Album reviews-More awesome releases-Part two-Schkeuditzer Kreuz, Jahat, Coffin Carousel and Loner.

 

Album reviews-More awesome releases-Part two


These are the dog bollocks, concise short reviews of shit you need to buy now. Got it, now read, buy and thank me later fuckface.

We have a blindingly awesome selection of releases here as the year draws to a close. 

Let's go and get into these bangers.


Schkeuditzer Kreuz-No Life Left-Remixed. We all love the band no one can pronounce, it's pretty much dancey gothic industrial punk of the highest order, made by one of the best blokes in Australia. This is as Kieren describes it so well:

Remixes of songs from the No Life Left LP - ranging from dancey dark synth pop to glitched out breakcore and sludgy dooooooom

Man, I love a decent, edgy and wild remix and the five remixes here are the dog bollocks-Distruster brutalises Dead Alive into a breakbeat/dirty techno/electropunk savage classic. I love it when a remix can take a track into the gutter and back to the middle of a warehouse dancefloor. Max Rael has a different approach with Second Life, which is pure 90's underground rave aesthetic mixed with hard electronica that really cut thru hard and the panning and mixing on this is absurdly awesome. 

Creassault gives Joy a minimalistic bent edge that I adored, the beats were so in tune with the vocals and it jumps to a weird ambient vibe that floats my boat-a fantastic journey and at three tracks all utterly different styles of remix, and total adventureing in the realms of broad underground electronic music. Non-Bio absolutely shakes the EP up with the crafty use of noise, a focus on the early eras of industrial and working on pushing the boundaries of both electronica and very dark ambient on No Redemption. A remix is a decent one when you cannot wait to check out their own works, as well as other remixes. Crash Scan closes off this staggering brilliant release with abrasive crushing droney doom that works so well with the track Three Inch Scar. All damn right amazing interpretations of several banging Tracks from Sk's latest and one of the best releases of the year.

out now:

Jahat-World Fact Journal. So, so pleased to come across this three-piece crust/stenchcore band from Medan, Indonesia. To say I love this style of punk is an understatement-see my fave period of music is late 80s/90's crustpunk. I could list my faves, but you may not give a fuck or it will be pages long-but very briefly- Deviated Instinct, Doom, ENT, Amebix, Antisect etc are bands that I still adore and worship today-as well as Napalm Death(That's a shitstir as all my friends know of my ND worship, an understatement) but you get the point so in 2023 if a can listen to a release that harks back to less
of internet gen of crust, you know I am in deep!. 

This six-track is a flawless masterpiece of old-school crust-ferocious and distorted glory. You know the score, insane blastbeaty drums on the verge of exploding, acidic riffs and off-its-head screamy/grindy but punk as fuck vocals. No long songs, but that's the purpose just nuclear powered distorted punk rock. Gun Control sets off the ep in a massive way with a wild sample and then the unhinged crust mayhem starts, just loud and unfiltered awesome stuff. But that said the production is damn good, balanced, but still with a solid raw vibe. Crusty Destroy is just as subtle!, not really-super uk inspired chaos/crust punk with some throwbacks to early Japanese hardcore as well, yes sir, please. The third track is my fave, the harsh and super effective Folklore of Dehumanization with its equal hectic vs a sludgy mix of deranged heaviness. Absolute banger. Harsh is an eager, but tension-building classic of the highest order-real stenchy and dirgy and also shows the diversity of this band- definitely well-experienced players. 

Court Order takes it back to grind punk style and man this is a heavy one, reminds me of the early Earache Records catalogue as well, and that's the highest compliment. Confidental finishes off this stunning release and proves that the firepower ain't lacking even towards the end, this is magnificent, kinda Bolt Thrower meets Sore Throat, I mean what a way to close a debut release. Keep a close eye on this band and if you have a label they are keen to release this EP on both cassette and/or vinyl-and that would rule. 
Out Now and destroying sound systems everywhere.:

Coffin Carousel-S/T. Great music doesn't have a use-by date and we always give space to albums we missed and dug. CC have been kicking for a while and the overall sound has developed over this time, less of the horror punk stuff and more of the distorted sludgy punk etc. Definitely this band's finest release, it's gritty and as always with this band, has great songwriting, catchy hooks and riffs and confident, yet nasty vocals.

 War of Roses was the video and single from this release, and it's damn obvious why-aggressive harmony, a solid stompy rhythm dedication and tough riffs/groove. Also like much of the album, it has a gothic groove, almost borderline Marilyn Manson/ dancey industrial. Black to White is as moody, and domineering and totally has that Misfits meets Ministry vibe; impressive as. And this is where CC need to sit more into, well for my ears, less of the melodic stuff and more of dirty, gritty punk-influenced metal. The band totally soars on tracks like Ninth Gate, Ghosts in the Machine, Blood Snake Charm and Run with Death. Although this strong metal focus is perfectly balanced by the more rocky and gothy tracks that soar as high- Flash Recall that is at home at a pub venue to a nightclub- I would love to hear a remix of this. In the same ballpark as Touch the Sun, Nighthawk, the wild Chaos Falling and Into the Crust. Death Haunted closes out this stellar release with fantastic harmonious vocals, tangential song structure, stadium rock confidence and just sheer pummeling from every instrument. Live the band is even more of a force, so go see them live and support this band hard. Banging album, with so much variety, skill and endless anthems!.

Out now via the band for physical copies or on all streaming outlets:
or

Loner-Warning Signs. This is also a banging release from a band I hadn't heard of. Fuck me dead, this debut album is so damn impressive, this five-piece band from Sydney,NSW and whilst this is definitely a mix of groove metal and deep doomy sludge it also has vocally some wicked foundations to hardcore. 

Take the opener, So Nearly Free which drifts away from a super appealing Eyehategod/Crowbar worship to a meaty and raw almost beatdown vocal style that rips your fucking head off. Plus, as across the whole release, magnificent and tight playing that is both bluesy and extreme metal-like. Yes, real hellfire tone, but perfect songwriting and style. Ghosts makes sure you haven't had time to fall asleep like the majority of sludge metal and hits you with a sledgehammer again with abrasive guitarwork and savage vocals. Happy Ending was the first killer single from this and also has a video you must go and watch ASAP. This is a skanky, dirty and raw track, that literally peels your skin off with the slow, but acerbic tempo. Again the vocals carry the track as much as the mountainous riffs. 

Inferior totally soaks up its groove metal influences and bounces along with both purpose and intent. This band would be slaughtering crowds live. Tight Rope reminds me of Christbait(if you don't know of this band, look them up-legendary extreme metal, then more sludgy as time rolled on, classic and unbeatable band) and that is a huge call, I mean not vocally but just on the type and degree of punishment the track inflicts on the listener. The next two tracks have guests from bands I have never heard of; however, both added colour to these super nasty tracks and both dipped into metalcore and even deathcore influence that clearly shows the band could go in many directions with their skill level. The title track closes out the album confidently and is a raging and moody number that even reminded me of UK giants, Malevolence. 

A raging band that deserves your attention!.

Out Now:

LAST BUT NOT LEAST SUPPORT OUR ZINE BY SPREADING THE WORD FOLLOWING US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND REPOSTING OUR WORKS...
SUPPORT THE UNDERGROUND AND OUR COMMUNITY







Comments