Agnes Vein - Soulship
7 hours ago
Some more stuff I rarely post but this deserves just as much attention, if not more than your average run of the mill BDM outfit. These guys formed in 2006 as a duo but after a short hiatus were rounded out by a third on bass. From what I can tell, this is their debut offering and it fucking rules. The first thing that caught my eye is the clips they use from my favorite Texas Chainsaw Massacre film, that being the second one (you know the one where the semi-hot chick gets attacked in the radio station and the badass Dennis Hopper comes later to save the day like a cowboy wielding chainsaws) aka Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Might not be the goriest of the bunch but for its comedic value, it wins. You won't find any comedy in this ep but you will find some face-smashing brutality. Grab this shit if you haven't.Not a band submission but with Full permission of the band. Cheers guys.
This is probably my favorite fastcore/thrashcore record of all-time. The reason that I hold this record in such high regard is that these two veteran speed-freaks are two of the best to ever play this genre of extreme music. Capitalist Casualties from San Francisco have been around since 1987 and are still raging on today. Hellnation from Kentucky formed in 1988 but unfortunately called it quits in 2010. Both bands have released countless 7"'s, splits, ep's, and full-lenths. This was the final release from Hellnation prior to their disbanding. Not only are these two of the best bands in the fastcore/thrashcore arena, but this is arguably the best material either band has released.
Today I am presenting the debut full-length album from Italy's Dirty Power Game. I am not 100% sure whether or not these guys are still an active band, but between 2003-2010 they released 3 split 7"s and 3 full-length albums. Dirty Power Game play some really ragin' grinding frantic dual-vocal crustcore. Take your favorite 12" vinyl crust album, but instead of playing at the proper 33 speed, play it on 45 speed...that's what these guys sound like. I am a huge fan of Disrupt, Massgrave, and early-Extreme Noise Terror. These guys sound like a combination of those 3 bands...but faster. I highly recommend this album.. If you guys like this one, give me some feedback and I will post their other two full-lengths.
Sexual Atrocities was formed in 2008, and was formerly known as Screaming Afterbirth. Here we have the only full-length release by these sickos from Milwaukee. Regarding porno-grind and brutal/slam death; I share a pretty similar opinion as -D (this blog's founder and main contributor). Occasionally you will come across something that's pretty decent, but for the most part these are definitely not my favorite sub-genres affiliated with grindcore. And like -D, I often pass on a band when I see these types of song titles. However, these guys are one of the exceptions. This album is a pretty entertaining listen. It has plenty of groove and blasting, and it has crazy vocals that are all over the place...everything from gurgles, gargles, growls, shrieks, squeals, screams, shouts..and toilet noises, ect. In trying to come up with a comparison with what these guys sound like, all I can come up with at the moment is...if Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition decided to record a porno-grind/brutal-slam record. These guys are worth checking out, as they are one of the better bands I've heard in quite awhile that play this style.
Today I am presenting another quality grindcore offering from Finland. Although these guys have been around since 2006, this is their only release other than a demo they put out in 2009. What we have here is some some pretty standard Scandanavian grind...lots of blasting, a bit of groove, and dual trade-off vocals. Actually the vocals are one thing that make this band somewhat memorable. The one guy has a fairly typical deep grindcore voice but the other guy sounds like a barking dog whose vocal chords have been shredded beyond repair. Anyway, if you are a fan of bands like Afgrund, then you will probably enjoy these guys as well.
Today I am featuring a band from my home town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Behind Enemy Lines emerged from the ashes of iconic anarcho-punk band Aus Rotten. Aus Rotten were one of the most influential anarcho-punk bands to emerge from the U.S. during the 90's. Behind Enemy Lines continues where Aus Rotten left off. The same anger and intensity is there, but with B.E.L. the songs are a little longer and the sound is tighter, fuller, and thicker. There is also a more metallic element present. Lead vocalist Dave Trenga is internationally famous in the punk world for his incredibly intelligent and well-written rantings against government corruption and societal injustice. The lyrics are superb and his vocal delivery is a perfect fit for this style of music. This band formed in 2000 and released 3 full-length albums before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2008. This album is absolutely essential for any fan of anarcho-crust/d-beat. As an added bonus, I'm going to also throw up a link for an old Aus Rotten 7" from 1994 Fuck Nazi Sympathy.
Internal Damage from St. Petersburg, Russia has been grinding since 2007. Presented here is their 2nd full-length album. These guys play some top-notch grindcore. They sound kind of like a mix between Extreme Noise Terror and Rotten Sound, with maybe a little bit of Integrity and side-one Scum era Napalm Death thrown into the mix. My references to Integrity and Napalm Death are primarily (but not entirely) due to the vocals. At times the vocals remind me of Dwid from Integrity and at other times the vocals sound like a cross between original Napalm Death singer Nick Bullen and Extreme Noise Terror's Dean Jones....in addition the singer here also throws in some occasional Tom G. Warrior-ish grunts. This is some of the best grind that I've heard come out of Russia. Definitely check this one out.

The Worn Out presented here isn't the hardcore band from Jacksonville, FL but rather the raging grindcore band from Chicago. This young 3 piece grind unit fuckin' shred. Their style of grindcore has virtually no metal influence at all. They play very high energy old-school grind with elements of hardcore, powerviolence, and punk. I've heard some compare them to In Disgust and early Magrudergrind. Other than this highly recommended demo, their only other release is a split ep. I am hoping a full-length is in the not to distant future, because these guys are top-notch for this flavor of grind.
Although this Finnish band shares their name with song by CARCASS, these guys don't really sound anything like them. Slash Dementia play more in the style of fellow Scandinavian grinders FEASTEM, AFGRUND, ROTTEN SOUND, and NASUM. What we have here is some very catchy, rockin', groovin', hardcore/punk inspired grindcore. Another thing I really like about this band is the guitar sound. They have that ultra-heavy, deep, rich, buzzy ROTTEN SOUND guitar tone. This band has been around since 2010 and has released one full-length and 3 ep's. The material presented here is new songs that are going to appear on two separate split releases that they will be releasing in the near future. This band never disappoints, and this is some of their finest material to date. Check it out.
P.O.O.R (Point Of Our Resistance) is an amazing grindcore band out of Ventura,California. One thing I admire about this band is that three out of the four members contribute vocals, making a nice varied sound in that department. Musically this band's form of grindcore perfectly incorporates just the right amount of death metal, hardcore, and groove, thus resulting in fresh, original, and memorable songs. Put Naplam Death, Phobia, Dying Fetus, and Exhumed in a blender and the result is what P.O.O.R. sounds like. This is definately a band to keep an eye on. This is some top-shelf grindcore and is highly recommended. The material that I am posting here is their 14 song demo released this past March. This past September they released their first official full-length album. All 14 songs on this demo appear on their 24 song full-length. The full-length also includes some guest vocal and guitar work from Matt Harvey of Exhumed. Download this killer demo and if you like what you hear (you will!), then go to their bandcamp page and buy their full-length.

Some more dirty as shit Sludge to sink your teeth into. These guys play out of Syracuse, NY and are here to remind us just what the ugliness behind sludge metal is all about. Including a fair dose of stoner riffs, the vocals are what really sell this for me - being the perfect kind for this kind of music imo.. shrieking screams of a madman. The drumwork and riffs accent the vocals perfectly, whether it be random stoner riffs or the nearly constant pummeling that's taking place behind the kit, this stuff destroys for the entire 18+ minutes. More recommended listening, check it out.

Another killer submission here for ya from the boys in Forced. These guys play out of Brooklyn, New York and deliver some of the more down-trodden hardcore you might hear out of the area. Laced with elements of doom, sludge and even black metal, this definitely isn't your run of the mill NYHC outfit. With a strong DIY mentality and the seemingly endless hatred for anything beautiful, these guys are unapologetically here to fuck shit up... and that's just what they do. Citing influences as anything from Converge to Hooded Menace, they cover all the bases in this 5 song demo and certainly set the tone for what may lie ahead. Recommended listening, check it out.
Here we have the debut album of China Syndrome, not to be confused with the Belgian crust band or the Canadian power pop band that both share this band's name.This is a raging crusty grindcore band from the U.S. The first band that popped into my mind when I heard this album was MASSGRAVE from Vancouver. I love MASSGRAVE, but dare I say that these guys are more intense and even better than them. China Syndrome play the style of grindcore I enjoy most: dual trade-off vocals, no-bs straight-forward crust-core/punk guitar rythms played along with fast d-beat drumming, followed by very tight super fast non-triggered blasting. If you took the best elements of MASSGRAVE, EXTREME NOISE TERROR, and INSECT WARFARE and merged them all together, the end result is what CHINA SYNDROME sounds like. This album is superb. I give it a 5/5. Personally speaking, this is the best rookie grindcore band I've heard this year. Definately grab this one!
Vomit Soup is the name of a song of from Magrudergrind's "Sixty Two Trax of Thrash" album. Vomit Soup is also the name a one-man grindcore project out of Brazil, who not so coincidentally place Magrudergrind at the top of their list of influences. They also include on their list of influences: Napalm Death, Wormrot, and Dying Fetus. They describe their sound as "fast groovy anti-melody third-world grind.". I'd say that's a pretty accurate description. Some of their mid-paced parts sound really punkish, catchy, and groovy. It kinda makes you want to skank around in an old-school circle pit. In other mid-paced parts the sound has a more of a death-metal/groove vibe. All the fast parts are straight-forward, solid grindcore blasting. This is a pretty good debut offering both musically and sound wise ...especially considering this is a one man DIY project. Give it listen.

There are pretty credible rumors out there that Carcass will be releasing an album of brand new material in early 2013. To get you in the mood, I'm posting this album by Splatterhouse. Hailing from Portland, Oregon Splatterhouse are one of those Carcass worship/clone bands. These guys formed in 2002 and they released two splits and one full length before splitting up in 2006. Different folks have varied opinions on these type of bands. Regardless of how you feel about "worship" bands, these guys are really good at it. If you are a fan of General Surgery, The County Medical Examiners, or Haemorrhage...you will definitely enjoy this one.
-D just recently posted the first album from these French grinders. That album was good, but their newest album is way better. They have gone from playing death metal/grindcore to now playing much more pure straight-forward grind. On this album there are less slower and mid-paced death metal sections...this album is pretty much a non-stop grindcore blastfest. I think a really good comparison is how Greek grind gods SLAVEBREED changed their sound from their first death metally full length "Pain Syndicate" to this year's grindcore masterpiece "Dethrone the Architect". Slavebreed's "Dethrone the Architect" and Trepan' Dead's "Instict" are both on near the top of my list for best grind album of 2012. So, I highly recommend grabbing this one.Instinct


As with Suffering Mind and Lycanthrophy, here we have another kick-ass female fronted European grindcore band. In my opinion these guys and gal are at least on par with ( if not better) than the two above mentioned bands. The name Controlled Existence sounded very familiar to me, but I was having a hard time recalling why. Then I saw my Insect Warfare hoodie hanging in the closet...on the back it has a design that says "controlled existence". Coincidence or not, this band sounds pretty similar to Insect Warfare's style of old-school relentless straight-forward grind. I'm posting here their only 2 releases; their demo from 2011, and their 2012 split cassette with Slovakian grindcore band Mindfuck...who are pretty decent as well. The studio sound quality of the split is a bit better than the demo, but the demo quality isn't horrible.



