Roses Are Red, Grinders Are Cool

Bruised Ego are a band that are very near and dear to my heart. One of my favorite bands to come out in the past few years for sure, and some of the raddest dudes. Their first demo tape really knocked me out when I first heard it a couple years ago, and their very active progression has been insane. This, their first full length LP "Roman Numeral One", was recently released on a variety of labels. I was lucky enough to be able to pay for a handful of copies before it went to press, and Brad was generous enough to put my lil' ol labels logo on the back. So yes this review is pretty biased, but fuck it cause y'all really need to check out Bruised Ego (and buy this LP from the band and other labels please).

Bruised Ego are a fastcore band through and through, exemplifying all the traits I love about the genre and its over the top sonic nature. Passionate, opinionated, the right amount of tongue in cheek, plus they can push the tempo's to mach 5. "Roman Numeral One" is the product of many hours spent refining their craft and they gave it the treatment it so deserves. I was so stoked when I heard that super metal producer/engineer Colin Marston was going to be recording the LP, and he definitely put a large roomy, thick sound to everything. A very raw, aggressive and energetic sound and performance comes through. It's warp speed shit, I gotta catch my breath a lot when I listen to this, and I've heard it quite a lot at this point.

Every song from the first demo is re-recorded here, but the remaining 15 tracks are all new and in your face. Bruised Ego always been really terrific song writers. Brad is a riff machine, incorporating a ton of influence from different styles of heavy music besides the tried and true fastcore bands. Adam's drumming is perfectly able to add the right amount of accents and tricks to make the riffing come alive in a new way. One of the craziest drummers to watch live. The track "Dundalk" for instance, has so many sharp stops and changes, it sounds like a track from No Comment's "Downsided", but on fast forward. Or the strange and staggering snare hit break in "Old Guy In The Pit". "Human Garbage" has a fantastically structured intro that weaves and morphs so tastily, then explodes into full on war mode. Mike is also sounding as aggressive as ever. Insane praise for being able to keep up vocals towards this music.

The packaging and layout of this record is total eye candy to me. It came out so good! The absolutely amazing cover art (done by Lobo Ramirez) is full of wonderful little easter eggs that were a lot of fun to pick out.

You can pick this LP up from the Bruised Ego link up above. Also from To Live A Lie and Craniophagus Parasiticus Records (can). Tru Freak doesn't seem to have a webstore. Fastcore is alive and well in 2018!

~VII

Fortress of Solid 'Tude

Two American fastcore bands unleashed full lengths on to the world last year. Both of them have an output that I consider to be something special. One more modern (I'll get to them in April), and the other a band of veterans. The Almighty Hummingbird of Death gave us their 3rd full length LP, "Forbidden Techniques", released by To Live A Lie records in a run of 500 copies. 100 on this orange vinyl color.

The 'Bird was actually the first band I've ever made a conscious effort to collect all their records. I fell off over the past couple years since my online buying days are past me, but getting this record was essential. HoD are always a band that push themselves and seems to strive to make every record they do stand apart from each other. Every one maintaining the signature style and grace of the band: from the 5" EP classic, "Goatmeal", to the 13+ minute long track on the Downsided split. "Forbidden Techniques" is the band at their peak right now, they've made what I consider to be their best record so far.

Everything about this record is just the best; it's the best recording the band has ever had. The drums sound full and punchy, same with the guitar and bass tones. The performances, the compositions, pshtt forgetaboutit. Not a dud in the whole line-up here, everything sounds so inspired and finely tuned. But not in a proggy, annoying way, they've just crafted amazing songs. Tons of fun little moments, like the solid decreasing tempo on the outro to the first song, "Fresh Hell". Which goes immediately into one of the most hard hitting tracks on the album, "Thicken". I can't not help but trash a few fists in the air every time that song kicks in. Or the fantastic gang shouts on "Fuck An Apology", one of my favorite tracks on the album and surely a future anthem for the band.

Always a band to have topical lyrics, "Forbidden Techniques" is not without it's fair share of social commentary. From our obsession with technology, the current political climate, to social media, the 'Bird have a lot on their minds. But still keeping a general fun attitude, more like poking and prodding instead of just preaching.

And the ARTWORK! Man, this is some of the coolest artwork I've seen on a grindy/fastcore album in a while. I love everything about this, the colors, the detail, it's glorious. Huge shout out to Lucan Korte for this masterpiece.

This release is still available, you absolutely need this in your life. Now a surprise kitty photobomb!

~VII

Perennial Loser

Can't stop the mince, don't want it to stop!! "Canadian Horse" is an album that I bought when my interest in Archagathus, and mince in general, was still in an infant stage. I bought it when it came out from TLAL, almost 3 years ago (that's really hard to believe, wow), and within the last couple months it's actually started to become one of my favorite albums. I'm very happy to own the rarest variant of this record. Lavender vinyl, limited to 100, 45 RPM.

Can't go on without mentioning the epicness of this album cover. It's just so...well look at it! I don't even think I should have to explain what's going on here, you're most likely already making your own judgements on it as we speak. Really, it's a love it or hate it cover, and I'm on the side of the former. It's just so cheeky (no pun intended) that I really can't see how anyone can't love it even a little bit. A fun cover for a fun band, let's but it that way. Listening to this album makes me want to see them play in someones basement, with drinks flying everywhere and endless sweaty party-moshing. 

Nothing short of a mince masterpiece. This album has The Prince of Mince displaying the best recording he/they've ever had, and their strongest songs to date. Every song on here is an upbeat, charging, mish-mash of classic Agathocles mince, crusty hardcore, old-school grindcore, some Euro-style riffs here and there, and an endless amount of vocal styles. You got low growls, SUPER low growls, piggy squeals, crusty barks, and some of the most throat-wrenching high screams I've ever heard. Honestly, the vocals are one of my favorite parts of this record, they give every song tons of variety and keep them interesting. And dammit, they're just so catchy! I get the riff to "Mincecore Fabio" (previously called "Hairdresser" before it was reworked for this record), stuck in my head at least once a day. "Perennial Loser" has one of my favorite riffs on the whole record, and the last two songs throw in some very nice slow, sludgy riffs. The only time they appear on the whole record. 

Comes with a nice big poster and a double-sided lyrics sheet, which I would have pictures of but my camera seems to have derped while I was taking them. 

The larger variants of this record are still pretty easy record to find, and TLAL recently did a nice looking split-color vinyl repress of it. Treat yourself.

~VII

Cold Sweat

RIP powerviolence in 2013, you had a good run, you had some good records, but Abuse. straight up murdered everyone. Folks, I have no idea if this band is even comprised of actual mortal human beings. I think that this band was the result of some crazy lab experiment to create the perfect powerviolence band that went wonderfully, fantastically well. Not only did they release one of the best 7"s earlier this year on Hygiene Records, now they come at us again with a contender for album of the year, from To Live A Lie Records. And I'm just barely getting over the rush of the first EP! Again, perfect band. TLAL did 2 variants of this record, and since I'm a raging fanboy right now, I had to break my rule and get both variants. 100 are on transparent green vinyl, and 400 are black/brown split.

I honestly have a hard time putting how good this record is into words. It's really something that I beg and plead you to listen to on your own to get the full impact, but I'll take a shot at it. This record really is powerviolence 101. There are no faults, or flaws with anything recorded here. The band sounds intense, rabid, like if they have to play as hard as they can or else they'll collapse and die. The drums are cripplingly heavy, and man, this vocalist gives one of my favorite performances of the year. Passionate. frothing, angry-bulldog barks that really don't sound like many other vocalists. I truly do recommend this record to anybody into powerviolence, hardcore, fastcore, grind, etc. If you can't get into it, I just feel sorry for you.

I do believe every Abuse. record has an image of a man in the fetal position. Consistency points?

Double-sided lyric sheet.

Buy this right now from To Live A Lie.

~VII

Crux

Here's one of my most anticipated releases of the year, a grind/violence record that should have any fan of the genre get moist underwear. ACxDC, Sex Prisoner and Magnum Force all coming together on one sexy ass 1-sided 10" record. Mixed vinyl, limited to 100, 33 RPM.

Brilliant stuff from all three bands. By far the best stuff that ACxDC have done to date, these songs really did make me a big fan of the band. Absolutely killer stuff. It's great to hear stuff from Sex Prisoner again, after a 3 year wait from their outstanding 7". The mix is a bit muddier this time around, but they still keep the heavy as iron balls breakdowns. Magnum Force's stuff goes by in the blink of an eye; blazingly fast, crazy intense, bordering on falling apart. 

Really simple fold over sleeve packaging, nothing special. But it does come with a nice 3-page booklet.

Some actually nice looking mixed/marble vinyl, nice and dark purple, with an awesome B-side etching.

I also was very lucky enough to score a test pressing of this record! I believe there's only 20 of them, and I'm pretty stoked to have it in the collection. Thanks TLAL!!

Buy this ASAP, it's selling like crazy. 

~VII

Surgery Addict

Here's a mincecore release that I've been eager to get my grubby mitts on for a few minutes now. TLAL joining on releasing this really brought it up to "gotta have it" territory. Here's the Archagathus/Pizza Hi Five split 7", transparent green vinyl, 33 RPM.

I'm a fan of Archagathus, but I never really could handle more than a few minutes of them Before getting totally bored, which is why 7"s are so perfect for them. More of the same mincecore stuff from them, nothing new for the band at all. Kinda of a clean recording, but the vocals just wash over everything. Not much more to say outside of that.

The Pizza Hi Five side is where this release truly shines though. I've been a fan of these guys ever since 2009, and seeing them get all this attention is great. They still got it, and their jams on here are great. Total pulverizing, grimy, gutter sludge mincegrind. I fucking love it. The guitars are super think and chunky and the drums got a heck of a lot faster. Love this band!!

Pretty sure the green vinyl was limited to 100, not that sure though.

Buy this, or forever suck.

~VII

Island Of Clones

I am not an avid collector of test pressings, but I am a collector of Needful Things. And when I saw them in NYC a couple weeks ago, they happened to be selling test pressings of their new split 7" with Roskopp. The fact that it was a test(limited to 60) and a TLAL release only sweetened the deal. Black vinyl, 45 RPM.

I love Needful Things, we all know this. I think they're one of the most criminally underrated grindcore bands going right now. The three tracks on here are vicious and unrelenting, just how NT do it. I wasn't a huge fan of the Roskopp side at all. Pretty much just standard grindcore, but without anything exciting in it. I feel like I do need to pick up an official copy of this though, because a TP can only be played a few times before it starts to go bad.

Cool artwork from Aaron Nichols of Defeatist.

This should be released sometime soon.

~VII

White Paranoia

Last week saw the release of the brand new EP from the uber-negative Philidelphia fastcore duo, Backslider. I'm always happy to get more records from these guys, and the fact that this is a TLAL co-release (also released with Psychocontrol Records) is a big plus. "Maladapted", black vinyl, 45 RPM.

All around, "Maladapted" is a really good EP. Backslider are as tight and complicated as ever, and they have never sounded better as well. The recording on this is super tidy and punchy. The guitar tone has gotten a little less bassy, but still has a lot of impact. The drum performance on this is incredible too. Stop and start on a dime riffs, with some very nice occasional stoner rock-influenced breaks thrown in for good measure. 

The one nit-pick I have with this is that I don't think it warrant's being a double sided 7". This thing could easily fit on 1-side and still be 45 RPM. It kills me when bands/labels decide to do that, it kills the momentum and energy for me. Three songs on each side, each side being about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. At least they're good songs.

I ordered mine form Blastcat records, which is run by one of the dudes in the band. There is a blue vinyl variant, which I unfortunately was not given. I'm unsure of the numbers. Definitely pick this one up.

~VII