Lockersludge - Drawing Lessons EP (CD Review)

01.Burden Of Pain
02.Guilt, Anger And Agression
03.Drawing Lessons
04.The Beard Of Doom
05.Burn In Hell


Mark Lockyer (Vocals/Drums)
Andy Lockyer (Guitar)
Brew (Bass)

3 piece doom/sludge with a hardcore edge from South Devon formed circa 2011.
Lockersludge essentially started out as a side project for Mark and Andy they have now recruited bassist Brew so they can begin rehearsals and take the project out live. Mark and A having been playing together since 1993 also enjoying slow, sludge (bands like Melvins & Eyehategod) power metal (Pantera) as well as an appreciation for the old skool hardcore scene (Madball, Biohazard) & the hardcore scene of today (Terror, Sworn Enemy) believing that there is no heavier form of music.

Maybe it's because of the punk vocal style and the lack of doom structure, i really don't get the doom/sludge tag here at all.

The first four songs are more of a grunge/sludge hybrid, nice raw sound with the instruments, but because of the shout it out/sneering vocal style this sounds more like Cockney Rejects play metal, Oi Metal???
It has a real dont care/fuck you attitude, simple punchy riffs over a basic drum beat and then short burst guitar solos.

It's not agressive enough to have a clear Hardcore tag either, really the more i listen to these songs i just get punk every time.

Now with that said the last song 'Burn In Hell' has a different feel, slow rhythmic drum pattern and obvious doom guitar, now here's the thing the lyrics are those of a certain Mr Dorain and this does "Borrow" quite a lot from Hopkins Witchfinder General, a hell of a lot, most of it actually, yet they still make this a punk rocker of a song.

Weird bunch can't quite work out what they are or what they want to achieve with the music.

Rating 8/10
For fans Of: Viking Skull, Anti Nowhere League, Warfare

Dioramic - Supra (CD Review)

01.Xibalba
02.Carpets On The Walls
03.The Calm Before
04.The Storm
05.Worth
06.Big Pump
07.Melancholia
08.Logbook
09.Vortex Reflex


Arkadi Zaslavski (Guitar/Vocals)
Max Nicklas (Bass)
Alex Mauch (Guitar)
Paul Seidel (Drums)

German alternative/hardcore/screamo band formed in 2002, Recording for Supra started in 2011, but a line up change halted progress for a while. The band’s original drummer, Anton, found success with his alter ego ZEDD and recently picked up a Grammy award. This increased activity elsewhere left little time for the band so they drafted in Paul Seidel (War From A Harlot's Mouth, The Ocean).


The music's not bad but the screamo vocals are awful on 'Xibalba', the melodic vocals work, but it just becomes a noize.
Thats pretty much the same for the next few tracks until the more melodic and well structured 'Worth' this one really has that Muse vibe and is pretty good.

After another noize we get the haunting 'Melancholia' another one that fits the Muse influence, even the keyboard sound is the same.

'Logbook' even though its that horrid screamo vocal in places, really works, it has a huge backing chorus and layered keyboards.

Not sure about 'Vortex Reflex' the song was silent? dunno if this is a mistake from the record company or some clever statement?


Rating: 6/10
For fans of: Muse, Mars Volta, Deftones

Ringworm - Hammer Of The Witch (CD Review)

01.Dawn Of Decay
02.Bleed
03.Leave Your Skin At The Door
04.Exit Life
05.Psychic Vampire
06.King Of Blood
07.I Recommend Amputation
08.Hammer Of The Witch
09.We'll Always Have The End
10.One Of Us Is Going To Have To Die
11.Vicious Circle Of Life
13.Height Of Revelation

Human Furnace (Vocals)
Matt Sorg (Guitar)
John Comprix (Guitar)
Ed Stephens (Bass)
Danny Zink (Drums)

Formed in 1991 in Cleveland,later released The Promise (1993) on Incision Records, immediately finding their place among hardcore metal heavyweights like Terror and Earth Crisis. Despite early success, the band decided to pursue personal ventures. Human Furnace concentrated his focus on tattooing and his artwork, while other members joined with hardcore legends Integrity.

Then Nearly a decade later they reformed and unleashed 'Birth Is Pain', followed by 'Justice Replaced By Revenge' (2005).
Between extensives touring and personal ventures, they managed to release two more searing LPs, The Venomous Grand Design (2007) and Scars (2011), through Victory Records.

Human Furnace also continues with his side project group 'Holy Ghost'.


From the kick off we have some great guitawork and melody, but the melody turns to pure anger and hi energy, vocals are shouted with a venomous sneer whilst all the time the relentless power of the drums and riffs just hits you like a wall of solid steel.

The intesisty does not let up track after track, its just keeps on going.
Have to say for a band with a 'HC' label there are some great guitar solos in the mix and some thrash elements as well, its actually a perfect blend of styles.

Rating 8/10
For fans Of : Terror, Hatebreed, Biohazard, Madball

VARIOUS ARTISTS - GRIND MADNESS AT THE BBC (Cd Review)

DISC 1

NAPALM DEATH

01.The Kill 02.Prison Without Walls 03.Dead 04.Deceiver 05.Lucid Fairytale 06.In Extremis 07.Blind To The Truth 08.Negative Approach 09.Common Enemy 10.Obstinate Direction 11.Life? 12.You Suffer Pt.2 13.Multi National Co-Operations 14.Instinct Of Survival 15.Stigmatised 16.Parasites 17.Moral Crusade 18.Worlds Apart 19.MAD 20.Divine
Death 21.CS 22.Control 23.Walls 24.Raging In Hell 25.Conform Or Die 26.SOB 27.Unchallenged Hate 28.Mentally Murdered 29.From Enslavement To Obliteration 30.Suffer The Children 31.Retreat To Nowhere 32.Scum 33.Deceiver 34.Social Sterility
EXTREME NOISE TERROR

35.False Profit 36.Another Nail In The Coffin 37.Use Your Mind 38.Carry On Screaming 39.Human Error 40.Conned Through Life 41.Only In It For The Music Part 2 42.Take The Strain 43.Murder 44.No Threat45.Show Us You Care 46.Propaganda 47.System Enslavement 48.Only In It For The Music Part 3 49.Work For Never50.Subliminal Music (Mind Control) 51.People Not Profit 52.Punk Fact Or Faction 53.I Am A Bloody Fool54.In It For Life 55.Deceived 56.Shock Treatment.

DISC 2

CARCASS
57.Crepitating Bowel Erosion 58.Slash Dementia 59.Cadaveric Incubator Of Endo Parasites 60.Reek Of Putrefaction61.Empathological Necroticism 62.Foeticide 63.Fermenting Innards 64.Exhume To Consume

BOLT THROWER
65.Forgotten Existence 66.Attack In The Aftermath 67.Psychological Warfare 68.In Battle There Is No Law 69.Drowned In Torment 70.Eternal War 71.Realm Of Chaos 72.Domination 73.Destructive Infinity 74.Warmaster75.After Life 76.Lost Souls Domain.

DISC 3

GODFLESH
77.Tiny Tears 78.Wound (Not Wound) 79.Pulp 80.Like Rats

UNSEEN TERROR
81.Incompatible 82.Burned Beyond Recognition 83.Oblivion Descends 84.Divisions 85.Voice Your Opinion 86.Strong Enough To Change 87.Odie's Revenge 88.It's My Life
HERESY
89.Flowers (In Concrete) 90.Belief 91.Network Of Friends 92.Sick Of Stupidity 93.Too Slow To Judge 94.A Sense Of Freedom 95.Consume 96.Face Up To It 97.Into The Grey 98.When Unity Becomes Solidarity 99.The Street Enters The House 100.Cornered Rat 101.Open Up 102.Everyday Madness Everyday 103.Break The Connection104.Ghettoised 105.Network Ends 106.Release 107.Genocide

INTENSE DEGREE
108.Hangin' On 109.Vagrants 110.Skate-Bored 111.Intense Degree 112.All The Guys 113.Daydreams 114.Take No Chances115.Future Shock 116.Politician 117.Allegiance 118.Bursting.

Between 1987-1990 BBC radio 1 DJ John Peel invited a succession of almost unknown extreme metal/hardcore bands to record sessions for his show.It seemed highly improbable at the time that the recordings would help define and shape a musical movement soon to be know as "Grindcore".
Earache has finally obtained the rights from the BBC to release these legendary radio sessions in their entirety for the first time.Up to now only a handfull of these have been officially released on "Peel Sessions" EP's back in the mid 90's and of course a few bootlegs.So to get them all together in one place is nothing short of brilliant.

Of course Napalm death were know on the underground scene almost from their inception in 1981, those of us who knew our Venom and crass were aware of them, but to playing their tapes at home to suddenly hearing them on radio 1 was quite shocking!

The british metal scene was very overrun by hair metal and just plain rubbish, this was the first real warning shot fired that change was coming and it was not going to be nice.

Extreme Noise Terror with their twin vocal attack were reccomended to Peel by some ipswich based band whose name i forget, and on their second session Mick from napalm played the drums for them.

Needless to say the music is fast, short, aggresive and totally essential.

Disc two features Carcass the band formed by future Napalm member Bill Steer again Peel was a fan and invited them in 1989 to record a session of songs from their fourthcoming Symphonies Of Sickness album.

Bolt Thrower were asked to record a session after Peel recieved their second demo, although a little less extreme than the other bands so far they are nevertheless a major figure in the formulation of the movement.

Disc three returns to the Napalm connection with Godflesh, the band formed by their former guitarist Justin Broadrick.

As the movement gained ground and its influence took shape Godflesh took it to a different level with drum machines and creating the template for industrial metal.

Unseen terror were a short lived project from Shane Embury from (yep you guessed it Napalm Death) they recorded this session in march 1988 with Mick Harris on drums.

Heresy were more hardcore punk but were associated with grindcore due to singing to Earache records and the fact that Mitch Dickenson would later join them after leaving Unseen Terror.

The final band are Intense Degree another band considered more hardcore at the time recorded their first session in february 1988.

Rating 10/10

For fans Of : Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, Carcass, Bolt Thrower, Godflesh, Unseen Terror, Heresy, Intense Degree

STU

9BLIND - IMMUNE EP (CD Review)

01.Immune

02.My Heart Bleeds

03.Promises

04.Un-Angel

G-reg (Drums)

Markus (Vocals/Guitar)

Terence (Guitar)

Joe (Bass)

Nice to hear someone sing as opposed to shout and growl, with much of this Hardcore/Alt thats what you normally get, but then 9Blind are not your run of the mill band.

What we get here is 4 well written and produced songs full of melody, riffs and some pretty aggressive drumming with quite piercing double pedaling.

For melodic metal then "My Heart Bleeds" rates highly as one to play late at night, but if you want full on metal with a little layed back breakdown to catch your breath then "Promises" is the song for you, providing you play very loud!

The only track i didnt like was "Un-Angel" it was way too slow and melodic for me, well put together though, but not for me.

Rating 8/10

For Fans Of : Johnny Truant,Fightstar, Waterdown

STU