEW: Patti Smith - Horses [1975]

‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine’. Thus opens ‘Gloria’, the opening track from Patti Smith’s seminal debut album Horses. The track itself is actually a cover of a Van Morrison song, originally written for Them, but Smith recreates it – including a reinvention of lyrics to include said opening line – in such an idiosyncratic manner that the song sits quite happily among the rest of the album, well-disguised as a Smith original.

But idiosyncrasy was always one of the main objectives of the then-budding punk movement; a fact which was somewhat forgotten by the better-known English bands after the original rush of ’77. Smith used the lyric as a method of rebellion against the institutionalized religion she felt had been forced upon her; the three-chord progression was the style which came to be known as the ‘punk style’, sure, but by the time the likes of the Sex Pistols attempted to see commercial success past the surprising success of Never Mind The Bollocks, their attempts fell flat – not so much, I believe, due to the lack of another full-length, but more so because the style had had its 15 minutes.

So when the Pistols came stateside, performing just down the road from Patti Smith one night and frontman John ‘Rotten’ Lydon talked about ‘some woman singing about fuckin’ horses’ (or words to that effect), it was evident that they had lost touch with the roots of the movement. The diversity in Smith’s influences is evident throughout this album – for instance, second track ‘Redondo Beach’ takes a bouncy approach akin to reggae, predating ska punk by several years, whereas the first 9-minute epic of the album, ‘Birdland’, is loosely based around a piano ballad throughout.

When she actually becomes violently passionate during a song, therefore, it comes as quite a surprise – the first chorus to ‘Free Money’ comes out of seemingly nowhere, as does the vocal attack when past the introduction to ‘Land’, which for all intents and purposes is the title track. The point is this; although the instrumentation is interesting, sure, the focal point of this album is Smith’s outstanding vocal performance – one which has not since been paralleled in popular music.

This performance demonstrates quite capability the sheer range of Smith’s vocal styles – although upon one’s first listen to the album, one might remember the ‘monkey noises’ during the chorus of ‘Gloria’ and Smith’s tendency to take her pitch sharply upwards at the ends of vocal lines, but equally memorable upon repeated listens are the cavernous vocals utilised in ‘Land’ and the percussive approach used in many verses, which really aids in the appreciation of the quality of the timbre of her voice.

In essence, the variation in this album means that the post-punk genre is here before much of the groundwork of punk itself had been laid down. It may seem strange, a ‘post-‘ genre being spawned before its suffix was fully created, but that is the only way to demonstrate aptly the full level of innovation of this album. This album was, and is, one of a kind. Patti Smith did indeed go on to make more wonderful music with the likes of Radio Ethiopia, but this is by a long shot her best. An absolutely wonderful album.

Download here.

Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing [1982]

Disfear. Dishammer. Disclose. Napalm Death. All bands heavily inspired by Discharge, and in particular by this album. Hardcore punk was redefined the moment this was released - although it had existed before, particularly through the media of the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, this revolutionized it. It even has early traces of the desolate feeling of crust in it. This is the 'Reign In Blood', the 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas', the 'Altars Of Madness' of hardcore. It's abso-fucking-lutely essential.

N.B. This is the 2003 Castle Records reissue, with fucktons of bonus tracks.

192 kbps

Link taken down. Comment to see a reupload!

Crass - The Feeding Of The 5000 [1978]

In stark contrast to the Sex Pistols’ more populist, violent way to anarchism, Crass were a band who promoted pacifism and peaceful protest, whilst still having the anarchic quality to their beliefs and their music. This is their debut, and it is often similar to the style that the Subhumans would later develop - its shorter songs and rhythmic vocal delivery being far more pleasing than John Lydon’s forced accent. Whilst later albums would see more experimentation (but not in a bad, London Calling-esque manner), this is quintessential to all punk fans. The later Thatchergate scandal only adds credibility to the band.

128 kbps

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The Vanishing - In The Bat Haus EP [2002]

This is a little known EP, and it's quite good, although it wouldn't quite fit into my 'quality' band. Although the horror film cliche artwork suggests that this will be heavily gothic, the goth elements tend to take a backstage role to a pervading punk sensibility, if I remember correctly (on this EP at least).

Similar artists: (N/A, I know next to nothing about goth)

192 kbps

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Youwretch - Youwretch EP [2011]

Youwretch here have released one of the best EPs of the year. A finely-balanced mix of melodic hardcore and the more ferocious type, this should please 'true' and 'scenester' hardcore fans alike.

320 kbps

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Impaled Nazarene – Suomi Finland Perkele [1994]

Suomi Finland Perkele is raw, violent, attitude filled Black Metal. However this is Black Metal that people who dont like Black Metal can love. I once heard Impaled Nazarene compared to a mix of Darkthrone and Motorhead, I think this sums them up nicely. There is a strong Black Metal vibe but the riffs are so catchy, you won't be able to resist head banging. This injection of speed metal not only fills the music but also the lyrics and song titles. There's no TRVE KVLT bullshit here that most Black Metal fans lap up like pathetic dogs (the small ones that get carried in handbags). Song titles like 'Steelvagina', 'Ghettoblaster' and 'Kuolema Kaikille (Paitsi Meille)' which translates to 'Death to All (Except Us)', are filled with the punk attitude. This is really awesome, just download it and bang your head.

320 kbps

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Atari Teenage Riot - 60 Second Wipeout [1999]

This is the defining album in the 'digital hardcore' genre. It is a great mix of industrial, noise, punk vocals and violent drum beats. This is a rich, well produced album that combines interesting music with ATR's protest songs. The only complaint I have with this album is, in true DJing fashion, the band feel the urge to constantly remind me of their name throughout some songs. A minor detail however in a great album.

192 kbps

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The Jam - Setting Sons [1979]

Hello there, I'm John, one of the new CitA contributers. I've been added to help with this blog so I can offer a wider range of music styles other than metal and punk. So appropriately, I'm going to kick off with... a punk album.

The Jam's 4th effort is a semi-concept album (in the sense that half of the songs follow the concept but they didn't have time to flesh it out) about three boys who go off to war and meet up again as old men. And as far as punk goes, it's not the most aggressive of albums. However, in terms of lyrical themes, musicianship and overall flow, this is definitely one of The Jam's best.

256 kbps

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