Underminded "Eleven:Eleven"

The first time I heard Underminded, mp3.com was still a prime place to go for free, legal music downloads and the band played straightforward, hardcore punk. The next time I heard 'em, they sounded like Thrice with more breakdowns and I was quick to scream (in my mind, at least) "rip-off." It's been several years since then, and the California group, with Eleven:Eleven, has fully immersed itself in heaviness, rounding out a progression from young-and-pissed punk to crunchy-and-(relatively) detailed metalcore.

For me, it's Underminded's ability to convey some urgency and energy that at least keeps me listening. It permeates the rather familiar music and pumps it with life in a variety of ways, from gang vocals and AFI-inspired sing-alongs to the choppy, chunky guitar riffs and believable, socially charged screaming. If nothing else, Eleven:Eleven sounds like it's actually meant to be a heavy, intense record. That says something when so much modern metalcore is heavy for the sake of being heavy. Or for the sake of brutal mosh. Or for the sake of being hip. You get it.

Underminded ventures into busy, subtly complex rhythms, which sound Botch-ish at times, and regularly stops the chugging and battering for more accessible guitar melodies. "F.U.L.B.J." is surprisingly catchy, and it mostly stems from the melodic riffs (the mid-paced tempos and gang shouts don't hurt).

So there's some substance, and there's heart. It ain't particularly original, but it ranges from tolerable to good. Hey, it might be up your alley: Underminded - F.U.L.B.J.

Grab it from Uprising Records if you dig it.

Daymares "Can't Get Us All"

Daymares, with less than a full year's existence, have managed to record a masterpiece of back-to-the-wall fighting intensity -- such as when cornered by a city block of violently frothing zombies, nothing but pitchfork in hand. This is the audio PCP that finally validates the Reading Rainbow promise, "I can do anything."

Daymares' deft combinations of thrash, punk, and hardcore has a Planes Mistaken For Stars' roughness and viscosity, but an accentuated gruff metal edge and unrelenting last-stand adrenaline, not entirely unlike Hour of the Wolf. The sound is oppressive, claustrophobic, as the guitars sputter and roar like a lawnmower fighting through jungle and the drums rattle like artillery, the bass a heavy humidity. Vocalist Pat sounds like he's bug-eyed and red-faced, screaming through the pain of unexpectedly birthing through the asshole. (That's 100% compliment, by the way.)

When I listen to Can't Get Us All I understand what it's like to be one of those people who walks around with furtive eyes and a perpetual scowl. And it feels awesome, except that it confirms the delighted to be dismal are thinking only about punching you with bricks and kicking your kneecaps out the backs of your legs. (And maybe, to really rub in the fact they just, with a leaping 2-footer, crippled you, make you kick yourself in your own balls with your now free-swinging lower legs.)

If you're too stubborn to spend $10 for an audio experience as stunning as genocide, may you be dismembered by a Daymares-energized instrument of destruction.

Brutal and catchy, brilliant: Daymares - "Almost There".

Pick up Can't Get Us All from SELFMADEGOD, a cool label with a cool name and even cooler logo.

Baroness & Unpersons "A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk"

One of Relapse Records' latest signees, Baroness plays lumbering metal that sounds straight from the swamps of the deep South. It's thicker and murkier than mud, heavier than the oppressively humid air, totally sludgy and, at times, pretty fuckin' ominous. I'm often reminded of Kylesa, who have a similar sense of grit and sludginess, but Baroness is perhaps a bit more adventurous and ambitious. The band's two songs are expansive (six and 12 minutes long), providing more than enough time for the group to reach outside the pure sludge arena and bring in some drawn-out instrumental segues, rock influences, and more angular guitar riffs and rhythms. The pained screams and shouts echo of Isis' Aaron Turner, so they sound right at home and only add to Baroness' frequent explosions of crushing heaviness.

Unpersons simply can't carry Baroness' graceful songwriting and satisfying heaviness into the second part of the split; their sound is much more frenetic and dissonant. The band unleashes some sweet, memorable riffs, but the slurred rambles and shouts and screams can be awful. It kind of sounds only half serious, so the songs lose a lot of the force they could have. I'm not all that into their style.

Still, A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk is worth noting for Baroness' awesome songs alone. Here's the first one: Baroness - Teiresias

This split features beautiful cover art that might look familiar. Its creator, John Baizley, who is Baroness' guitarist and singer, also did the cover art for Darkest Hour's Deliver Us and Pig Destroyer's Phantom Limb. Nice.

You can pick up the split from Relapse Records' store.

The Warriors "Genuine Sense of Outrage"

I've been an unabashed fan of The Warriors since I downloaded a free song from the Eulogy website years ago. I burned that shit to a CD (hey, it was 2004), played it over and over during my strolls to class, and probably walked with a puffed-out chest and a swagger that only groove-soaked metallic hardcore could give me. War Is Hell ruled -- I still stand by that -- and Beyond the Noise was tighter and similarly good (although a little less moving, in my mind).

No surprise here: Genuine Sense of Outrage is killer. It's concise, it's accessible, it's crunchy. The Warriors do a fine job of balancing traditional, mid-paced metallic hardcore and more contemporary metalcore, paying some tribute to their influences and still connecting with a younger generation. While singer Marshall Licthenwaldt has adopted a less-Rage-Against-the-Machine-more-growled vocal style that's a little less piercing but less distinctive, this is still very much a Warriors record; fast, punk rock rhythms make appearances and the hip-hop delivery creeps in from time to time. Big, beefy riffs build a foundation for twisting guitar leads, and the downright chunky rhythm section gives the grooves a real "umhp."

Even though Genuine Sense of Outrage isn't lightning-fast or inhumanly technical or something else, it is urgent. From the intense singing to the gripping riffs, The Warriors have the goods to hold listeners' attention. And if that doesn't work, it's worth noting that the record features guest spots from Andrew Neufeld (of Comeback Kid), Lemmy Kilmister (of Motorhead) and Lou Koller (of Sick of It All). Neufeld almost gets lost, but Kilmister contributes a memorable chorus in "Price of Punishment." Koller's distinct voice sounds right at home amongst a mid-paced, bass-heavy rhythm in "Mankind Screams" -- probably the best of the three.

I really like this band and I really dig Genuine Sense of Outrage. I even gave it the honor of being the first record to play on my new car's stereo. Mad props. So take a listen:

The Warriors - Genuine Sense of Outrage

I interviewed The Warriors in Geekburger's heyday. And by heyday I mean when we actually posted interviews. They used the term "genuine sense of outrage" in there. Was that a term they tossed around or did we inspire an album title? Feel free to make fun of me if I'm totally oblivious. And buy the album here.

A "Vs. Monkey Kong"

Today I'm going to talk about an old (as in 1999) album. Because I can. So there.

Way back in the late 90s, I went to a couple Bloodhound Gang shows. The band was usually funny and entertaining, despite having lame (in a sort-of-good way) songs, so it wasn't that embarrassing. But I could always count on them to bring a few rad supporting bands with them -- I got to see Goldfinger, Rx Bandits, and a few others thanks to Bloodhound Gang tours. One of the lineups featured a band simply called A, a little-known (at the time) U.K. act that just stunned me. Pogo-moshing to their entire set, I felt like I knew their music, even though I had never heard it.

I excitedly happened across the band's debut, Vs. Monkey Kong, a while later in a record store and proceeded to play the shit out of it. And despite years of listening to A, I'm still not really sure how to describe their sound. While it takes a few cues from brisk, melodic punk rock, it feels "bigger" and more expansive -- I'm guessing that has something to do with all the electronic effects and prominent leanings toward crunchy, alternative rock and energetic power-pop. It's catchy and big, and sometimes awkward, but it's really quite distinct, melding a variety of influences and easily identifiable singing with the band's rocking and rolling foundation.

At 17 songs, there's a lot of material and, in all honesty, a bunch of songs that I don't feel bad for skipping. Still, Vs. Monkey Kong is one of those nostalgic records that I come back to now and again in hopes of remembering the excitement of "discovering" a seemingly unknown band that's downright awesome. At least I thought so at the time.

Oh yeah, one of the band's choruses goes like this: "The old folks are losers. They can't work computers." Can anyone dislike such blunt honesty?

A went on to release Hi-Fi Serious in 2002, but I don't even know if this band is around anymore. Oh well, it's not too late to give them a chance: A - Monkey Kong

My quick search for a purchase link for Monkey Kong took me to Amazon. Deal.

Go It Alone "Histories"

It's funny how fast you lose touch with music news once you stop writing it. (As an aside, I'd rather be out of the loop than still writing news updates; holy shit did that get old.) Apparently, Go It Alone is about to wrap up their two-full-length-and-one-EP career, marking the end of another good, Northwest (Vancouver, to be exact)-based melodic hardcore band. I'm not exactly heartbroken about the news, but Go It Alone is the kind of sincere, pure band that'll be easy to miss.

And Histories will go down as their swan song. It's not as consistently strong as the band's 2005 release, The Only Blood Between Us, but it's generally memorable, impassioned and even a bit progressive. Go It Alone continues to favor playing hard instead of heavy, hammering out 11 songs that, for the most part, are rife with high-speed rhythms, straightforward chord progressions and seething, shouted vocals. Since Go It Alone avoids breakdowns and two-steppin' chugging, though, they fill the gaps with cold, brisk guitar melodies and a variety of unexpected songwriting tactics and tempos. There are dramatic buildups (hell, that's all "Weight I" is), drawn out introductions (you can't say that of "Relics" isn't awesome), and a few slow-ish and dark-ish songs ("Monastery," especially), among other things. Needless to say, Histories ain't a bunch of simple, one-minute hardcore jams. There's some real depth here.

It doesn't really seem like Go It Alone's style, but I could go for a few more hooks. Even though the gang vocals and sing-alongs go a long way, I'm pretty sure that a catchy chorus or two would work wonders -- at least on me. Still, Histories is a pretty good melodic hardcore record. Not groundbreaking, but not so un-groundbreaking that it's boring.

They'll be missed: Go It Alone - Observer

Get it from the always awesome Rivalry Records.

Destroyer Destroyer - "Littered with Arrows"

As subtle and unbelievable as an NBA-superstar clotheslining an opposing fast-breaker, glowering over the squirming opponent, motioning for the crowd to “bring it,” then “raise the roof”, and finally “dropping it” like an ample-tushed clubber over the injured not yet breathing turning blue as his arms flail opponent’s face; proceeding to Frosty that ice cube of a visage in that one fluid squat, and then returning to standing to intimidate the rescue workers inching from the edges as if peripheral vision doesn’t exist if they pretend they’re secret Ninjas; lastly throwing up his hands and shaking his head in disbelief immediately upon hearing the shrill reprimand, never actually seeing the T intact before it breaks apart at its intersection when the ref tries to, apparently, throw his entire right arm, pointer finger extended, toward the visitor’s locker room, Destroyer Destroyer’s Goodfellow debut, Littered with Arrows, is a good way to make almost anyone grimace and/or cower and hand over their money. Handheld iPod SoundDock speaker systems are suddenly a very dangerous weapon. If we ever achieve world peace, nobody will ever wonder what war sounds like -– but the extra-crazy, filled with bayonet decapitations and atomic explosions, arrows in the eyes and legions of pissed off Minotaurs kind of war only -- as long as this recording exists. During inter-track moments of reprieve, a stunning hum hovers like hordes of flies.

Littered with Arrows comes recommended for those who enjoy Ion Dissonance’s churning groove, Discordance Axis’ spasms, and, especially, the cacophony of Goro-gone-mad maniacally brandishing, waving and smashing simultaneously a chainsaw, an entire weight-bench, and, in opposing hands, lameass Johnny Cage’s head and spurting-trunk neck-down. My rating for this album is a little less than the average of ABACABB. Yes, Goro is definitely wearing Johnny Cage’s shades and screaming, while his easily annoyed demon-brain explodes with incredulity, “Who the fuck wears shades to the gym?”

The sounds of war: Destroyer Destroyer - "A Golden Technique"

Shop Goodfellow Records.

KHLYST - "Chaos is my Name"

Ah, the comforting commotion of a tortured pig-demon in the musical throes of death. KHLYST’s excessively and expansively strange Chaos in my Name is a hybrid of Sunn 0)))’s minimalist metal and swine house slaughter. Moans and whispers swirl amidst droning notes; mechanical harbingers of death whirl, walls of white noise, until metallic pings, clangs and demonic shrieks shatter the hypnotic lulls.

Chaos in my Name is an altogether unnerving experience, a 36-minute, 8-chapter murder epic narrated by a pig. Indeed, the vocalist’s screams and cackles are authentically piggy; fittingly, though, distinctively brutalized piggy, the wails of a pig whose defenseless eyes are being jabbed mercilessly with kitchen utensils while its bleeding, glass-slivered backside is barbecuing behind the broken and jagged furnace window into which it’s been forced. Fits of panicked percussion and furious distortion explode then vanish, stretching the tension, jolting spectacles in this perverse symphony of violence.

Initially abrasive – well, always abrasive – Chaos is my Name is a grower, multiple listens overcoming those averse reactions, the album becoming a welcome if questionable sidekick, like the devil on your shoulder.

This will disturb your parents: KHLYST – “IV”

Make Chaos your company at the Hydra Head Records store.

Circa Survive "On Letting Go"

Man, the amount of hype and praise surrounding Circa Survive makes me feel like there's something wrong with my hearing, because I simply don't get into this band the way seemingly everyone else does. Yes, Anthony Green has a great, unique vocal presence. Yes, the guitars are lush and boast lots of texture and creative interaction. Yes, the band pulls it all together to write elegant songs. But the sheer buzz still makes me feel like it should impress and move me even more.

Ah, well. That's hype for ya'.

On Letting Go is pretty similar to Circa Survive's 2005 debut, Juturna, and it's similarly good -- make no mistake. These five guys absolutely know how to write moody, melodic and atmospheric rock. Of course, Green's sometimes wispy, sometimes soaring singing -- a natural match for his guitar-driven musical backdrop -- is a focal point, but the less obvious details shine just as much. There are so many intricate picking flourishes and well matched, ethereal layers that it's almost mind-boggling to even think about creating and combining so much material. Luckily, the bold melodies and more aggressive and straightforward outbursts help rein in the noodling and help the songs stick.

This is good stuff. The production and the art are great. Really, I like it. But I'd really like to know that someone else feels like Circa Survive gets built up a little too much. Tell me I'm not the only one.

Do your research, first. Here's a track from On Letting Go: Circa Survive - Living Together

You can snag a copy here or straight from Equal Vision Records.

Weaver At the Loom "I Was Searching And I Found"

This is a bit of "clean up" from the full webzine days. Long-time contributor Andrew Faust had written this review around the time we scaled back to an mp3 blog:

It has been a while since I last reviewed, well... anything at all. Enter Weaver At The Loom, an emotionally charged piano-rock band from my home, the Twin Cities. Now, usually I don't listen to this genre of music, but I gave them a chance one afternoon and again a couple days later, and realized that they put me in the perfect mood on two completely separate days. At this point, I knew I was hooked and ready to give the whole album a listen.

Weaver At The Loom plays a mish-mash of Copeland, The Rocket Summer and Dashboard Confessional. Luckily, out of all the cues they take from other bands, it's the whole Copeland-Eat, Sleep, Repeat-feel that makes me want to wrap up in a blanket and think about cute girls all night. Honestly, a lot of the songs remind me of track six, "I'm safer in an airplane" off Eat, Sleep, Repeat, which isn't bad at all; actually, it happens to be my favorite track off that album, so kudos.

Weaver At The Loom has a down-tempo, soft-touch type of sound. The album never really gets intense at any point, and stays true to its sound throughout the whole EP. Most of the album's vocals have the soft-spoken confidence that you'd expect from a band like this. The production is absolutely perfect, uplifting when played loud, relaxing when played softer. But my favorite part is the fact that they keep the whole album simple from beginning to end. It hooks you in and settles you down, keeps you content, and enthralls you to keep pressing repeat. This is a great effort from this up and coming Minnesota band.

My iTunes classified Weaver At The Loom as "Easy Listening," which is actually perfect for this band. This is the album to put in when you're with a hottie and just want to sit around and make out. At this very point I'm actually calling hotties trying to get this going, so check this fucking band out if you want to just chill out, smile, and enjoy life.

Check out a song and pick up a hottie, as Faust would say: Weaver At the Loom- Buck Up, They're Coming

You gotta pick this one up straight from the band. But at least you know where you're money's going...

Far From Finished "Living in the Fallout"

Far From Finished plays melodic punk rock that's got everything from classic pop-punk catchiness to modern-day songwriting polish to gritty, real-life sincerity. What else does a punk rock listener really need? Living in the Fallout, the band's latest full length, echoes with enthusiasm and authenticity, and all along maintains an accessible, melodic edge. It's feel-good, summer-y punk rock -- even when the tone takes a decidedly serious or pissed-off angle -- that's had my head bobbing and embarrassingly bad voice singing along for weeks.

I don't think I need to say more, so take a listen: Far From Finished - Heroes and Ghosts

The whole album's rock solid, catchy and fun. Do yourself a favor and pick up what could be my pick for this year's summer record from Think Fast! Records. Sweet.

Nodes of Ranvier "Defined By Struggle"

Nodes of Ranvier has recorded four full lengths -- three for Facedown and now one for Victory Records -- in their nearly seven-year run. While the band's first two records were composed of some solid, melody-laden metalcore and the latest two fairly respectable thrash-influenced metalcore, this South Dakota act is yet to do anything great. And Defined By Struggle continues that streak; it's pretty good, but not the remarkable album Nodes of Ranvier needs to reach the next level.

Like 2005's The Years to Come, Defined By Struggle takes cues from contemporary American metal (particularly Lamb of God) and smooths things over with sporadic, clean singing, warm guitar melodies and accessible, mid-paced tempos. It's not especially unique and Nodes of Ranvier never really outdoes their countless peers, but it's intense and, at times, abrasive. The record of course sounds thick, balanced and polished, so there's no issue there; it's just that, despite the forceful crunch and lots of good riffs, the songs aren't all that moving.

"Purpose in Pain" is probably the lone standout song, if only because its big, melodic choruses and crowd-friendly sing-alongs offer something other than an onslaught of metallic riffs and double bass and breakdowns. Aside from that, Defined By Struggle is another good, but not great Nodes of Ranvier effort that the band's big fans will probably dig.

Anyway, here's the band at their probable best: Nodes of Ranvier - Purpose in Pain