Cementing The Seams

More dark hardcore, this time by way of Vancouver, BC.  This LP came out sometime last year but the band is currently awaiting a fresh crop of wax to sell to the masses, and I'm hoping I can get my hands on one.  Tempest previously released a crazy good 4 song demo tape in 2008 and a 7" containing one song from the demo, one exclusive and (weirdly) the title track of their new LP.  Anyway this is really good and this post has been open in my browser for a week.  Apparently it won't write itself, but "Passages" will speak for itself.

FFO: Surroundings, Planks, Finisterre

Planks follow up their 2010 full length "The Darkest of Greys" with a 4 song 12" of songs leftover from sessions recording their LP.  Planks are from Germany and play a mix of crust-punk inpired hardcore with a heavy black metal feel.  Anyway, this EP doesn't feel like a collection of b-sides as much as a stand-alone record in the same vein as the previous album.  "Solicit to Fall" definitely holds its own in comparison to "Greys".   If you're into the sort of thing that labels like Vendetta (Germany) and Halo Of Flies (US) are doing then you should check this out.

FFO: Northless, Protestant, Black Freighter

Listen at Bandcamp

Boston's Daniel Striped Tiger is a band I've been on the fence about for a while.  I've listened to just about everything they've released and it's all pretty good.  You know? Pretty good.  If a DST record is playing, I will enjoy it no doubt.  If it isn't playing, I'm probably not going to put it on; until now.  "No Difference" is pretty much what I imagine of whenever anyone says 'post-hardcore' (mostly when I say it).  It has all the necessary elements: Angular rhythms, minor chord abuse, flucuating meter, artsy fartsy bits, actual melody, yelling but not screaming.  This record is far better than I expected or even hoped.  I am sorry Daniel Striped Tiger, I should never have doubted you.  Thank you very much.

FFO: Fugazi, Frodus, Drive Like Jehu

Daniel Striped Tiger on Myspace

Man, this album is something else.  It's one of those records that is always over before you realize it and begs to be restarted as soon as it is.  Memory Map are an indie-rock band from Bloomington, IN who share member(s?) with Good Luck and play a late 90's/early 00's indie pop/rock resurrection.  Comparisons to genre titans like Q And Not U and Dismemberment Plan are easy but fail to demonstrate the range on "Holiday Band".  It should give you an idea though.  Songs range from bright indie-pop a la The Shins to mathy DC-influenced rock (I suppose I made this point already) to folk punk.  Don't take that to mean that it's disjointed, because it is exceedingly well crafted.  One of the easiest records to listen to in recent memory. 

FFO: Dismemberment Plan, The Joggers, Q And Not U

Memory Map at Bandcamp

You Wretch (YOUWRETCH) are a hardcore band from Minneapolis who play dark crustcore in the style of His Hero Is Gone and their progeny.  Styled in the past and polished in future, You Wretch deliver a completely solid EP from beginning to end.  Great riffs here, any fan of this genre should enjoy this.  Out on Fan The Flames records.

Listen at Bandcamp

I got the newest Herds 7" in the mail today and it and I'm way stoked on it.  Herds are a punk band from Chicago who play a version of roots hardcore with a grim modernity.  Residue Records (the Chicago label responsible for the last two Canadian Rifle releases) just released the band's Michigan EP.  Give it a listen and pick it up.

Listen at Bandcamp

Buy at Residue

Damn.  Tinhorn Planet strikes again early this year.  I was not familiar with The Strungs before about a week ago which seems weird because I follow this label pretty closely.  So when I came across it I had to listen to it immediately and I was thrilled.  This EP is like 10 perfect minutes of lo-fi guitar-driven pop-rock hyphen hyphen.  Ridiculously catchy; way too short.  My favorite release so far this year.

Listen at Tinhornplanet.com

I need to pay closer attention to pop-punk.  I'm way too jaded about it and always miss great records because of it.  This is one those records that luckily I finally got around to listening to.  Stay Ahead Of The Weather is from Chicago and shares members with local emo acts Native, Into It. Over It. and Castevet.  So take those bands, multiply by Bridge & Tunnel and carry The Sidekicks and you'll get an idea of what to expect.  It's always great when two or more good bands come together and produce something of equal or greater value (see Able Baker Fox) and this has definitely happened.  Stay Ahead definitely have the emo influence of their parent bands (is this a term?) but are definitely rooted in punk, paying lyrical homage to Jawbreaker.  Anyway, this was released as a 7" by No Sleep Records back in October, and is sold out there but can still be found in a few distros.  Check it out.

I've slept on this long enough.  Gasmask Terror are a punk band from France who play some straightforward, fast, raw punk rock with generous guitar solos ala hardcore bands like Skitkids (for one).  The entire album is in the same key and tempo but the songs seldom reach the 2 minute mark.  They all sound pretty much the same, but when they are this good it's hard thing to complain about.  They rip through 11 tracks in just under 17 minutes, and they rip through them hard.  Shit is on.

Buy it from Solar Funeral

I've been trying to decide what to say about this record for a couple days now and I still can't seem to come up with anything relevant.  I don't listen to metal and never really have (save the occasional sludge joint).  This I suppose wouldn't strictly qualify, but it's probably the most metal record I've really enjoyed recently.  Anyway, Owen Hart is a grindcore band from Tacoma, WA and "Earth Control" is their first full-length effort.  It was released by Vitriol Records in December.  It's really not that far removed from Graf Orlock, though there are a lot more breakdowns, tempo changes and general guitar work (shredding, wailing, what-have-you).  At first I didn't know if I was going to like it, but it turns out, that even with its decidedly metal leanings, "Earth Control" is absolutely on point all the way through.

Buy it from Vitriol