DEAD MOON.

There's nothing to hide behind here, and it's not like Fred Cole needs to - motherfucker lays his whiskey-soaked soul out there on the regular - his wife Toody by his side, each of them slinging & swinging their rock-axes through the depths of murky vulnerability.

In the end, they always come through, and if there's one dude in rock 'n' roll who is on the same level that Lemmy is, legend-wise (it certainly ain't Ozzy any more, son), it's Mr. Fred Cole. Dude has been slugging it out on the stage for 48 years now, and the plan is that THERE IS NO PLAN (other than to keep laying it down on the daily until the day he dies).

With soul power like this, there's no need to worry about the immediate future from what I can tell.

Dead Moon - Hard Wired in Ljubljana

Link in comments.

HYDROPHOBIA.

We all know that the Japanese People are inherently cooler than the rest of us, & while these fellas from the oldest city in Japan may not have invented anything new in the grind/gore/death/grind department(s), they cull all the riffs, grind, pummel, blast, & shred from bands we all know & love (like Carcass / Brutal Truth / Cannibal Corpse, etc).

That's a formula that you can't go wrong with.

(To be completely honest, I found out about these guys by connecting w/ the bass player of this band on Instagram. He "liked" some of my photos, so I checked his out & his stream was interspersed w/ grind-metal madness & fluffy little puppies, etc. I'm all like, "WTF?", etc. I look a little closer at his profile & it says, "I play bass guitar in Hydrophobia.")
BAM!!!

There is still hope for the internet sometimes.

Hydrophobia - Human Shredder

Link in comments.

GAMMACIDE.

PURE FUCKIN' THRASH RIGHT HERE, SON…

712m.p.h. riffs blowing past your earholes all the way from Shitlicker, Texas, these fellas tore it up pretty fucking good back in the day - they even threw in some blast beats!

Blast beats in Thrash? That's what I said…

To these ears, I'd file this away next to some other stellar acts / albums by the likes of Sacred Reich or Dark Angel, and - for some strange reason - I get the same kind of feeling when I listen to "Cause For Alarm" from Agnostic Front.

You results may vary, but there is NO denying the power of the riff(s) on this one.
Truly a classic Thrash Metal album that hasn't gotten the love it should.

Gammacide - Victims of Science

Link in comments.

ANGRY SAMOANS.

No need for a punk history lesson here, instead we'll just get to the (leftover) meat of the matter as I finally get around to posting up again after the Turkey Day Madness (as it was around these parts anyways).

For your aural satiation today, I offer up a collection of the first four albums from one of L.A.'s earliest punk, er, "hardcore" bands. They remind me at times of a So-Cal version of the Dead Boys, but on different drugs, etc.

A classic bit of punk history here, grab it here... .

Angry Samoans - The Unboxed Set

Link in comments, (sorta).

ASSÜCK.

Without a doubt, this record is 15 minutes of serenity - to these ears at least.

Assück melded the best of both worlds - grindcore & death metal - like no other.

There are no weak spots on this "album" - other than it only being 15 minutes long - but then again, this is all killer w/ no filler. Insane musicianship abounds here - shit, these guys would be killer in any genre w/ the chops they possess - but just because they are masters of their instruments doesn't mean they can't write sick riffs.

This record is a testimonial to the musical supremacy that these heavyweights from Florida possesssed. Essential!

Assück - Anticapital

Link in comments.

Yes, the blog is still active - not so frequent I KNOW, but unlike so many other blogs, I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE. November has been a crazy month here in SF (Giants World Series Win, Halloween, hangovers, work, real life, a Presidential election, more holidaze coming up, etc). Let's party!

SWARRRM.

Halloween is upon us again, and while this record ain't spooky by general standards, it is one that brings cold shivers to the spine, thoughts of anguish, (slight) feelings of peace, & then more chaos gets dumped upon you like a 1-ton bag of candy corn.

Swarrrm never lets you down, and they do the grind-thing like no one else.
One of Kobe's best exports, and I hope this mysterious band never quits.

I'd chop your left nut off to see these guys…

Swarrrm - Against Again.

Link in comments.

VERBAL ASSAULT.

Mid-Eighties East Coast Hardcore on the (somewhat) emotional tip, yet packed w/ power chords & sing-alongs, etc. I always looked at Verbal Assault as "Judge-light" - that's not a bad thing, by any means. They always brought the power & the personal lyrics & all, just on a more melodic tip, I suppose.
This record got much play in the form of a beat-up cassette played through an even more beat-up "ghetto blaster" during many a late-night "curb-crushing" session down at the "Friendship Shell" in my hometown of Bay City, MI back in 1988 or so.

It's still a great record, and a total mark of time for both me, personally, and for a sound that isn't so popular these days. You should have this in your collection.

Verbal Assault - Trial

Link in comments.

DECRY.

In my mind, a classic Los Angeles hardcore record - one that does not get the love that, say, the Adolescents got...

Underrated as fuck, the twin-guitar attack here is ahead of its time, the bass player "laying right in the pocket" (the way bass should be played), etc. Now add some suburban angst (peer pressure, drugs, violence, depression, cops,) and it all adds up to the perfect formula for some classic 1980's first-generation American Hardcore (the good shit).
None of this needs to be said though, honestly - let the music do the talking…

Decry - Falling

Link in comments.

DIE KREUZEN.

The pride of Milwaukee Hardcore, these guys need no introduction (at least around the L-RV)…

Here we have a promotional-only collection that spans their entire recorded output (although this one is lacking heavily in the early material department).
None the less, these guys were great all the way until the end - the flavor may have changed a bit over the years, but for myself (and many others), it's easy to say that they were a truly unique band that transcended the term "hardcore", yet were more hardcore than most when it came down to their approach to tone, melody, songwriting, etc. Dig.

Die Kreuzen - Internal

Link in comments.

WAYNE KRAMER.

As a kid growing up in a no-way-out / burned-out General Motors town in mid-Michigan, The Brother Wayne Kramer always "spoke" to me. His playing in the MC5 fanned the flames of many a revolt in the Seventies; be them political demonstrations, or of "the innner self".
Sadly, the MC5 went down in flames like only they could do it - they will always be legend.

They don't make protest bands anymore, kid.

Wayne has been there & done that more than twice, and has played with the likes of everyone from GG Allin to Red Rodney to Johnny Thunders to The Melvins & quite a few other bad-asses in between. These days, he spends most of his time giving hope to "correctional facility" prisoners via his Jail Guitar Doors foundation, as well as scoring the music for the "television-awesomeness" known as Eastbound & Down.

The man has risen from a dark past - to shine like a motherfucker - to say the least.

Ain't nothin' wrong with that - most of us can only hope to attain some semblance of inner peace, right?

Six strings and a grip of soul.
Fuck yes.

Wayne Kramer - The Hard Stuff + 4

Link in comments.

CAPITALIST CASUALTIES.

Santa Rosa, CA's own Kings of Powerviolence make their second appearance here on the L-RV, and damn if they aren't overdue…

What can be said about a band that was at the forefront of the genre and kept their benchmark high from the get-go. These guys live the filth they spew - unlike today's "jockviolence" set.
Every now & again they still rear their beautifully fucked-up heads, so never, ever, ever count them out.

No soap is gonna wash this off, you'll just have to live with it, kid...

Capitalist Casualties - A Collection of Out of Print Singles, Split EP's, & Compilation Tracks

Link in comments.

PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES.

I remember listening to this record for the first time - I was living in my Aunt Gloria's basement in downriver Detroit, circa 1986. I was 17, freshly out of high school in my small Tri-Cities Area town - (Bay City) - and trying to "live the dream" of moving to Detroit to be a "skatepunk". I was bagging groceries during the day & driving my shitty car all over to The Motor City at night looking for skate spots & girls & generally a good time, ya know?

(I didn't mention that my aunt was / is a born-again X-tian who put up w/ my heathen ass, but none the less, she was awesome as fuck & let me do my thing. She also made some serious carnitas & homemade chorizo, so why would I bother to complain)?

Anyways, to make a long story short, I first heard this while listening to a "Brave New Waves" radio broadcast on CJAM out of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. That's also where I heard a ton of stuff ranging from bands like Alien Sex Fiend running the gamut of "alternative" all the way to Black Flag & all points of chaos / art-damage in between.

I haven't listened to this album in a really long time, but every time I hear it, I still feel as though it is a "classic" U.K. punk album. The mix is a bit thin, but the riffs on this thing are epic. Excellent rhythm section & vocal harmonies abound as well. A band that definitely has their own sound. Not much of the rest of their catalog speaks to me, but it ain't bad - it's just that this album (for me anyways) is their pinnacle.

Peter & The Test Tube Babies - The Mating Sounds Of South American Frogs

Link in comments.

THE FIVE YEAR PLAN / POST.

(START OF RANT):

Plan?
What plan?
There never was a plan …

I certainly never thought I'd still be "writing a blog" about bands & records that I don't give a shit if anyone else besides myself fawns over.
My taste has only gotten more extreme (or worse if you ask some people), and my "photoshop skills" haven't broken any new ground - HA! - but I don't care - never have. What's the point?
In the end, I'm still having fun doing this. I have managed to crank out a post a week or so (almost / usually) so while I ain't so hella prolific in that department, I AM STILL FUCKIN' HERE .

I've outlasted quite a few - thought I'd pack it in a few times - but when I look around & see how many blogs I was buddies with over the years who have hung it up (for whatever reason), well then… that just gives me fuel to keep going!

The comments have waned over the years, but you really can't expect much from the internetz, honestly. This is my labor of love (not sure it's love, but it "is what it is"), and if you enjoy the ride that I provide, then let me know once in a while.

Thanks for listening, and hopefully you'll still be hanging in for whatever comes next.

(END OF RANT).

And now on to year six we go...

Squirrel Bait were "The Princes of Louisville, Kentucky" back in the halcyon days of the Mid-Eighties. A band of teenage bros who had chops for days, and wrote - for lack of better term - "post-hardcore" at a level way beyond their years (much like the chops they possessed.

While they only put out two short albums back in the day, those became the soundtrack to my skate-fueled "post-high school slacker life" that I had embarked on. Late nights & sweaty sessions grinding curbs all night on 10" x 30" decks w/ a boombox, a ratty cassette, some cold beers & a bag of dirt-weed. (That's all I needed anyways).
Here's a wonderfully fucking rare live recording of The 'Bait tearing it up in Minneapolis in 1986. Try to keep in mind that these guys were still in high school at the time. Makes you kind of feel like a chump, don't it? While I never cared for any of the other mega-bands that these fellas were involved with in the years to come, Squirrel Bait remains a VERY special band to me, and that won't change.
Guaranteed.

Squirrel Bait - 01.03.1986 Minneapolis, MN.

Link in comments.

STRONG INTENTION.

29 strong & still in your face, The Pride of Frederick, Maryland lays waste with its brick-to-the-face manner of unrelenting thrash/grind/violence.

Definitely a band that should have garnered more attention all along - the material on this mysterious CD-R "release" I downloaded many moons ago from the always awesome RAW GRIND CHAOS CORE blog always satisfies, and over the years they have honed their sound into something MUCH more than just well-crafted "tuff-guy" NYHC.

A swell cup of coffee in the A.M. if there ever was one...

Strong Intention - Disgrace to the Corpse of Hardcore: 1997 - 2001

Link in comments.

BOLT THROWER.

Simply put, this is a masterpiece album that mixes the best of fast & heavy.

A total juggernaut of brutality, 23 years later it's still hard to beat.
Downtuned beyond downtuned, but with a sense of purpose, the riffs on this thing are top-notch.

Doom-laden & heavy, this record sounds like you're stuck in a giant, cavernous sewer pipe w/ the almighty Bolt Thrower pummeling you w/ their chaotic rock mastery from the other end; the double bass (just a bit behind) teamed with the thunder-thump bass lines of one Jo Bench the whole time creating an uneasiness that feels just right...

Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos (Slaves to Darkness)

Link in comments.

FOUL STENCH.

Take a big blast from the well-used & uncleaned bong of this "stuck in the Nineties" death metal scum squad from the "gem-covered streets" of Dayton, Ohio!

Foul Stench are stuck in the Nineties BECAUSE THEY WERE AROUND IN THE NINETIES, SON!

You won't find much technical merit here for the most part - just big FAT riffage, deep groove, caustic thrashing, and a big smattering of "cough-to-get-off" guttural bellowing over the top.

Sprinkle some of this shit on your bowl- a band that doesn't take itself too seriously, yet GETS THE FUCK DOWN in all seriousiness, Foul Stench is worth checking out.

Foul Stench - Eternal Rot

Link in comments.

Back from Michigan - it was hot as fuck - (just like your mom)...

RUDIMENTARY PENI.

Not much needs to be said about the legacy of this band that still ain't finished...

Rudimentary Peni is one of those timeless punk bands that everyone seems to be a fan of, or refers to as an influence, yet no one even comes close to the way they sound.

That is a good thing.

What I offer to you today is also a good thing - the demos for the DEATH CHURCH album - such a classic - well fuck - ALL of their recorded output is classic, honestly, but um… can I use any more hyphens and parentheses and create more run-on sentences?

YES I CAN…

Not much bottom end in the mix, but all the fury & anguish is in this THIRTY YEAR-OLD RECORDING. I'll bet most of you were still a few years away from being mistakes in your dad's ball-sac when this came out...

Rudimentary Peni - Death Church (Demos)

Link in comments.

Enjoy this recording - heading off to Detroit for a week.

I'm hoping to get one more post up this week, so check back soon (all three of you who actually read this shit & comment, etc).

AGENTS OF OBLIVION.

I've been trying to figure out how describe the A.o.O. sound to you for days now, and I'm STILL having a hard time trying to nail it down. To me, this means that it is an epic band / epic recording transcending the rules of any set genre.

There it is.

One minute you get a lilting melody & the ethereal voice of Dax Fuckin' Riggs singing you a lullaby, the next he's howling like a banshee -like only Dax can do it.

This album runs the gamut of emotions, and in a way that - while this is a "heavy" record - they get their "heavy" from somewhere else besides the usual "beat-you-about-the-head-and-ears" with amplification & distortion, etc. Dynamics, songwriting & comeptent players that lay back in the pocket until it is time to strike, and then when they do, they do it tastefully, and with power to spare.

An excellent fucking record from a band that I sure as fuck wished could have lasted longer.

Don't be "scairt", son…

Agents of Oblivion - Agents of Oblivion

Link in comments.

HOLY TERROR.

Some serious mind-blowing twin-guitar thrash action going on here!

Really hard to pin-point / peg their sound; the vocals on this thing are fucking over the top.
If there is any band I could compare them to, early Savatage mixed w/ some early Metal Church might be a close call.
Add some early Kirk Hammett solos and a young Slayer in there too, whydontcha?

You're either aware of this band or not, and you love them or hate them - it's your call - but if you ask me, this is one of the most underrated thrash bands that most people think they have heard of, yet actually never have heard them at all.
Their attack is relentless - the pace never slows - and while they put out two killer albums, no one gives / gave a fuck. Don't be "that guy"...

Holy Terror - Mind Wars

Link in comments.

SAMHAIN.

Offered up today for your internet leeching consumption is a collection of (studio) outtakes from Samhain's "Magnum Opus" album, November Coming Fire.

The mix is loud, unbalanced, and awesome.

Honestly?
I'm always a fan of the rough mix / demo stuff more often than not, and this one is far more fun for me to listen to than the final product.

Fuzzy/overdriven chorus guitarage, plodding "soggy" drums, buried keyboard melodies, lots of howls & shit like that… no spray-on hair or cat litter shopping frenzies yet…

Samhain - November Coming Fire (Outtakes)

Link in comments.

LICKGOLDENSKY.

Chaotic hardcore fuckery.
A ton of melody floating in a cesspool of electronic catharsis.
Fat hooks, jarring rhythms, abrasive vocal caterwaul.
The heaviness of the load - the load being something like a giant piece of shit-flavored cake drizzled with a Robitussin-and-Adderall frosting / glaze-type of icky goodness.

Just put it in your ear / mouth already, willya?

LickGoldenSky - LickGoldenSky

Link in comments.

ENTOMBED.

Pretty much a perfect album all the way around…

It's funny / sad to me to think of how many new bands have totally copped this sound, and are making way more money than Entombed ever have - worst part of all is that most of the kids these days don't realize this. Hopefully, they will be smart & go back to check out the originators of the Swedish Death Metal Sound, ya know? (Sometimes the internet ruins everything).

This record is 22 fucking years old now, & it still shreds giant hairy rhino balls all fuckin' day.
Swedish Death Metal that set the standard - FUCK YEAH!!!

Entombed - Left Hand Path.

Link in comments.

BEEFEATER.

Been quite a while since I last listened to this…

Bought this when it came out - out of print now, really Dischord? - and damn if it ain't a psychedelic weirdo hippie record that is PUNK as FUCK.

The lineup of this band just looks so wrong that it is absolutely right. The perfect melding of a bunch of dudes who don't fit the rules of the "School of Punk" (as far appearances & musical styles go), and this is why their material is (still to this day) is so unique.

This is a band you'll either love or hate, but in my honest opinion, Fred Smith is one of the most unsung hardcore guitarists ever. Imagine him in a band w/ the other Fred Smith (MC5) - crushing.

Light up, lights down, rock out, etc.

Beefeater - Plays For Lovers / House Burning Down

Link in comments.

GG ALLIN.

Back before Jesus Christ Allin became "The Highest (heroin) Power" who threw shit on everyone, Kevin Michael Allin was worshipping at the altar of Stiv Bators & that ain't no bad thing!

This here - the first album from back in 1980 - is chock full of snotty pop-punk. I usually (always) hate that kind of shit, but GG was over the top lyrically from the beginning.

While you either loved him or hated him, there is absolutely NO ONE who even comes close to the "violent rock 'n roll madman furious-style" that GG lived. Sadly, he never fulfilled his plan of "taking myself out onstage -and a few others as well". Heroin, alcoholism, various addictions, incarceration, & metal-state deterioration turned him into a pathetic mess in the end. Honestly though - I miss the fuckin' dude - used to be every week for me back in the day that folks were talking about what GG did at his last show, etc.

R.I.P. Scumfuc!

GG Allin - Always Was, Is, and Always Shall Be

Link in comments.

WÜRM.

Four-String Motherfucker Chuck Dukowski's other baby…

Filthy, scummy, dirthead rock 'n roll that sure bummed out the "punks" back in 1985.
Schizophrenic & heavy, yet punk as fuck overall, these guys never got the credit they deserved.
Bands like St. Vitus, Angel Rot, & Debris, Inc. seemed to get the message these put down years loud and clear years before them.

Hang up your "man-purse" and get your hands dirty, Sally.

Würm - Feast

Link in comments.

For the three of you who still stop in here regularly:

Hawaii was fucking awesome as usual - I suggest everyone take a trip to The Islands some day. Nothing like good food, sunshine, good friends, mellow vibes, amazing sunsets, epic flora, etc.

DO NOT MISTAKE ALOHA FOR WEAKNESS!