FRATAXIN INTERVIEW

FRATAXIN INTERVIEW

GRVD: Tell us how you came into noise. What were some of your first exposures to the genre? What would you say influences Frataxin the most? 

F: The first time I listened to a full length harsh noise album was either Ejaculation Generator by Masonna, and Pulse Demon by Merzbow. I was 13. As far as acts and artists that influence the project the most, I’d say Con-Dom, Deathpile, twodeadsluts onegoodfuck, Whitehouse, and Strict. That’s keeping it to five. Bloodyminded and Final Solution should be in there too. 

GRVD: Frataxin strikes me as a hyper-personal project. How'd you get where you are with the project today?

F: It is quite personal. It’s also the only primarily uncensored outlet I have to get my point across. No one listens anyway. I was part of a different project before Frataxin, with a bandmate. We kind of didn’t agree on what direction to take the project we were doing. I knew deep down I wanted to at least attempt noise more seriously, then it morphed into what it is now. Pretty pointless to play shows in NJ, the scene around here is centered on hardcore and over-produced grind core bullshit. I despise the way a lot of people think about noise around here. I’ve had more luck in New York City / State. 

Either way, I just screamed at the top of my lungs over a feedback line to an audience of no one until I found some people that tolerate my crap. Generally, in a live atmosphere at least, people enjoy my sets. 

GRVD: Your live sets have a level of intensity that's unmatched. How has the live set developed over time?

F: It started off with rough ideas. I had no idea what the fuck I was doing at the beginning, I have more of an idea of what to do now. Initially, I don’t think the sets I did were all that intense. It took me a few tries to feel okay with what I was doing. I think I found a lot of direction for what I wanted my live sets to be when I toured with Zack. 

At first, my setup was just two amps chained together and a Danelectro black coffee pedal with a microphone. It was fine for collaborative performances, but I felt really fucking dumb. Then I sort of figured out that just making everything louder would solve a lot of the problems I was having. 

GRVD: Are lyrics a big part of the project? If so, what do they mean to you? How much time goes into them?

F: Lyrics are everything when it comes to this project. There is a certain factor of inaudibility when I submit the words, but it’s better that way in this instance. A significant amount of time is spent writing material, I usually don’t use half of it because I don’t like it. For that reason, I go back years ago and look at writings I put together when I was younger, and through specific periods in my life: a lot of which happen to be from when I drank heavily or was into drugs, shit like that. I pull material from old thoughts and rework it in an attempt to make it cohesive, only problem is that I used to write very abstractly, with a lot of metaphors and beating around the bush really. I try to write more pointed and direct stuff now.

GRVD: Would you say there's a core theme or idea behind Frataxin? Something you'd want to get across with the project? 

F: The idea behind Frataxin is pain. That’s putting it simply maybe. But it’s really just finding beauty in this fucking mess we have here, but in a perverted way. Not sexually perverse: if anything, I consider Fxn to be asexual. It’s about brutalizing yourself. It’s about death and disease, cripples, gimps, that sort of thing. Otherwise, you can just posit your own meaning I don’t mind.

GRVD: You operate Uninvited Records with your partner. Tell us how that label came into being. What's your favorite aspects of operating the label?

F: I operate Uninvited with my girlfriend, Kayla. She does all the real work to be perfectly honest. Anyway, myself, Joel, Zach, and my cousin initially. It wasn’t even a label at first, we just all started communicating online and then as a group. We had the means to, so we all decided to start Uninvited around late 2014 or something. Joel took care of making and distributing several releases on tape, and we played some shows and a fest. It was really cool for the most part. Some people seem to know the label, people in Joel’s neck of the woods or whatever, it’s a small scale thing that’s had a lot of support from the same people, so I guess in small circles people sort of know me or have heard of me sometimes. My favorite aspect is having the ability to choose what I want to release. 

GRVD: What have you been listening to lately? Any specific forms of media that have had an impact on you lately?

F: I have been listening to a decent variety of stuff. Whitney Houston, Kleistwar, Denzel Curry, Scorpions, Vomitoma, Whorebutcher, Birth, Totalitär, Sordo, Final Solution, Blasphemy, Anthrax, Sutcliffe Jügend, Cunts, Blowjob Olympics, Seven Minutes of Nausea, Dahmer, Unsane, GG Allin, Beggin For Oxys, and early Libido Airbag. 

GRVD: Anything you'd like to leave us with? 

F: Not really. I’d do shout outs but I always forget people. Thanks to Eddie for thinking my set was alright that one time.

Listen/support:

https://frataxin.bandcamp.com/

https://uninvitedrecords.bandcamp.com/

AARON DILLOWAY - The Gag File REVIEW

Aaron Dilloway - The Gag File

Within the genre of noise, there is - at least in my experience - an almost never-ending process of searching for artists and albums that are truly captivating. Unfortunately with noise, as is the case with every genre of music and non-music, stagnation and non-inventiveness is prevalent in the majority of places you look. Even more troublesome, this lack of invention is sometimes rewarded and celebrated. With a continuous watering-down of the genre by those who are indifferent to the craft and would rather exploit it for absurd gain, it is increasingly difficult to find individuals within noise I consider true creatives, rather than just "noise-makers". Specifically within American Noise, there are few artists I hold in such high regard as Aaron Dilloway. With his latest album "The Gag File" released on Dais Records, my respect and admiration continues to soar. 

To call this album "unsettling" is truly an understatement. This album is anti-social, bleak, disturbing, hypnotic, cinematic, engrossing, and genuinely leaves the listener with an impending sense of dread and paranoia. Dizzying loops and samples creep into the mix, finding obtuse grooves along the way. With the opening track "Ghost" we are immediately dropped into a hellish atmosphere of cold waves and pulses. Subtle tones and drones drag on, while crashes and stomps of brittle textures fall into the void that is the track. As stated before, this album has a groove and a strange musicality to it, but don't think for a second this is in any way an accessible or easy listen. "Ghost" continues with this freakish groove and flawlessly bleeds into the second track "Karaoke With Cal". Haunting whistles have been augmented and corrupted into profoundly creepy loops, with static stomps giving us what can only loosely be called a "beat". This pulse fades out as the ghoulish whistles continue for what feels like too long (in the best way possible). This whistling continues until the third track and one of my personal favorites "Inhuman Form Reflected" kicks in. 

This track is one of the most painfully uncomfortable moments on the album. An industrial loop trudges on and on, as loops of screaming, sirens, radio conversations, and everything else Dilloway could get his hands on is seeped into the mix. Blasted out yet subtle static sits underneath the industrial pulses as they pound out their uncompromising pattern. This album almost feels like a continuous tease; meaning that it gives the listener a semblance of musicality, only to pervert it and distort it to the point of non-inclusivity. As stated before, this album is not one to be embraced, but rather afflicted upon you. Human grunts and screams, the sound of pure fucking torture, round out the third track, with delays and feedback making them even more unlistenable. What sounds like a man being whipped to death before our very ears transitions into the fourth track "Born In A Maze". 

Dilloway shows his expertise in crafting the ugliest of atmospheres. This album is not a dark gimmick or would-be soundtrack to a horror film. This album feels like abuse. This album sounds like pure pain and paranoia. This album feels like something in your life you'd want to forget. "Born In A Maze" pushes the listener to the brink of instability with intense and aggressive rhythms being slowly swallowed by distortion and hellish textures. The following track "It's Not Alright" is just that. One of the tamer parts on the recording, this track features subtle electronics sitting underneath an almost gothic-sounding vocal refrain. "No Eye Sockets" continues this uncomfortable feeling with samples of laughing, vague conversations, and dreadful pulses before being abruptly interrupted by the bombastic "Switch". 

"Switch" starts off almost with danceable rhythms before falling apart into a glitching groove. This freakish pattern gives way to one of the most unsettling parts on the record, with sounds that are truly indescribable. It was at this point in the record that I knew I had to write this review. This record is fearless in its execution. Abrasive, indulgent, gaudy, inspired, and ultimately unforgettable, "The Gag File" is one of the most-enjoyable (and I mean that in the most-bittersweet way) noise record I've heard in years. The closer "Shot Nerves" ends the album off in the best way possible, unintelligible glitches and vocals blotches that send the listener off in an anti-climactic fashion. 

Dilloway, which should come as no surprise if you have any knowledge of noise, is truly a legend within the genre. "The Gag File" is nothing short of a masterpiece, even though it sounds like anything but one. A troubling and claustrophobic listen, this album does something very few albums of any other genre can genuinely do: Disturb. If you want to be challenged, assaulted, truly afflicted by an album of any musical stripe, this is the album for you. 

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/daisrecords/sets/aaron-dilloway-the-gag-file?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook 

Purchase the album: https://www.daisrecords.com/products/aaron-dilloway-the-gag-file

TRASHFUCK RECORDS MEGAPOST

TRASHFUCK RECORDS MEGAPOST

Recently I received a huge package from one of the homies behind Detroit label Trashfuck Records, Patrick Harsh. Instead of doing individuals reviews for every release I received (which would take forever), I've decided to do this massive collage of mini-reviews for these releases. Links for all of these albums will be provided, as well as links to Trashfuck Records' Tictail and Bandcamp. Enjoy!

BULLSHIT MARKET / DEFLOWERED CUNT - DEFLOWERED BULLSHIT'S CUNT MARKET

First release is a collaboration between Bullshit Market and Deflowered Cunt. Released as a 3 inch CD, this release is 6 minutes of blasting cut-up noise and cacophonous power electronics. I love the amount of cut-ups happening on this release, with the listener never being able to get used to any sound or any atmosphere for too long.

Spliced into the mix is some extremely lo-fi, low-register noisecore, with every facet of the mix being swallowed in brittle distortion and insanity. This album is short and to the point. Some of my favorite material from Deflowered Cunt, and just a further reminder that Bullshit Market are probably better at noise than you are - or something like that.

Listen: https://bullshitmarket.bandcamp.com/album/deflowered-bullshits-cunt-market

SHITNOISE BASTARDS / DISLEKSICK SPLIT 7''

Next up we have a split between noisecore acts Disleksick and Shitnoise Bastards. Both of these projects just hit you relentlessly with some great, lofi noisecore. Specifically on the Shitnoise Bastards side, the vocals are animalistic and depraved, crunching over the mix and barking at the listener without any reservation.

As for the Disleksick side, this is a project I have actually listened to very little of. However, after listening to this side, I am going to make it a focused effort to seek out more of this project's material. Definitely recommend this split and checking out both projects if you get the chance.

Listen: No link available. Just buy the 7''.

HYPNIC JERK - SUICIDE EVERSION REHEARSAL

Hypnic Jerk are a Michigan Noisecore outfit and I can't say enough about how much I love the material from this project. With every release I hear from these guys these just continuously churn out insane orgies of feedback and drum blasts that are even better than the last. Having seen these guys live, I can say that their recorded material lives up to the hype of their live show - which is fucking insane.

This tape is 13 minutes of high-end feedback worship and harsh noise, accentuated by buried vocals and barbaric drumming. If you like your grind and noisecore to be virtually unlistenable (and I mean that in a good way) then do yourself a favor and listen to any material you can get your hands on from Hypnic Jerk. Can't recommend these guys enough.

Listen: https://hypnicjerk666.bandcamp.com/album/suicide-eversion-rehearsal

BULLSHIT MARKET - DINGUS

Another fantastic release from Bullshit Market, and the more I listen to it probably my favorite from the project so far. Dingus is a perfect representation of this Detroit 2 piece. This tape is explosive, crammed with cut-up slices of random noises and samples, extremely loud, brash, and honestly just fun to listen to.

I think it's no surprise that a lot of noise acts take themselves too fucking seriously, and often times they have no real reason to. Bullshit Market spits in the face of that and does what they want. These guys aren't trying to get covered by Vice, they're just staying TRU to their noise and the scene they're apart of. Dingus is easily my favorite BsM release, with tracks like "Hetero Country Song"and "White Boy Butt With Black Friend Ripped Through Honey Poll Man Blood" being big highlights for me. There's even a beautiful cover of one of my favorite Counting Crows songs. You really can't go wrong with picking this tape up.

Listen: https://bullshitmarket.bandcamp.com/album/dingus

I LIKE YOU GO HOME / BULLSHIT MARKET SPLIT

This is a split I was really excited to listen to. I haven't listened to very much of I Like You Go Home's material, but what I have heard I've really enjoyed. On this tape, both projects are bringing some of their harshest material, specifically with ILYGH.

BsM's side is packed and crushing with crisp, brittle electronics and frequent cut-up detours. There is a considerable ambiance with this release, as it sounds like the recording is just subtly lathered in reverb, which is a nice touch.

As for the ILYGH side, this side is harsher material than I've ever heard from the project. Going into this I was expecting some ambient fare from the project, but instead we get crushing walls drenched in distortion and hellish, bleak harsh noise. Listening to this side, I'm going to make it an effort to seek out more material from them.

Listen: https://bullshitmarket.bandcamp.com/album/split-w-i-like-you-go-home
I can't find ILYGH's side online, just buy the tape!

JUICE MACHINE / CHEFKIRK SPLIT

Admittedly I had never heard of either of these projects before starting this, However, I'm definitely happy Patrick sent this along in his package! First off, I love the layout of this split. Everything about the design going on here is totally on point. Now that that's out of the way, I'll start with the Juice Machine side.

Juice Machine's side starts off with quiet glitches and electronic squelches for a brief period before heading into straight industrial walls of what sounds like synth-generated noise. I love the drones happening here, and I love how heavy this side feels. This drone just continues on and on, almost feeling trance-like. I'm a big fan of drone and ambient drone pieces, so this was a welcomed listen. I loved this side.

As for the Chefkirk side, this side is much more atmospheric and spacey than the other. Chefkirk's electronics are soaked in reverb, with frequent left-channel dropouts and strange samples that make this an unsettling, somewhat difficult listen. However, this side is definitely creepy and different, and I definitely enjoyed it the more I listened to it.

Listen: Can't find a link for this split, just buy it!

FRED AND WORLOCKK - BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA

The very first hip hop review on this blog, and I'm happy to say it's devoted to this album. I fucking love this album. The production is jazzy, spacey and atmospheric, dark, nocturnal, and the perfect soundtrack to a lonely drunk night.

The flows here are smooth and on point, and compliment the rhythms of the production perfectly. With the 3rd track "Fresh Prince" we hear an atmospheric and lofi sample of the theme song to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and honestly, this experiment works out perfectly, making it one of my favorite tracks on the album.

Continuing with tracks like "Bullshit" and "Worlockk is Back" we see dark, ominous trap tracks make the listener feel paranoid and nocturnal. However, on other cuts like "Real Bitch", this beat is surprisingly dancey and plunderphonics-esque. Immediately after this we have my personal favorite track "Take A Stand", with the jazzy loops being perfectly cut and sampled. This beat is one of my favorite things I've heard so far in 2017. If you're a fan of hip hop of various styles and variants, you need to give this a listen.

Listen: https://trashfuckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/blunt-force-trauma-2

CAPTAIN THREE LEG / BULLSHIT MARKET SPLIT

Punk/powerviolence outfit Captain Three Leg and Bullshit Market come together for a split. Captain Three Leg's side is what you'd expect if you're a fan of their stuff. Fast, fun, in your face powerviolence with some of the most distinct vocals I've heard in a PV band probably since Despise You. Captain Three Leg push through every track with so much punk energy and catchy riffs, with each track coming out to around the minute mark on average, there isn't a lot of room to breathe, but still plenty of time to retain specific tracks. I love this side, and this is probably some of my favorite material from this outfit.

Bullshit Market's side starts off loud, and continues to assault the listener with harsh feedback worship and power electronics. I love how vocal-driven this side from them is, as it's definitely the kind of power electronics I myself am more drawn to. It should be noted that this material seems less cut-up oriented. A highlight would be "My Dog Ran Away", this is one of BsM's weirdest tracks, and I fucking love it. Bullshit Market just keep doing what they do and doing a solid job. Definitely recommend this split.

Listen: https://trashfuckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/captain-three-leg-bullshit-market-split

RUINER. - CALM

Ruiner (stylized as ruiner.) is a project I've been a fan of for months. With all of his material, ruiner. gives the listener some of the bleakest, most depressing Harsh Noise Wall and harsh noise I've listened to. Calm is one of his best, clocking in at roughly 35 minutes. This album is monolithic and contemplative, patient, and soothing in a lot of ways.

"Amberleaf" the closing track is definitely my favorite, with the walls on this track crunching and crackling in such a clean, concise mix. Ruiner is definitely a HNW project I'd recommend for someone trying to get into the microgenre, and definitely someone I'd say does the specific style justice.

Listen: https://ruinerisdead.bandcamp.com/album/calm

WORLOCKK - THE DEVIL HIMSELF

Another fantastic release featuring Worlockk, this album is considerably more concise and shorter than Blunt Force Trauma. However, this album is considerably darker as well. Opening with "Dance With The Devil", the production is grimey and dark, with hypnotically dark loops and brittle electronic sounds fighting in the back of the mix.

3rd track "Demons" is one of my favorite tracks, with the beat being one of the darkest and dirtiest I've heard from him. Creepy synths and horror-themed samples fade in during the chorus hook, this is horrorcore (sorry for the label) done right. "Terror On Broadway" continues this horrorcore sound, with an unsettling abrasive beat complimenting with sirens and ruthlessly harsh bars.

Worlockk is a figure I'm going to continue to keep an eye on, and I recommend you do so as well.

Listen: https://trashfuckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-devil-himself

APPROACHABLE MINORITIES - AFRO-AMERICAN

More fantastic Midwest hip hop here! A 3-piece from Ypsilanti, MI, Approachable Minorities serve up some incredible forceful and hard-hitting trap. Sounding like a modern interpretation of Three Six Mafia's fantastic early material, the production is crisp, dark, grimey, and catchy as hell.

"Walk In A Circle" was a surprising track, sounding like an homage to a mid-2000's party track (a sound that becoming more and more classic every day). I love the production on this track, with tons of melodic synth work and smooth flows all topped off with an incredibly catchy chorus hook.

"Worldwide" and "Fuck"(the latter being an acappella track) are other highlights. However, the early 2000's vibes definitely continue with Everything's Gonna Be Alright. This track is one of the best on the album, and shows the diversity of this release. Definitely check this album out!

Listen: https://approachable-minorities.bandcamp.com/releases                                                                  

BAD GRAPHICS GHOST - LOSS

There's really no sound I immediately love more than jazzy, passionate hip hop. This album from Bad Graphics Ghost is conscious and addicting, with jazzy samples and spacey vibes all over the place. Lyrically this album is one of the strongest I've reviewed in this post, if not the strongest period.

The highlight here however is the beat. Every single beat on this album is flawlessly sampled and executed, with some of my favorite jazz-rap productions to date. If you're a fan of J-Dilla, Quasimoto, MF Doom, A Tribe Called Quest, and other styles of afro-centric hip hop, I would definitely recommend this album.

The album definitely has its darker moments, with the lyrics and track listing hinting at an overarching concept throughout this release. My favorite track would have to be "The Bargain: Shades of Grey". This track is just so euphoric and beautifully composed. Definitely recommended to any jazz-hop heads or soulful hip hop fans out there.

Listen: https://trashfuckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/loss
                                                                                 
SEVENTHLORDX - HOUSE OF THE LORD

Another fantastic grimey hip hop release from the Detroit label. Highlight tracks would include "House Of The Lord", "Switch Focus" "Fxck12" (which sounds like some early 2000's ICP material in the best way possible), and "Damage". The production here is all so varied but sincerely executed, showing considerable craft and attention to detail.

At the risk of repeating myself, Trashfuck Records proves they have a solid roster of hip hop artists working with the label. This release is no different, shifting styles effortlessly and bringing inspired, solid flows.

This album truly shines in the production, just further proving that Detroit and various parts of Michigan and the Midwest aren't to be disregarded in the hip hop game.

Listen: https://trashfuckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/house-of-the-lord  

SUPPORT TRASHFUCK RECORDS

Bandcamp: https://trashfuckrecords.bandcamp.com/

Tictail: http://trashfuckrecords.tictail.com/

                                                                          


                                                                               













                                                                           
                                                                               

LIMBS BIN - Bliss Tech REVIEW

LIMBS BIN - BLISS TECH

Limbs Bin is the one-man powerhouse digital hardcore/powerviolence/noisecore brainchild of Josh Landes. I've enjoyed the material from this project for years, and have kept an eye on just how formidable and crushing the project as become over time. With his latest album Bliss Tech we see the project giving us 15 tracks clocking in at just under 5 minutes. Simplicity is the name of the game here, as for nearly 5 minutes we are bombarded with nothing but synth-electronics, blown-out and distorted drum machines, and distorted yells. No bullshit, no time to breathe, just unrelenting noisecore. 

Seconds in we are introduced to what will be the defining factor of this short experience: the impressive vocal delivery. The vocals and drums perfectly align throughout the release in powerviolence rhythms and noisecore traditional worship. As each tracks gives way to another, the synths become more and more dissonant, sometimes giving way to harsh walls or brittle feedback. Landes' vocals are intense and satisfying, being the perfect compliment to the simplicity of the sonic palette. This project knows exactly what it's doing, and has no intention of over-staying its welcome. 

Limbs Bin proves he is at the top of his game with Bliss Tech. With every track here we as a listener are subject to uncompromising noisecore and powerviolence rants of rage and madness. Quiet rumbles of distortion are interrupted with explosions of vocals and drum-machine blasts. Jarring and addicting, Limbs Bin has perfected his formula. Demanding of multiple listens, Bliss Tech is a must-listen for any noise or grind fans out there.  

Listen: https://limbsbin.bandcamp.com/album/bliss-tech 

SUNLIGHT'S BANE - The Blackest Volume: Like All the Earth Was Buried REVIEW

SUNLIGHT'S BANE - THE BLACKEST VOLUME: LIKE ALL THE EARTH WAS BURIED

Having the pleasure and experience to watch a band progress and evolve over time is such an engaging and humbling experience for any musician, that it almost makes you develop a second love for the craft itself. When I was first introduced to Sunlight's Bane (formerly called Traitor), I was floored and enthralled with their sonic abuses of blackened grindcore, powerviolence, and classic metalcore. Eventually, I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with this band a few times throughout my old band's short-lived life. With the release of their 2012 EP Shadowheart, I knew this was a band I felt a connection with, whose music and lyrical content resonated with me far beyond what my hardcore and youth crew peers could provide. Shadowheart was thematic, crushing, depressing, nocturnal, melodic, and above all it made a lasting impression. I knew this band was going to continue on towards greatness, and with The Blackest Volume they've proven me correct.

Fast-forward 4 years and a change in name, Sunlight's Bane have augmented and refined their sound to much more of an apocalyptic blackened grindcore machine. With the opening screams of "Praise The Venom Shield", there is no easing into this unsettling landscape of brutality. Sounding like the abandoned child of Converge, The Black Dahlia Murder, Leviathan and Unyielding Love, this track starts the album off with such unapologetic rage. It is a continuation and progression of the theatrical-mindedness of Shadowheart with every facet elevated to 11. "Begrudging Soul" and "From Heaven Wept" continue on in their darkened metalcore influences, with vocalist Nick Holland's bloody-murder banshees, yells and hollers, and distorted low-register barks showing considerable character and range. It should also be noted the guitar work throughout this album is mournfully melodic and captivating, with the drumming being complex but nuanced enough to not distract from the songwriting.

The 6th track "Dance of Thorns" is an unexpected cut, with an opening of just guitar and vocals for nearly 3 minutes before the track explodes into crushing, slow black metal. Sounding like a more hostile and volatile Xasthur, this track highlights the confidence and newfound strength and power of The Blackest Volume as opposed to Shadowheart. This track continues on and on as the mix is swallowed in a wall of distortion and feedback, perfectly transitioning into one of my favorite tracks "The Blessed Ivory Tongue". The opening of this track is surprising, and probably one of the most eye-brow raising moments on the record. Opening with what sounds like White Pony-era Deftones, this track starts off in a mid-tempo groove with whispered vocals before transitioning flawlessly into a black metal waltz. The quality of songwriting is inspiring, adventurous, and fresh.

"No Taste More Bitter" and "With Fear This Love is Given" continuously crush the listener with dissonant black metal and darkly metallic trudges. I can think of no other way to describe this listening experience other than "hellish". The latter of these two tracks surprisingly continues on with the Deftones influence (unsurprising seeing as Sunlight's Bane has covered them in the past), with this track being the most-triumphant on melodic on the track listing.

The album closes with "To Whom I Await", a personal favorite of mine. The track is the perfect closer to such an epic, engrossing listen. The melodic walls of guitar work, relentless blast beats, and tortured vocal delivery is the perfect send-off from this truly passionate, darkly intense listen. The track builds, drops off, and builds again over and over, clocking in at over 8 minutes before fading out.

The Blackest Volume is everything I wanted to see this band progress towards. Listening to this album, I feel as if I've watched this band come full circle into something beyond just a band in the midwest hardcore scene. Sunlight's Bane is a band that challenges what is expected of most black metal, grindcore, and hardcore bands of today, yet they do this without alienating listeners. At their core, Sunlight's Bane succeed because of strong, acutely-focused songwriting. I cannot recommend this album enough. The blackest volume, indeed.

Listen: https://innerstrengthrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sunlights-bane-the-blackest-volume

WAVES CRASHING PIANO CHORDS / FARTING CORPSE - Split 7" REVIEW

WAVES CRASHING PIANO CHORDS / FARTING CORPSE - SPLIT 7''

New York noise powerhouse Waves Crashing Piano Chords and Michigan Noisecore outfit Farting Corpse have come together for a split release comprised of 6 minutes total of unrelenting cacophony. I'll be reviewing this split one side at a time. 

Let's start with the Waves Crashing Piano Chords side. WCPC is a project that I've followed for quite a while now, and if you are unaware with the project, it is highly recommended you witness the live show or discover it through Youtube. WCPC is one of the strongest noise projects doing it right now, and with this release he continues in his tradition of minimalist, raw, unsettling feedback worship and power electronics. Here, WCPC gives us 3 minutes of material consisting of raw, fried, brittle feedback worship coupled with an abrasive vocal performance of sexually charged lyrics. The minimalist atmosphere is intense and powerful, and sure to please any fans of Whitehouse, Kylie Minoise, or similar acts in that style. Whoop Whoop!

Now let's focus on the Farting Corpse side. If you're looking for the roughest, rawest noisecore you can kind, look no further. 3 minutes of nonstop noisecore, sounding just as raw and brittle as the WCPC side. Farting Corpse is a strong noisecore act, and like the Methlab Explosion review I posted not too long ago, this release doesn't leave in any bullshit. Just pure, aggressive, raw noisecore built upon harsh noise freak-outs. FFO: Anal Cunt, Cripple Bastards, Last Days of Humanity, etc. 

This is definitely a strong split, and each project - while different in style - really compliment each other really well. Clocking in at only 6 minutes total, this thing doesn't overstay its welcome, and is very direct. Check this out and support each project. 

Listen: https://wavescrashingpianochords.bandcamp.com/

https://fartingcorpse.bandcamp.com/ 

ALOCASIA GARDEN - Survival REVIEW

ALOCASIA GARDEN - SURVIVAL

"Survival" is the latest album from UK noise/ambient project Alocasia Garden. A project straddling the fine line between aggression and serenity, Survival finds itself indulging the best of both extremes. Uncompromising in structure, and fluid and execution, this album assaults, drops, soothes, unsettles, pacifies, crushes, and rebuilds the listener continuously in less than an hour. This album feels like a long, tiring adventure (and I mean that in the best way) heading to an unknown destination. While there is comfort in its seeming aimlessness, the attention to detail and structure provide a clear and apparent artistic and textural knowledge and nuance that seeks to assemble every fraction of aesthetic and detail, and use them all in a harshly focused manner. This is the very definition of structured chaos. 

After the rumbling and choppy opener "Deceive" the album treads into melodic, ambient territory with "Retracing Weakness". A melancholic and hypnotic melody plays over and over through a distorted, waning synth. Tones decay and hold, showcasing interesting harmonies buried bellow the mix. A common theme of this album - at least from a purely sonic standpoint - seems to be a series of highs and lows, peaks and abysses, harsh noise experimentation and melodic chordal droning. Perhaps a comment on a kind of inherent struggle, and the act of rebuilding after said struggle for the sake of "survival". Regardless of intent - if there indeed happens to be one - the sonic boundaries within this album are extremely captivating. 

"Under" and "Prisoner of One Another" continue this pattern of high and low, with the latter being on the the finest moments on the release. Samples of crackling human speech is buried beneath more calm, yet slightly distorted synth worship. 

The title track is pure feedback worship, with cacophonous reverb and pulses crashing underneath. After this we get another textural synth-based track with "Marble Built Above Bone". This track in particular builds such tension and unsettling anxiety within its second half, that it bleeds perfectly into the closer "Scars to Pave a Future." The closer ends with a kind of hybrid between the two auditory ideas we've encountered. While waves of harmonic synths pulse low in the mix, harsh noise and power electronic noodling and peaks soar and soak over top. The final track fades out seamlessly. 

This is easily the strongest release from this UK noise project. It is clear Alocasia Garden are truly honing their craft, and will indeed survive in the long run. 

Listen: https://alocasiagarden.bandcamp.com/album/survival