Wednesday 31 October 2012

Deathcrawl- 'Accelerated Rate of Decay' (Album Review)


By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 16/10/2012
Label: Independent



Overall, this superb record should enthuse the listener to listen to it again and again- its blackened sludge mixed with doom and black elements make it a varied and worthwhile listen. ‘Acclerated Rate of Decay’ has it all- great vocals, cool production tricks, riffs to rewind repeatedly and a nice sinister vibe throughout. Try it and I guarantee that you will not be disappointed!

 
‘Accelerated Rate of Decay’ CD//DD track Listing

1) Burned Out (07:46)
2) Kill Or Be Killed (04:04)
3) Dead Is Dead (05:27)
4) Blight (6:58)
5) Disturbing The Earth (08:43)
6) Maginot (05:11)
7) Despite Our Best Efforts (05:20)
8) Lucifer's Hammer (06:20)

Deathcrawl is

"BigMetal" Dave Johnson | Drums, throat, nord.
Damon "the Damonowskivich" Gregg | Guitar, throat.
Jason Luchka | Bass, throat, moog,  accordian.

The Review
 
Ohio seems like a perfect place for a band such as Deathcrawl to hail from- being as the state is on the cusp of several areas of the US it is not quite a part of any of them. It is almost the Mid West, almost the North East and even borders the much more southern flavoured Kentucky.  Similarly, Deathcrawl use diversity to their advantage. There are elements of black, doom and more progressive material in the sludge on this, their second full length.  From the ominous, droning feedback that ushers in ‘Burned Out’ it is clear that ‘Accelerated Rate of Decay’ is going to be a somewhat different listen. The vocals come in early with a distinctly black metal flavour. There are crashing chords and sludge type riffing to savour with some distinct and odd rhythms powering things along. There is also a cyclical structure and even, dare I say it... hooks. A burst of pace towards the end means that this opener sets out Deathcrawl's stall early on- the record is diverse but unifies perfectly.

‘Kill or Be Killed’ follows up well with a slow start being replaced by a ride driven groove. The whole track clips along at a head nodding pace- even some very black metal sections splice in seamlessly with varied vocal approaches holding the listener's attention.  ‘Dead is Dead’ brings in a southern-esque groove to start and the riff gives the vocal chance to breathe and again create a hooky verse structure- this is great stuff and builds well to double bass drums being used to good effect with clever progressions of the main motif in the riffing. There are time changes aplenty that lead to a chugging build up. In itself, this gives way to a fine groove based riff.  Deathcrawl have many hats and they wear each one with aplomb! There are three vocals that you can hear on the record- from their website it is confirmed that there is no front man as such as all three band members share vocal duties. This is a great move as it prevents the record from ever being one dimensional and allows each song or riff to get the appropriate flavour. Much like Bob Dylan's famous backing group ‘The Band’; Deathcrawl allow the best person to do the best job for each piece of music. This approach will really hold your attention when you listen to the record, that's for sure!

‘Blight’ stands out for me due to the catchy riffs which kick things off at a fair pace. Once again, the rhythms are unusual with plenty of percussive flourishes from BigMetal” Dave Johnson on drums. Sludge is again prevalent in this track and around the four minute mark a weird metallic effect backs a droning riff to play the track out to a very effective feedback drenched close. ‘Disturbing the Earth’ starts with slow doom after a ride count in from the previous track. Deathcrawl again keep the listener on their toes by introducing a rather effective (non sellout) and rather trad doom clean vocal! More traditional sludge follows with a nifty use of double tracked high and low vocals brought in for a nice production touch. The seven minutes plus of this track are punctuated by changeable riff patterns and grooves that mesh together very well with the vocal approaches taken- the cyclical song writing approach works superbly and again gives a unified hooky feel that allows the listener to immerse themselves in the record without feeling disorientated. The song finishes around the seven minute mark and is succeeded by odd soaring sound effects that continue for a further one and half minutes. It is great to know that the art of album writing is still alive and well- all these passages have their place. No need to use a shuffle function on this record (or ever, for that matter).

A drum intro combines with bass from Jason Luchka to set up the opening strains of ‘Maginot’ before this foundation is expanded by superb riffing from Damon Gregg. It is incredible that there are only three members of Deathcrawl- this really is a power trio to be reckoned with. The song writing here is choppy and pacey. The guitars work discordant magic over a solid rhythm section. Look out for the riff around the minute mark- it's a killer! ‘Despite Our Best Efforts’ gifts us a longer instrumental passage to start with and then switches to a snail’s pace for some horrific vocals in the blackened sludge vein. Thereafter, monolithic riffs trade space with imaginative vocals. Pick scratches are used to great effect through the middle sections here before the seemingly unwieldy title is used as a chant to finish the song off.

The superbly titled ‘Lucifer's Hammer’ uses feedback and effects (moog?) to introduce the record's magnum opus. The old half time/double time trick is given new life here as nice passages of riffing intertwine with vocal dexterity. The faster pace suits the band and album here as it gives a feeling of the record's end drawing near. Indeed, some of the best riffs on the album are to be found here. The final minute utilises feedback and effects again as the album ends how it began.

Overall, this superb record should enthuse the listener to listen to it again and again- its blackened sludge mixed with doom and black elements make it a varied and worthwhile listen. ‘Acclerated Rate of Decay’ has it all- great vocals, cool production tricks, riffs to rewind repeatedly and a nice sinister vibe throughout. Try it and I guarantee that you will not be disappointed!

You can buy it here

FFO: Crowbar, Yob, Thou, Rwake




Tuesday 30 October 2012

20 Questions w/ Nether Regions

Nether Regions (c) James Rexwood
 

Well, we have a lot to thanks Doommantia for, it is an understatement to say that they have turned us all onto some great records over the years and this year hasn't been any different. Indeed, it was during one of my numerous visits to the blog, I stumbled upon Nether Regions. 
 
If I remember correctly the review hinted at comparisons to High on Fire, which we all know, is no bad thing.  The rest as they say is history, I contacted the band, we reviewed their killer debut record (which you can read it here) and what's more I was delighted that the band agreed to talk to me. 
 
The band and particularly Joe, the bassist / front man, is a genuinely cool and down to earth guy.  It always surprises me the effort bands put into answering my seemingly formulaic answers and Joe was no different.  So a massive thanks to Joe and Dave at EarSplit for agreeing to take part in the interview.  So without further ado, here is what Joe had to say when I presented him with 20 Questions.  Enjoy!    (Before you get started show your support to ED and Doommantia by purchasing the stellar compilation here)
 

Joe Wickstrom (c) Bill Hefferman 


Hey Joe, How are you?  I appreciate you taking the time to talk to talk to us

 

J Hi Aaron, we really appreciate your interest in the band and are glad you asked.

 

Q) Where are you at the moment and what are you doing in terms of the band?  Have you have been touring/writing this summer?

 

J) At the moment we are hiding out in rainy and cold Portland, Oregon. We are spending most of our time writing material for the follow up to our debut album Into the Breach. We have been laying low as far as live performances go this year but that will change a lot once we release the next album.

 

Q). You’re another amazing discovery this year (thanks Doommantia); your latest record is great.  For those people who are not familiar with the music of Nether Regions, could you tell us a little about the history of the band and some of the bands you've played with? Where you’re from? When Nether Regions first formed? Current band members?

 

J) Why thank you, we are glad you like the record. As far as our history goes, Guitarist Todd Pidcock and I formed the band in mid-2009 right here in Portland. At that time I had taken a few years off to teach and travel after the dissolution of my former band Ditchliquor in 2006. I had the opportunity to fill in on bass for a minute with Black Elk and spent 6 months as the bass player of Subarachnoid Space which kept me active in the community. Over that period of time I wrote some songs and decided I wanted to form another band. We have had a few line-up changes since then. We had existed over the last two years with fill in drummers for live shows but we finally have a permanent drummer by the name of Wade Murf.

 

Q). Is Nether Regions a full time project?

 

J) As far as musical projects go it is indeed the primary project of everybody in the band. Of course we all have day gigs so we can eat as well as supplement all the band stuff.

 
 


Colin Stout (c) Bill Hefferman




Q) What made you start the band?  Did you all know each other before you formed the band?

 

J) Todd and I started the band because life without music is miserable. I met him through our original drummer Shawn Davis whom I played with in Ditchliquor as well. Shawn lived with Todd and we used to rehearse in their basement. When the time came to form Nether Regions, Shawn suggested we have Todd play guitar. Since I knew Todd as a bass player I was uncertain he had the chops to pull off guitar duties. I asked Shawn if he was good enough and he replies “no, but he will be”. I trusted him and sure enough, Todd got really good really fast. He is fucking creepy like that with anything he tries to do.

Our primary lead guitarist, Colin Stout and I met at a music school we both taught at. When our original guitarist (and former student of ours) Kyle Bates left for school, it was a very simple solution to invite Colin to join.

Our Drummer Wade is the most recent addition to the band. We have had the worst time finding a permanent drummer to join. It is like some real Spinal Tap shit around here. One day his ex-girlfriend came up and told me she had a friend who was the best drummer she had ever heard that had just moved back to Portland and was looking to jam. I was dubious due to the fact that I have heard that “best drummer” shit before but she was dead on. I can say he is the most versatile, intelligent, and brutal drummer I have ever played with.


 

Q) It is seemingly harder and harder to make ends meet as a band, bearing that in mind, what motivates you as musicians?

 

J) Well, I can’t speak for the other guys but I am primarily motivated by the cathartic nature of playing heavy music. I have played many different styles and always return to the heaviest stuff I can play. I feel that writing physically demanding and dark material and playing it as hard as I can is very therapeutic. I suspect that lots of guys playing metal feel this way. I have noticed that is fairly common to read about musicians that play independent pop are the ones that frequently end up on the police blotter. It is disturbing how many guys get busted for being women beaters, violent drunks, and general assholes in that whole “Indy Rock’ Community as opposed to heavy rock guys that leave that shit on the stage and quietly move through their lives being nice. Music for me is an appropriate channel to exorcise the inevitable demons that inherently come with being a human walking around on this planet.

 

Q) Are you big fans of rock/metal, if so what are you listening to at the moment? Any recommendations?

 

J) I am indeed a big fan of rock and metal. The truth is that I haven’t been listening to a whole lot right now as I fear it will subconsciously infiltrate my imagination while I am writing this record. I can definitely offer a recommendation though the new record by Godspeed You!  Black Emperor Entitled Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! Is nothing short of amazing. Also there is a new LP on Seventh Rule Records by a Portland band called Atriarch which is really interesting. In fact, there are a lot of good bands releasing stuff out of Portland that I like a lot. The truth is, I have never considered myself an arbiter of what is good or “cool” music. I find guys that do that a bit egocentric. I do know what I like though.

Joe & Todd (c) Bill Hefferman
 

Q) When you started Nether Regions, what were your hopes for the band?

 

J) At first I merely wanted to record some songs and do some local show. As we go forward the hopes and goals evolve. We released the debut record and did some limited touring. Now our plan is to shop for a deal with some international distribution, release an album, and tour more extensively.

 

Q) If someone was unfamiliar with your band, how would you describe your sound and do you feel it has evolved? 

 

J) Shit, this is one of those difficult questions to answer. To the uninitiated we would certainly be considered a metal band. What we try to do is incorporate everything thing we like that we have ever heard as well as throwing a few Non-Metal ideas into the cauldron. We really try to focus on writing good songs. As a complete Beatles freak, I love a good song with hooks. I believe that though hooks in heavy music may be very different than other kinds of rock, they do exist and are important. There are a lot of bands that get by on tone or aggression and we go for that as well but if those things are wrapped in an intelligently considered piece of music it is all the better.

Regarding the evolution of our sound, I do believe we have evolved. Many of the riffs and movements on the first record go all the way back to my teenage years. One song in particular, Alpha/Omega consists almost entirely of stuff I have had laying around forever but never used. I whipped out a lot of that kind of thing as well as wrote some new stuff.

With the new record, it is much more collaborative. Colin is bringing lots of stuff to the table and Wade is not simply our drummer, he is a guitarist and very versed in music theory. Hell, he tunes his toms at minor thirds. Todd is the creator of atmosphere and is getting more creative as he spends more time playing with six strings as opposed to four.

 

Q)  Who would you say are your influences/heroes both musically and artistically in terms of the bands sound? 

 

J) I like this question. The influences are literally anything I have ever heard that I liked. That would mean everything from The Beatles to Shostakovich to Sonic Youth to Ulver to Slayer. Just as important are the artists whose approach and attitude I admire. I love Neil Young because he really does not give a damn what anyone thinks. I also admire Leonard Cohen for his attention to song craft not to mention that he put on the best show I have ever seen at 76 years of age.

But to answer the question in a manner appropriate to the music we make, there is this; I really love European thrash along the lines of Coroner, Celtic Frost, and Kreator. I also am a fiend for dissonant independent rock such as Sonic Youth, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Explosions in the Sky. I grew up on Maiden and Priest and to round it all out with early exposure to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Blue Oyster Cult in my brother’s room with black lights. Put all that in a blender and you are getting close.   
 
 
Q)  Sorry I have to ask, why did you choose the name, Nether Regions?   I’m assuming you’re referring to the abode of Satan and the forces or evil, as opposed to a euphemism in reference to genitals?  Does that reference bother you?   

 

J) Well, I love double meanings. The truth is that our original drummer Shawn blurted it out and we all said “that’s it”. I immediately made a joke about how it means Hell but it also refers to the private area of a human and if someone does not keep up on their personal hygiene then it could mean both. I have read some reviews where writers make a juvenile joke about it but I truly don’t give a shit. I have been told on a number of occasions that it is the best band name ever.

 

Q) I’m assuming all musician like to talk about gear, so with that in mind what gear do you use in terms of guitars, amps and why? Also what tuning do you use?

 

J) We do indeed like our gear but are not nearly as obsessed with it as some of our friends. I will begin with my rig. I have several basses but my primary is a 1971 Univox Precisely. It is one of the lawsuit basses and it is a gem. For my amp I have a 1980 Ampeg SVT through a 1985 ampeg 8x10 cab. I run my signal through a Roland Space Echo pedal that I rarely use.

Todd is running either his Les Paul or SG through a Sunn Model T and a 4x12. He has a vast pedal board. Colin is running his SG or Stratocaster through a 100w Baron head and a boutique 4x12.

Lastly, Wade has a huge kit and plays the shit out of every piece. It is a Yamaha of some variety and has two 22 inch bass drums and 1 tom for every inch between 14 and 18 inches. He could write a whole article on his kit alone.

As far as our tuning goes we use a C# standard tuning and on some of the songs we will drop the low string to B. On the new record we have some songs in a weird tuning which we are keeping to ourselves for the time being.

 

Q)  What is the scene like in your hometown?  What are your thoughts?  Where do you think Nether Regions fit within that?  Any bands we should be keeping an eye out for?

 

J) Portland is one of the best heavy music scenes in the world right now. We have about ten world class heavy bands that sound nothing alike. There really is no “Portland Sound” which is a testament to the creativity as well the geographical isolation of our city. It certainly isn’t the only city with diverse heavy music community but it is the exception to the rule.

As far as where we fit in, I am unsure how to address that question. We have the good fortune to be on great bills with both local and national acts and for that we are sincerely grateful.

There are a number of bands garnering national and international attention which I am sure you have heard such as YOB and Red Fang but that is merely an inkling of the depth of the scene we have here. As I mentioned earlier, Atriarch is a good band that has an interesting approach. Some other bands of note would be Rabbits, Witch Mountain, Wizard Rifle, Norska, and Lord Dying. All are good bands that sound nothing alike.

Wade Murf (c) Bill Hefferman
 

Q)  What are your views of blogs such as the Sludgelord reviewing your records, as opposed to mainstream music magazines?  Has your music reached the mainstream mags, at home or around the world?

 

J) Personally, I think it’s very cool to have reviews all over the world. I am even happier that the vast majority of them have exceeded my expectations in their positivity. Occasionally I will see one that seems maybe a bit lazy in that they clearly listen to one song and then make comparisons to some other band. Overall, we are very pleased to have our name out there. We have yet to do a whole lot of touring and the reviews and interviews are what we have to get our name around.

We haven’t really been covered much by the mainstream media here or in Europe. Perhaps that will come with the next release. We shall see.

 

Q) One of the things I like most about your band is that you release your own stuff and your DIY ethic?  How do you support the band financially and can you tell us about the label you set up? 

 

J) The truth is that we employ a DIY approach because it is all we have to work with at this time. I must say that it is extremely rewarding to conceive the idea, write the songs, fund the recording, pick the artists, pay for the pressing, and hire the PR firm once the record is released.

We have been lucky enough for the band to mostly pay for itself. We just take all the money we make from shows and merchandise and put it aside for whatever we need to do.

As far as Abnormal Gait Record goes, we do not in fact own it. It is owned by a couple of guys that are good trusted friends in North Carolina. I met them while I was tour managing another band. I slipped them a copy of our CD and oddly enough they were looking for a record to put out as their first release so it worked out perfectly.  We released the CD version and they did the vinyl. We have been through a few pressings of the CD and will do more as needed.

 

 

Q) Correct me if I am wrong but you have been active since 2009 and you have released 1 record to date, what have been some of your highlights so far? What are your aspirations for the future? I have heard you’re writing or have completed new material? 

 

J) That is correct; our first show was in summer 2009. We recorded Into the Breach in August of 2010. We have had a lot of fun and played some fairly massive shows mainly here in Portland as well as a couple in Seattle. As I mentioned previously, we have been lucky enough to play with some cool bands. Among the short list would be Pentagram, Black Cobra, Fu Manchu, Kylesa, and Weedeater. We also do a free show in Portland every winter and put together a massive bill. These shows draw 500 people at minimum and are a good time for all of the bands as well as the heavy music fans in Portland.

 

Q) Do you have any interesting stories from your tours, favourite places you’ve toured and bands you’ve toured with?

 

J) Well, the majority of my touring history predates Nether Regions and I do have some really crazy stories from those days but thus far we have only toured a little. We did do a West Coast US tour with our friends Lord Dying in the summer of 2011 that was a really good time. We were really surprised by the turnout and enthusiasm of the people in Sacramento California. We also did a few dates as main support to Black Elk in spring 2012 and those shows were pretty much sold out and crazy as fuck. We intend to head out in 2013 so the hope is that I will have a much more entertaining answer to this question one year from now.

 

Q) Lets talk about Into the Breach, what are your thoughts about the album looking back and were you pleased with the response?  How did you come to work with EarSplit PR? 

 

J) Into the Breach was a fun record to make. I just listened to it for the first time in a while yesterday and I still like the songs. What is interesting is that some of that material is really old, lots of riffs I had been sitting on that I finally got to use. I am certainly not 100% happy with it but considering we tracked it in 2 ½ days and mixed it in 12 hours, I think it turned out well all things considered.

When the time came to release the vinyl, we carefully considered our options for which PR firm we wanted to go with. Several of my friends in bands around the country were very enthusiastic in their endorsement of Earsplit. We sent Dave a copy of the record and he was into it so we just went for it. I have to say that it was the best money this band has ever spent. He is a really funny and cool guy and works his ass off for his bands. We intend to continue working with him as long as he will have us. 

 

Q) What is your approach to writing material for the band?  Does everyone contribute ideas?  Is Into the Breach representative of what we can expect from new material

 

J) We are definitely evolving in terms of our creative process. I personally composed about 90% of Into the Breach. Of course each member took the songs and crafted their own parts as well as contributed to the arrangements. As of late we have become a much more collaborative unit. Colin is bringing lots of stuff which we devour, deconstruct, and rebuild again. The new record will sound like Nether Regions but a more evolved version. Our chemistry is becoming fairly effortless and I think it shows in the compositions as well as the live presentation. With this next record we want to be more diverse, heavier, faster, slower, and just plain fucking weirder. The first record was our statement of intent as it were. We want this to be the record that Into the Breach hinted at, if that makes any sense.

 Into the Breach by Nether Regions cover art

Q) What are your thoughts about free legal downloads (I am referring to bandcamp) and the difference between buying a physical copy? Is it pleasing when people buy your records? 

 

J) Well, I would always prefer that people buy a physical copy because of the care that went into the art and layout but I am not complaining about digital sales one bit. The fact is that the best thing a person could do for us and themselves is to pick up a copy of the vinyl. It sounds so much more full and the art and layout is exactly what we wanted it to be. We have sold a lot of digital copies in Europe, specifically Eastern Europe and Russia. Since we really have no distribution other than the copies we sell at shows and through the mail, digital sales have been a lifesaver in regard to getting the music to as many people as we can.

 
 
Q). What are your plans for the rest of the year and 2013, any chance you'd consider coming to the UK? 

 

J) We are going into the studio to record a few tracks in late November with Producer/Engineer Brandon Eggleston. We are considering using that recording to shop to some labels. We like the idea of having better distribution and have decided to see if anyone has any interest. We also feel that if we release the next one on a good label we will have better opportunities with tours.  If nobody bites then we will return to the studio in the spring to finish the album and release it ourselves by summer. Then we will likely hit the road over here in the US for a few weeks here and there. Of course we will be trying to get involved with some package tours to better expose ourselves to a wider audience.

To answer your question, fuck yes we would come to the UK at the merest provocation. We definitely have our sights set on Europe and are seeking the proper opportunity to come over. I have these occasional house guests at my place here in Portland called Orange Goblin and would love to take them upon their offer to visit them at their homes in London.

 

Q) Thanks for answering my questions, but one final question, you got anything you like to say to your fans?

 

J) Absolutely, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to check us out. We have plans to tour a lot more in the coming years and hope you will come out if we come to your town, we will do everything within our power to make you glad you did.

Nether Regions (c) James Rexwood  
 
I have to say another massive thank you to Joe for being such a cool dude and for his cander in answering my questions.  For more info on the band check out the links below.  You can purchase Into The Breach here, whether it be DD, CD or Vinyl.  Thanks for reading. 
 
 

Monday 29 October 2012

Coilguns / Never Void Split 10" (Review)

 By: Aaron Pickford

Album Type: Split 10"/DD
Date Released: 26/09/ 2012
Label: Dead Dead Dead Music/
Hummus Records/
Savour Your Scene Records/
Invektiv Records




Following the two studio studio tracks from both bands, we're treated to 2 live tracks from both bands.  These tracks are a further indication of how truly destructive both of these bands are, indeed to me the live tracks are more representative of the uniqueness of these bands, given that the foundation of great bands is how they present themselves in the live arena


‘Coilguns/NVRVD’ Split 10”DD track Listing

Coilguns
1) Mandarin Hornet 07:02
2) Dewar Flasks 01:59
Never Void
3) Hungry for Needs 02:07
4) Direcktore 02:55
Coilguns
5) Parkensine (Live) 05:53
6) Mastoid (Live) 02:53
Never Void
7) Son Of Man (Live) 01:49
8) Null and Void (Live) 04:06

Coilguns is:

Louis Jucker | Vocals, Crowd Fighting
Jona Nido | Simultaneously both guitars and bass, Cabinets megalomaniac
Luc Hess | THE fucken drummer

Never Void (NVRVD) 

Lukas Heier | Drum-annihilation and Club-Mate-delegate!
Christian Braunschmidt | Guitars, feedback and noise generator, vocals
Stefan Braunschmidt | Bass, low-frequency feedbacks, sound, vocals

The Review

For anyone who didn't experience the enormity and sheer brutality of their previous release ‘Stadia Rods’, you missed out on one of the records of the year, with their Dillinger Escape Plan meets Botch noise, Coilguns produced a record that was characterised by the coexistence of disparate or antagonistic elements.  What made the record all the more stunning was the fact that it was essentially recorded live in one day.  ‘Stadia Rods’ was 30 minutes of discordant, inharmonious and jarring incongruity, a record unable to exist or work in congenial combination but all the better for it. 

So what we have here is a split with 2 studio cuts and 2 live tracks each from Coilguns and Never Void.  Again Coilguns employ a live feel to their recordings with the guitar and drums being recorded live, with no overdubs and with the vocals recorded 6 days later.  I am not sure what it is about this format Coilguns prefer, perhaps the simplicity of learning the track and then pushing the record button.  One thing is for certain though is that despite its live feel, you wouldn't know it, the music is super tight and from the outset ‘Mandarin Hornet’ has great depth to it, with the opening salvo of chord progressions interspersed with arpeggios and the seismic blasts of the drums with fills galore smashing the shit out of the intro for over 2 minutes.  This gives way to a caustic battering once the vocals kick in and then band come at you full force, with their hardcore battering ram, vocals are harsh, guitars slice and cut in an attempt to unlawfully threaten or inflict irreparable aural impairment. At the 4 min mark things get chaotic with blast beats, fiercely off kilter staccato riffing, until we're back to the opening salvo of chords, just with added crunch and assaultative aggression.  The last 1/4 of the track you get more than you could hope to bargain for with a final frenetic bombardment of brutal noise, it is scathingly injurious. 7 minutes of chaos.  Man, it is stunning. 

Next up is ‘Dewar Flasks’Coilguns continue with their ambiguous noise, with a sharp burst  of desecrating noise, indeed what I mean about the ambiguity of this particular brand of chaos, is that at first it appears to lack definite structure and yet this is perhaps because we are used to things being simple and straight forward.  There is nothing straight forward about this profane and merciless barrage, using their primitive weapons to devastate and annihilate.  ‘Dewar Flasks’ is an exercise in Coilguns apparent lack of pity or compassion, because they appear to be intent upon inflicting their own blend of unsavoury vitriolic destruction, in turn lacerating your senses.  It is their sulfurous denunciation and we love it. 

So, what do Never Void bring to the table?  Having never heard their music, I was intrigued to hear if they could immediately turn me on to their music, particularly given that their info sheet suggest they're a band for fans of Trap Them, Converge and Gaza to name but a few; three bands who come with pretty hefty reputations.  Never Void kick things off with ‘Hungry For Needs’with guttural growls from the vocals, invoking a death metal vibe and yet whilst Coilguns evoke more mathcore nuances in their music, Never Void are more akin to hardcore.  It is an extremely pacy track, coupled with ambient noise at times and the use interchanging vocals offers the just right amount of hate and intensity.  Never Void breathes just the right amount of malevolence and misanthropy.  ‘Direktore’ is another fantastically malignant track, which feels scornful, indeed the modus operadi of this band appears to be having a destructive clinical course. 

Following the two studio studio tracks from both bands, we're treated to 2 live tracks from both bands.  These tracks are a further indication of how truly destructive both of these bands are, indeed to me the live tracks are more representative of the uniqueness of these bands, given that the foundation of great bands is how they present themselves in the live arena.  Coilguns, here with ‘Mastoid’ and ‘Parkensine’, just smash it and to be fair to Never Void completely own and is further example of how truly fearsome a proposition these bands are. 

You can purchase the vinyl, DD and CD here




Band info: Facebook Bandcamp Shop NVRVDFacebook NVRVDShop NVRVDYouTube