+HIRS+ Collection Update Part 3

Seems to be an annual thing for me to post the gradual increase in mass of my +HIRS+ collection. The ladies just don't stop, and it's sometimes quite difficult to keep up with them. Don't think I need to go in deep why I like this band, I've praised them countless times on this and other blogs. Satanic and queer as fuck drum machine grindcore at some of it's very best. As you can see (if you cared to look) my collection has grown quite a bit, and to date I am only missing one item to be complete. Here's the whole lot.

Breaking it down now, here are the tapes:

• Split w/ Very Ape
• Split w/ Bubonic Bear
• Split w/ Drums Like Machine Guns
• "Nunmilk" EP
• Split w/ Nimbus Terrefix
• Split w/ Hulk Smash
• Split w/ Tooth Decay
• "Gaytheism" Comp. (Australian release)
• "Antichristmas/Happy Holigays" 

"The First 100 Songs" LP:

• 2nd press on hot pink vinyl
• 1st press on black vinyl /100
• Cassette
• CD
• Test press /15
• *also have the zine, but forgot to include it here*

Lathes:

• Live Split 11" w/ Drums Like Machine Guns 
• "Shut Down The Machine" 6" 1-sided pic. disc 
• "Vagaytion/Gaycation" 4"
• "Dimebag" square 5.5"

• Split 1-sided 7" w/ Shitweather
• Split 7" w/ Maradona

"Worship" 1-sided 7":

• 1st press on black vinyl
• Test press #5/5 (aka: "Involuntary Split With The Immaculates" 
• 2nd press on hot pink #3/69

• "Australian Tour 2013" DVD
• Split flexi postcard w/ Towers

~VII

Bummer Alcoholic

This was one tough son of a gun to find for me. I heard fair tale of this already essential split around the mid point of 2013, and searched high and low for it for months, only coming to dead ends and "Sold Out" notifications in scattered distros.  I didn't even know who put this record out! And when I finally did learn of the few collective labels, many of them said that they hadn't received their copies. Diseased Audio finally hooked it up and I landed me one of the dangerously brutal Archagathus/Nak'ay split 10"s. Red/black marble vinyl, 33 RPM.

*As I am uploading the pictures for this post, I am curious as to why I did not take a picture of the cover and record together as I normally do*. I found out about this record right around the time my love for Archagathus and the mid-west grind scenes were peaking. This record was a mandatory purchase for any junkie of those particular brands. Nak'ay are a ruthless Indiana grind trio, who have have slammed the pedal straight through the metal on every release they've put out. This record is no exception, it's barbaric blasturbation grindcore. Insect Warfare on a meth/coke cocktail is about what I can describe this as, with some disgusting lo-fi as shit recordings to give it that extra "umpf". Archagathus bring what I believe are all new songs on this record, and it's a solid handful of tracks. Their current more metallic sound is very strong on here, some tracks like "Decapitated Priest" have a huge amount of straight Swede-grind influence. This is also some of their best sounding recordings to date. Great heavy guitar tones and thunderous drums, and of course the bellowing troll vocals I always love.

(Unintentional artsy angle)

This record is thankfully much more common now. Pick it up, it's good for ya. 

~VII

Majestic Aggressor

 This split was another recent buy, and a bit of a follow up to the post about the "Archagathagorge EP" post. Here is a proper Archagathus/Violent Gorge split 7" on some nice transparent red vinyl, 45 RPM.

 Now this one is really cool to me for a couple reasons. First, when I ordered this I didn't know I was going to get the limited color variant, something that I rarely manage to snag for this band. So that's pretty neat. And, from what I can tell from a quick search on Discogs, these appear to be new Archagathus songs! With this and the split 10" with Nak'ay, Archx have seem to be getting more and more metal sounding. The blast riffs are much more grinding and metallic, and the musicianship in general has gotten tighter. Kind of morphing more in the the band Violent Gorge is! This was a great proper listen to this band for me. Disgusting, super-blasting grindcore with tons of "bree-bree" vocals and gory growls. To repeat myself from a couple posts ago, VG is essentially Archagathus, but with Joe Warkentin tearing it up on lead vocals, and I think he does bass on this too. Really after their split 5.5" with Sete Star Sept now.

Pretty punx-as-fuk packaging. It looks like the cover sleeve was printed on stock copy paper. The Archx/Soil Of Ignorance split was like that too.

~VII

Konfident

Here's a split that seems to have been made just to please people like me. Two of my favorite current grind bands teaming up and sharing one record. Happy happy joy joy! Here's the Suffering Mind/Archagathus split 1-sided 7", black vinyl, 33 RPM.

Now for as excited as I was for this record, honestly as a whole it came of only as average to me. Two tracks from both bands, Suffering Mind first. The first track is an under 30 second ripper, solid blasting track from beginning to end. The 2nd one has the delicious grindage in the beginning, but rides this not very awesome mid-tempo chord progression throughout most of it. Archagathus come next with "Inexperienced Cannibal", a short little number, closing out with a cover of Rot's "Russian Roulette". Nothing bad by any means, but nothing mindblowing at the same time. Oh well I guess. Tons more great stuff is coming up from both of these bands to get bummed by it at all.

Fun fact, this was going to be a 5". That would have been pretty cool. Metal/grind mega label Power It Up Records took care of this and pressed it as a single sided 7". I believe there is a limited color variant, but I couldn't afford to get it.

~VII

Archagathagorearchy

I actually acquired this today! As well as some other choice jams that I can't wait to listen to and post about. I was really hoping I would be able to add this to my collection, and Blisteredmind (search his distro on tumblr) helped me out yet again!Here is the "Archagathagorearchy EP", black flexi, single sided, 33 RPM. No idea how limited it is.

The "Archagathagorearchy EP", is a modest split between Archagathus and the brother band Violent Gorge, who share pretty much the entire band. This is, from what I can tell, a selection of live songs from their sets at the Leatherhouse venue (the only place I would ever want to play if I performed in Ohio). Archx play two of my favorite songs, "Hair Dresser" and "Fuckin' Ebola". Violent Gorge have 3 songs, and since I am honestly pretty new to the band I can't tell is these are new or not. My guess is that their not. Good stuff though! More of a pummeling, straightforward grindcore sound with a gory edge that I'm definitely in favor of. The recording isn't the best, the guitars are sometimes completely drowned out, but it's a neat gem of a record. I really dig the hell out of fun releases like this.

~VII

Putrid Entrapment

I think I got this the same time as the Compost split. Another Archagathus split with an Italian band, this one being Bestial Vomit. Black vinyl, 33 RPM.

More recordings from 2011 on the Archx side. so that janky guitar tone pops up again. Some real angry sounding songs on this split. Standout gems like "Paranormal Investigator" and "Fuckin' Ebola" pop up, the later of which being re-worked with a Part B song; "Goddamn Cholera!". Bestial Vomit are a band I only have one other record from (the split 7" with Agathocles), and they're a lot better then I remember them. I thought their three songs were great! A pretty solid mix of traditional OD grind with some modern riff and vocal dynamics, and a killer screaming vocalist. Kind of like Dahmer meets Capitalist Casualties mixed with early Rotten Sound. I wish the almost minute long sample at the end was another song though.

Revered labels, you strike again!  

This one's pretty easy to find. 

~VII

Languorous Tyrannosaur

Here's an older Archagathus split that I recently picked up. I've had my eye on it for a while, mostly because of the cool cover. This is their split with Camphora Monobramata (that name take's a couple tried to type too), black vinyl, 33 RPM.

These Archx tracks were actually recorded the same year that this record was release (2011). While I have to question the super janky guitar tone, these songs still do come out sounding quite heavy thanks to some much needed low end from the bass. "She Grinds" and "Languorous Tyrannosaur" are some stand-out heavy mince jams. Great sounding vocals as well.

Camphora Monobramata are a raw goregrind band from Russia, as the tricky name should tip you off to. I was pretty ready to hate this side of the record because of the unimpressive opening riff, but when the vocals kicked in, this band really picked up and I eventually came to enjoy track after track. What CM make is simple, fun, lo-fi goregrind, Bands like a raw Spasm or Torsofuck come to mind, but without the samples, or porn. Some slam riffs are thrown in for good measure. Pretty fun stuff.

~VII

Intractable Tarantula

The next handful of posts are going to focus all on Archagathus. Let's consider January to be "Mince Month" here on Built To Blast. My collection has had a major increase in the recent weeks. In fact I ordered about 6 crucial additions earlier in the week, which should be getting here soon. This one I got from Third Eye Grind, the Archagathus/Compost split 7", black vinyl, 45 RPM.

We got three tracks recorded sometime in 2011, so they're all been visited before. Quality jams none the less, "Intrateable Tarantula" and "Sexy Grinder" are particularly nasty. Very raw recordings, with a dirty, clanging guitar tone. Compost are an Italian goregrind project, this is my first exposure to them. Pretty fun, simple goregrind tunes. Lots of groove, early Regurgitate and Rot worship for sure. I enjoyed their side too.

Very nice and sturdy glued sleeve with some thick vinyl and an insert, an excellent package! Been waiting for an Archx record to come in a glued sleeve actually.

~VII

Prison Cycle

Well, I'm certainly glad I decided to randomly check Vaccine's blog site that one day, and come face to face with the announcement that this swan song split was finally pressed and ready to order. Vaccine, as I have made more and more apparent, is a band that I hold very very near and dear to my heart. And this recording is sadly the final nail in the band's collective coffin. Very sad to see this band go, but I'm hoping that all the members move on to more incredible projects. Like the band who shares the other side of this record with them, No Faith, which has at least a couple members of Vaccine if I remember correctly. Here it is, the Vaccine/No Faith split, clear vinyl, 45 RPM.

Five final songs from Vaccine, still keeping the same sound that I fell in love with in tact, this time with a little tighter blasts and less minor key riffs. But the biggest surprise of all; they finally made a song over 1-minute long (orchestra sting). "Blood Money" is by far the most unique song the band has made, with it's militaristic snare beats and almost mid-tempo "verses", it's a bit jarring to hear them slow down and play an almost classic hardcore sounding song. I kind dig how that's the only little bit of progression we'll see from Vaccine. They've held on to total integrity and constant aggression through out all their records, and while these five songs are certainly not their best, they are far from being disappointing. Very happy with this. 

Now on the flip side we have a complete 180 with No Faith. One song, and it is a slow, crawling, noisy sludge tromp. I honestly only briefly skimmed over their full length LP a little while ago, so I'm really not that used to this bands material enough to say if this is good or not. While it certainly isa heavy track and shows off some pretty noisy production, it feels like it goes no where. Or rather, I feel like it would have been beneficial to include another track. Right when "Revolt" ends I want another track to just come blaring out of my speakers. But alas, tis not the case. 

Nice matte, glued sleeve, with a sturdy double sided insert. Vinyl Rites did a good job with the presentation. I was really hoping I didn't order too late, as it was advertised that the clear vinyl got sent out on a first-come-first-serve kind of way. I lucked out, there might be more. The clear vinyl is limited to 220 copies. 

~VII

Excesscrement

The tail end of 2013 gave us a couple more Suffering Mind splits, both of which are with some of my favorite Canadian bands (the other one is on it's way to me). Here is the Suffering Mind/Six Brew Bantha split 7", brought to us by Halo Of Flies records. It seemed the stars were aligned in favor of this split, as it left the pressing plant, and got shipped to me from the label within a span of what seemed like 3 weeks. Crazy!!!

You can tell from the über metal cover art that this thing is going to be metallic and deadly. Five excellent songs from Suffering Mind, some of the best stuff they've done all year. "Kolejny Medialny Obrazek" in particular has an insane headbanger of a groove riff at the end. Great stuff as always. SBB are as tight and refined as ever, bringing 4 longer songs with more riffs and whiplash inducing stop/start riffs then you could imagine cramming into any minute+ song. The closing track, "Excesscrement" also has my favorite ending scream of 2013. One of Canada's most impressive bands by far, and the info I got about one of their upcoming records has me going crazy with excitement. 

Halo Of Flies pressed 700 copies of these, 100 being on red and 100 on white. I was a nerd that day and snagged both colors. 

I'll be posting about that other split within the week, hopefully!

~VII