Rabbits - Untoward (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 12/8/2014

Label: Lamb Unlimited

‘Untoward’ DD/LP track listing:

1). Ever Mind (03:04)

2). Pack up your Shit (03:23)

3). So Fake It’s Real (02:19)

4). Reek and you shall find (06:05)

5). An Odd Coloration (02:57)

6). Like you a lot (10:33)

Bio:

Amidst a slew of EPs, splits and other independent releases the band has produced since their 2003 inception, RABBITS’s debut LP, Lower Forms, was released via Relapse in 2011, which was followed only a year later with their Bites Rites LP via Good To Die Records. The band has also since revived Portland DIY label Eolian Empire, their cohorts who released multiple early RABBITS releases, and have since inundated the planet with a variety of potent releases from only Portland-based acts, including Prizehog, Towers, Diesto, Honduran, Dead, Drunk Dad and more. Amidst sporadic Western US touring in recent years, the band will forage throughout North America and Europe in support of Untoward.

Review:

It’s a cloudy hot day here in Ohio, not much going on, so why the hell not take some time to do a little record review.

Sometimes a band name represents the band in a more meaningful way or say some form of inside meaning within the band’s member, in which they present it as some form of secret “either you get it or you don’t” type of crap i.e. Slipknot being overly mysterious. But really who cares?

There is always the way too metal band name or the Tomorrow Is Yesterday’s Tuesday type of metal core poop…

Then we have Rabbits, whose name honestly kept me from them for the longest time.  I kinda unfairly had images of bikini clad Japanese girls playing surf rock. Rabbits are in no way associated with Sanrio, so it was a pleasant surprise to find out they are a fantastic noise rock/sludge outfit from Portland, OR.

‘Untoward’ is Rabbits most recent release a 6 song record that reeks of noise rock perfection.

Opening with the track ‘Ever Mind’ I was almost immediately reminded of The Melvins so I knew I was going to enjoy it. Not only does this opening track hit those King Buzzo type points, there are also some black metal type moments with blast beats permeating through the sludge wall.

Something I feel must be mentioned and is often skipped over with music of this type, is the brilliant use of the less is more concept.  Sometimes the riff itself is cave man enough to tap into that part of your brain that just wants to nod along with no real meaning. Not to say this release isn’t full of musicality & high level playing, there are some clear spots in timing and space where it is obvious years of playing are within the blood of the band.

‘Pack Up Your Shit’ is a dirty to the point doom wall who’s lyrics are both amusing and seemingly spot on for the tone of the record. “Just like us, we drink and fuck and cuss we piss and puke and shit, we are covered in spit..pack up your shit”  There are certainly some tongue in cheek elements to the band both in theme & feel.  This to me is a welcome change from the bands who take shit way too serious to the point you start to hate the band.

‘An Odd Coloration’ also draws from some of those Buzzo roots but touches on that Kowloon Walled City vibe too, leading to an up paced spurt or two that keeps the song in a constant pulling motion.

All in all Rabbits are onto something good and with huge balls!  Yes, I am late to the game with this band and they have clearly been at it for some time, destroying all along the way.  For me, it was great to find more of their material available and ample amounts digitally and vinyl!  What else can I say but I’ve been hooked. Rabbits are no Hello Kitty bullshit, they are the real sludgy deal.

Words by: Stephen T. Barton

You can secure your copy of ‘Untoward’ on DD here and vinyl here

For more information:

http://rabbitusmaximus.com
https://www.facebook.com/RabbitusMaximus
http://rabbitusmaximus.bandcamp.com
http://lambunlimited.com
https://www.facebook.com/LambUnlimited

Whores./Rabbits - Split 7"

Album Type : 7” Split

Date Released : 18/2/2014

Label : Eolian Empire / Brutal Panda

WHORES./RABBITS - SPLIT 7", track listing :

1). Jumping Someone Else’s Train

2). A Reflection

3). Give Me It

Bio :

East (Coast) meets West (Coast) in noise rock: WHORES and RABBITS joined together in misanthropy and misery. And what better material to manifest their unwavering rage than that of The Cure?

WHORES crushes "Jumping Someone Else's Train," taking said train on a insanely heavy ride, the main riff stretched into a hypnotic groove forever beat into your brain. RABBITS opens with the stark "A Reflection" before cranking out an uncaged, claustrophobic version of "Give Me It.” Who let these maniacs out? A killer slab of new noise.

The WHORES/RABBITS split is out now on wax and digital, a cooperative release between Eolian Empire and Brutal Panda Records. The vinyl version, limited to 500 copies -- 100 on pink/400 on black -- the EP is housed in a full color fold-over jacket featuring art by Went Knipe and Josh Hughes.

Review :

Now this truly is a thing of beauty. My initial reaction was to laugh when I discovered what the subject of a split between two of my absolute favourite modern purveyors of noise rock fuzzery would be, but then I realised that it would actually make perfect sense for Whores and Rabbits to do a 7" of Cure covers. It’s that unexpected, left-field mentality that makes them both thinking man's riff wranglers. And boy does it sound HUGE.

The Whores contribution is their version of 'Jumping Someone Else's Train'. Released in 1979, it was only the third ever single that the band had put out. You'd never know it was anything other than a Whores track though, after they put their own spin on it, soak it in feedback and force it sideways through the meat grinder. Still retaining that kind of dawn of post punk vibe, the cover is appropriately gloomy yet poetic at the same time. So while it doesn't sound like The Cure in a straightforward manner it still manages to retain the key qualities I guess. Still a complete shitkicker though, mind you.

Rabbits have two outings on here, and the first is 'A Reflection'. Taken from The Cure's second album 'Seventeen Seconds', by this point in time the Goth factor had really started to kick in and this reflects in the doom-laden stance of this instrumental lead-in to 'Give Me It'. A seamless blend between two songs that featured on albums that were miles apart in terms of time is pretty cool. Rabbits are a somewhat 'punkier' affair than Whores and the mood in the room is a lot more confrontational. Less of a party, more of an argument. Rolling drums give way to early hardcore beats and the riffs are never anything short of incendiary. What I wouldn't give for the chance to witness both of these bands share a stage.

This is an early contender for split of the year. Noisy as fuck and catchier than a barb wire covered sack that's full of the common cold, you can grab it in a variety of soothing colours from the good folks at either Eolian Empire or Brutal Panda. I suggest you do so with the greatest of haste.

Words by : Matt Fitton

You can get it from the link below

For more information :

http://rabbitusmaximus.com
http://whores.bandcamp.com
http://eolianempire.com
http://brutalpandarecords.com

Rabbits - SOS (Singles, Other Shit) (Album Review)

Album Type : Compilation

Date Released : 3/12/2013

Label : Eolian Empire

SOS (Singles, Other Shit) Track Listing:

A-side ORIGINALS: 
1. Wooze 03:57
2. No (More) Depth 00:56
3. Riff Fuck Reap 03:06
4. Slow Mars 04:14
5. Lungs  05:10
6. Bees Revolt 02:37

B-side COVERS:
1. Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (Discharge) 01:26
2. Hard Times (Cro-Mags) 01:56
3. One and All (Rudimentary Peni) 01:24
4. Rebel Girl (Bikini Kill) 02:48
5. Evacuate (Negative Approach) 02:35
6. I'd Rather Be Sleeping (D.R.I.) 01:32
7. Think Twice (Poison Idea) 00:46
8. Straight Edge (Minor Threat) 00:50
9. Wasted (Black Flag) 0:54

Bio :

RABBITS is at it again. Steadfast in their determination to not give a shit what you or anyone else thinks, they burrowed deep into their own rabbit hole to scrape together a mish-mash of down-and-dirty tracks from every corner of their sorry-ass storied past.

SOS (Singles, Other Shit)is a disturbing and dissonant distress signal from the underground assembled from LP session bonus tracks, 7-inch tracks, unreleased demos, radio performances, alternate versions, and practice space jams recorded from 2006 to 2013. With few overdubs and mostly single live takes, these tracks capture RABBITS doing what they do best: cranking out bludgeoning full-throttle hardcore noise rock until your ears are ringing and you see stars; pummeling drums, gnarled guitars, maniacal vocals, and deranged solos. The A-side comprises six original songs of serious mayhem and downright fuckery, while the B-side collects nine covers of their favorite ‘80s punk and hardcore songs, mistreated as if their own, no doubt to piss you off. Please help them. They clearly need it.

The RABBITS-run outsider collective Eolian Empire will deposit SOS (Singles, Other Shit) December 3rd via digital download and cassette; old-school as fuck but like totally fresh, yo.  The tape will also be released in Europe on Czech label Stoned to Death at an undisclosed date to be figured out.

Review :

Portland's Rabbits have put out a sordid collection, airing their dirty sonic laundry in public with the release of 'SOS (Singles, Other Shit)'. Which is of course given the quality of the noise manufacturers in question can only be a good thing. This is an album of re-workings, singles, jam recordings and an awful lot of 80s punk and hardcore covers. It's noisy and abrasive and a kick in the teeth.

Their stuff is firmly rooted in noise, with all the usual trimmings and influences. They excel at what they do because they have been plugging away at it for years now and this album goes to show just what they are capable of.

'Wooze' has that Crover style big hitting as the backbone, and some nice scuzzed out riffs. I love how this song is confused as to whether it's a punk tune or a metal one, and to a large extent that's a great way to describe the appeal that Rabbits have as a group. Noise rock at its absolute best as a subgenre is schizophrenic in nature, wide-eyed and unpredictable. Neat track.

'Slow Mars' is even more evidence of this. I know I said that they play noise rock, but is this doom? It sure could be, but they probably don't give much of a fuck about tags I guess. This is slow, morose and plodding. It thumps away relentlessly. It should be played loud, too. The recording is so raw that at certain points the guitars sound like they were square pegs being rammed into a triangular hole, but that only adds to the charm.

In regards to the covers portion of 'SOS' the absolute standout for me is the Discharge choice, and it's a pretty brave one too - they nail the ferocity. 'Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing' is downright legendary in hardcore and crossover circles, its tempo and buzz a perfect fit for the Rabbits standard of attack. Squealing guitars and that sense of urgency are translated well, and they manage to make it their own somehow.

If you are new to Rabbits at all then this is an ideal introduction. If you're already a fan then this brings together some rare and nice elements of their catalogue in one place. Either way it's a win situation, and well worth the price of admission. 'SOS' is pretty special on all fronts.

Get yer raucous on, people.

Words by : Matt Fitton

You can get it here

For more information :

http://rabbitusmaximus.com
https://www.facebook.com/RabbitusMaximus
http://eolianempire.com
http://goods.eolianempire.com

RABBITS - Live Love

Rabbits is a self proclaimed Punk-Sludge-Thrash-Trash Metal Band from Portland, Oregon, USA

The members are: Sethro, KG, Booze

Rabbits have become a firm favourite of ours here at Sludgelord HQ. Their blend of Punk, Sludge and Thrash Metal riffs have seen them won praise from fans and critics alike.

Rabbits have released a string of well received EPs and Albums. We reviewed their last one here and Aaron interviewed them back in Oct 2012.

So yeah we are big fans of the Rabbits crew. So when they release a new record of any kind we always check it out. Well Rabbits have released a new album on their BandCamp page called Live Love.

Live Love is 3 separate live Rabbits shows with the band on fine violent sludge-tastic form through out. This is what Rabbits say about the shows:

"The "Live Love" series from RABBITS is a selection of recorded live shows from throughout our history. Each track is a complete show. Some EQ and compression/limiting applied, but minimal editing: little fuss, lots of nuts. These high-quality digital files may reveal limitations in the sound, recording, and/or performance--likely all three. It's almost like being there, and maybe you were.
Set lists are included in the individual track info. Many thanks due to the fans, promoters, hosts, and sound people."

What you get is 3 fantastic separate shows running for about 102 mins altogether. Hear this band in all their audio glory. A brutal and unflinching assault that shows you why Rabbits are such a brilliant band not to be fucked with.

It's available now on Buy Now Download on BandCamp.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Check The Band From Links Below.

Official
Facebook
BandCamp