History Of The Hawk/Minus Tree – Split Tape (Enjoyment Records)

Side A: History Of The Hawk – Density Of Air / Orbits (Part II)

Side B: Minus Tree – Kingdom Come

This super-limited run cassette from Enjoyment Records features two prime examples of contemporary hardcore, History Of The Hawk from the West Midlands, UK, and South Italy's Minus Tree.

On the 'Hawk side, the band have opted for a dirty, lo-fi vibe, which complements the aesthetic of their sound and conveys the raw energy of a live show. Opening track Density Of Air is their most emo-influenced recording yet, its fuzzed-up major seventh chords and propulsive rhythmic twists giving a sly nod to Braid et al. Meanwhile, Orbits (Part II) sees the band at their most ferocious, attacking in abrupt bursts of energy, veering sharply from one section to another with the abandon of a drunk driver behind the wheel of an F1 car, while our ears have no choice but to hold on for dear life. Distorted screams rise from the chaos like the cries of wounded spectators as the Hawkmobile ploughs through the barriers and into the stands.

By contrast, Minus Tree's sound has a more epic, metallic feel - there's definitely shades of Poison The Well in the cinematic scope of their track Kingdom Come, which builds on a dramatic introductory guitar figure before plunging into a positively gargantuan breakdown punctuated with primal, tormented vocals. From here the band bolt into breakneck-speed hardcore, before throwing the listener into the depths of Massive Breakdown Mk.II, a sea of supercharged emotive guitars.

From two bands with different takes on hardcore punk rock, this split tape is a thrilling showcase of the vibrancy of independent music from two countries. Cassettes are limited to 100 copies and can be purchased from http://enjoymentrecords.bigcartel.com/product/history-of-the-hawk-minus-tree-split-cassette-tape . Look up http://historyofthehawk.bandcamp.com/ and http://minustree.bandcamp.com/ for more from these bands.

Wizzleteat Returns!

Howdy all. In case you didn't know, Birmingham's finest stonercore duoStinky Wizzleteat have recorded their new tracks at The Temple Of Boom, Amblecote, where they're currently being polished by Chris Traverse for release. I for one certainly look forward to putting my poor ears through copious abuse from this, and you should too.


See the Teat share a stage with their weirdly attractive cousins, History Of The Hawk this Friday, at The Croft in Bristol. Friendface event here: ARTSCARE PRESENTS: HISTORY OF THE HAWK + STINKY WIZZETEAT+ KOSHIRO

Til then... http://www.facebook.com/stinkywizzleteat

Jerkstore - Language Barrier cassette (Eat A Book Records)

It takes soul to play punk rock properly - you can't hear it, but you know it's there and in the case of Jerkstore's Language Barrier you can feel it burning through each note like a shot of paint-stripper through the lining of your stomach and throat (in a good way, obviously).

The Canberra, Austraila band utilise an 80s hardcore aesthetic with contemporary intensity, their short and punchy songs lasting around one to two minutes each. The album runs from one to the next without any gaps in a relentless 15-minute fury workout - and there are few vocalists who sound as genuinely furious as frontwoman Naomi, whose rabid shouting electrifies the music with a palpable rage that goes far beyond just following genre convention. This aspect contributes much of what sets Jerkstore apart, but it's also the powerful yet jagged riffing that gives their sound a life of its own, each instrument's tone stripped down to raw basics for maximum impact.

The best thing about Language Barrier is that listening to it feels about as close to being at a live show as you're likely to get in recorded format. Even with headphones on it almost seems like the band are playing directly in front of you in some tiny, packed-out venue, and (in my opinion) the ability to capture this sensation on tape is one of the greatest things recorded music can achieve.

Language Barrier is available on cassette from Eat A Book records (http://eatabookrecords.blogspot.com/), and can also be downloaded here: http://eatabookrecords.bandcamp.com/album/language-barrier

Fugazi Live series available TODAY!

As of today, the Fugazi Live archive is up and running. 

The seminal DC post-hardcore outfit recorded over 800 of the live shows they played from 1987 to 2003. After the task of sorting these shows into order by date, the band have made them available to download from Dischord records. In line with the band's policy of pricing all shows at $5, this is the suggested price for each download, although different price options can be selected by the buyer with a minimum charge of $1. 

So far, 130 of these 800-plus recorded shows are available, and the band will be releasing more each month.

To download and for more info, go to http://www.dischord.com/fugazi_live_series

Stinky Wizzleteat To Guest In New Film

The Birmingham-based Stonercore duo make a guest appearance in the upcoming film Turbulence. 

Described on the film's website as a "musical romantic comedy", Turbulence follows a group of twenty-somethings in various levels of involvement with a failing music venue. As a last ditch attempt to save the venue from bankruptcy, a Battle of the Bands is staged, and Stinky Wizzleteat feature as one of the competing acts.

The DVD launch for Turbulence takes place Friday December 2nd at Vivid in Digbeth. Tickets can be purchased from the vivid website at  http://www.vivid.org.uk

For more info go to http://turbulencefilm.com/

Stinky Wizzleteat's album, Teat Law, is out now for download on Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/stinky-wizzleteat

Review: Papayer/Nai Harvest Split EP

These days it's debatable whether the term 'emo' is still valid as a musical descriptor, defined as it sadly is in popular culture by an array of cringeworthy corporate mutilations. However, a plethora of bands have cropped up recently that draw on the better aspects of the genre to make some genuinely imaginative, heartfelt music. 

Papayer and Nai Harvest provide evidence of this fact; while both share certain genre elements, neither fall into the trap of following too strictly the template of their influences, and this split EP exhibits two very distinctive acts. 

Papayer have a knack for utilising unpredictable structures and abrupt changes in their songs with impressive cohesion. The anthemic opening to Pierre pulls us in and along with the track's emotional twists and turns, as friendships and loves are lamented, before Brand Partnership initiates another winding journey, switching gears between melodic fury and hushed introspection.

Nai Harvest also pack their tunes to the gills with melodic and rhythmic nuances, but in contrast to Papayer possess a more 'punk' feel to their sound, largely attributed to rough-throated vocals that at times resemble Tom Gabel. In Tim Helped Me Get Over It, a spoken-word intro gives way to a driving rhythm and thrashed out chords. Distance, etc. concludes the Nai Harvest side, melding shimmering, wistful melodies with a joyful kinetic energy.

In its four tracks, the Papayer/Nai Harvest split EP is a short, sweet reaffirmation of emo as a genre. Available from November 18, it can be heard at http://papayer.bandcamp.com and http://naiharvest.bandcamp.com

Live Review: Carnage Club presents Boom! Headshot! 5

Temple of Boom Studio, Amblecote has held some of the area’s best events this year with the past four ‘Boom! Headshot!’ nights, drawing on the simple-but-magical combination of excellent underground bands/artists and intimate rehearsal room settings. So for this fifth instalment expectations and excitement are running high - and rightfully so considering the line-up in store…   

 Kicking off proceedings in supremely groove-laden fashion, Mothertrucker bring the party crashing in with a fine selection of instrumentals packed with mammoth riffs and dark atmospherics. Their music guides us through a series of subtle twists and turns, from the bowel-shaking heaviness of Duff McCagan’s Caggin Wagon to the agile interweaving lines of Vigo the Carpathian. Closing with the tense Kings of Kabaddi, the ‘Trucker leave the crowd thoroughly juiced up and ready for more.

 Next up is the explosive sludgecore onslaught of Crash Night. Their towering opener, Falling Star, provides a slower lead-in to the rest of the set, which for the most part comprises of short, fast blast assaults accompanied by rabid screaming. Each track seems to add to a building sense of malevolence within the room which peaks in the untitled closing piece, an exercise in nastiness that winds up becoming a ten minute noise jam to soundtrack the bodies now being flung from wall to wall.

 With the pit in full swing, the timing for Vicious Bastard to hit the floor couldn’t be better as their ultra-precise, technical grindcore kicks up an intense shit-storm. Among their brutal compositions an extremely sped-up cover of Holy Diver is thrown in to great effect, before the band leaves us with From the Smoke Came Locusts, a fine demonstration in the art of monolithic breakdowns.

 Our taste for metal satisfied, the night now takes an abrupt stylistic turn as Crushing Blows serve up a helping of punked-up psych-pop, diving straight into the sugar rush of recent single I Dream of Becoming a Girl. Live, the duo’s music comes across a lot more raw and aggressive than the studio recordings, guitarist Chris flailing and digging into each melodic hook, while Andrew expertly juggles drum and keyboard duties while still beating the hell out of both instruments.

 The time now somewhere around 1AM, a sufficiently hyped up (mainly drunk) audience are joyous recipients to the sound of Papayér’s emotionally supercharged, anthemic post-hardcore. Tunes like Dark Repellent and Duan De Waal make cathartic gang-chant sing-alongs, even for a crowd who have barely heard them. All three musicians tear their vocal chords to shreds with each lyric, while displaying a mastery of dynamic control that serves to pull the heartstrings along the highs and lows evoked within each structure.

 Tonight’s final performance comes from History Of The Hawk, who seem to have spent the meantime winding up like a spring. When they do finally charge into You, Me, Let’s Cybercide Baby the room explodes. Both band and audience become a whirlwind of gleeful chaos, frontman Nathan stumbling in the midst of it all like a mad drunk, screaming and grabbing at people. Guitars, microphone cables and items of clothing are displaced, while tumultuous versions of tracks like Freyer and Little Parisians burst through the wreckage. X is the New Y ensures that any remaining destructive tendencies are exorcized until the last remnants of musicality are lost under a pile of sweaty bodies.

And so ends another Boom! Headshot! - leaving us exhilarated, exhausted and a tad disturbed. Roll on the next one!