The Men

This is some cool stuff right here, the latest release from Brooklyn based trio The Men.

The Men have a really interesting sound which I guess I would consider very noisy punk; take punk/post punk, add huge amounts of fuzz and noise, some shoegazing walls of sound, and you have some idea of what they sound like.

Here is their latest lp Immaculada, and also their earlier ep.


Immaculada
We Are The Men

Cobalt

Another sweet band from Profound Lore.

Cobalt are a two-man black metal band from Colorado, and one of the members was (or is) a part of the US Army. Funnily enough, they play some war inspired metal, combining a whole bunch of influences. At times you can hear more progressive elements through the drumming and rhythms, which gives a very interesting feel, and definitely sets them apart from the black metal norm.

Another thing about these guys, is that they aren't really concerned with religion and the typical black metal image. This is what one of them had to say in an interview:



"I dont give two fucks about religion, the discussion of god/satan etc. What I am concerned with is not being spooky or even trying to be the worlds scariest guy. That shit is immature to me in some ways. If your ideology leads you to worship the dark side of life then do it, but dressing like a vampire and trying to present an aura of obscurity is childish to me. I have seen enough of the ugly side of life to recognize its true face, and its not that of a 18 year old kid talking about satan and dying his hair black. Its a burning old woman screaming in agony."




Dude speaks the truth.

Anyways, here is their latest stuff.


Gin
Eater Of Birds

The End

Lost.



6 seasons, 121 episodes.

6 years.



Mixed feelings. But the important thing is...




...it's over.

Dillinger and Awesomeness

I am so sore right now.

Last night I saw Dillinger. It was kind of intense. And awesome.


Ok, seriously, Dillinger are just nuts. I thought Jacob Bannon from Converge had amazing stage presence, but literally all of the members of Dillinger were that crazy; they all demanded your attention. What's more is that they were pretty damn tight as well... and when you are playing the stuff they do, whilst jumping off things and thrashing your guitar/bass/mic stand around at every chance you get, that's no mean feat.

My hand got smashed by the Ben's guitar at one stage which hurts a hell of a lot right now, and I have quite a lot of bruising up my side from the barrier... but it was definitely worth it.

Here are some pictures from fasterlouder.com.au:

(I'm the third from the right... just getting my point on with Greg)

There has just been too much awesomeness in the last few months, with this, Converge, and Ulcerate; three of my favourite bands, and my three favourite shows ever. It's been a good year for shows, to say the least.


There are some more photos from the show here.

Refused

Refused were a band from Sweden, who somewhat prophetically released an album titled The Shape Of Punk To Come (a reference to Ornette Coleman's The Shape Of Jazz To Come). Released in 1998, the band broke up shortly after, although the influence of the album was large and can be seen as a precursor to much of what we know as post-hardcore.

Even though I expected a little more greatness out of the album after seeing it hyped up a fair bit, it still delivers quality hardcore punk in spades, with some experimental tinges in there too. Bits of electronic and drum and bass influences are heard, and some interesting instrumentation here and there, along with the simple but effective riffs. One of the main things I like about this album is all of the rhythmic stuff they do, grooving a lot more than your typical hardcore band. Some good beats, and a strong rhythm section, make things a lot more interesting.

Anyways, even if some people call it overrated, or if you are sick of only hearing people hype it up so you avoid it, or whatever, it's still an essential listen.


The Shape Of Punk To Come

Off Minor

Named after the Thelonious Monk tune, Off Minor are a New York based band born from the ashes of now legendary screamo band, Saetia. They combine chaos and beauty, much like the way Saetia did, although with better instrumentation and to a higher dynamic effect. The instrumentation is definitely something to talk about here, as the three of them are all quite talented, and flesh out the sound very well for just a three-piece. The bass lines are something which make a huge difference in this area I think. The Thelonious Monk influence is not lost either, as some of the softer moments have a hint of jazz to them.

Oh and they pretty much couldn't write a bad song if they tried.


Problematic Courtship
The Heat Death Of The Universe

Innominate

Some Blood

Downfall of Gaia

Some German neo-crust similar to Alpinist, though with more of an emphasis on the quiet-loud dynamic. Very dark, brooding, and atmospheric. For just a demo, they sound huge.

Four tracks of great songwriting, bleak atmospheres and intense aggression.


Demo

Community

Man this is such a good show.

As soon as I watched the first episode, I knew I would tear through the season quickly... more than half in one day. I know this will be one of those things that I regret watching so quickly, because it's so good... but hey - it's worthwhile.

Community is kind of half feel-good, half intelligent comedy, but when you have good ol' Ken Jeong (who is the spanish teacher) screaming at people, you know you will get a good laugh either way. It's based around an over the hill cool guy who has to go to community college, meets an ensemble cast- I mean bunch of misfits, and the rest is history.

Go watch it.

Modern Life Is War

Good modern hardcore from Iowa, with a melodic edge similar to many other bands from the last decade or so, but they do it better than most. Aggressive, passionate, thoughtful... what else do you want in a hardcore band?


My Love, My Way
Witness
Midnight In America