DEMOLITION HAMMER

"time bomb"
Year:  1994
Country:  US
City:  New York
Label:  Century Media
Format:  CD, LP
Tracks:  11
Time:  35 min.
Lyrical themes:  social issues, politics
Genre:  rock
Style:        Thrash Metal

We all know Demolition Hammer's crushing and full-speed ahead thrash metal motif on the "Epidemic Of Violence" and "Tortured Existence" albums. Without Vinny Haze behind the kit, one could only wonder how the next album was going to sound like. Good news for everyone else, Alex Marquez (Solstice, Malevolent Creation, Disincarnate) sat behind the kit. The result? A groove metal aka "metalcore"album, mostly mid-tempo, which truly shocked the people at the time who expected something heavier and faster than "Epidemic Of Violence". Even lyrics are not metal topis but rather hardcore topics (social issues, ecology, politics, etc.). You can hear the trademark Demolition Hammer vocals (fuckin' love Steve Reynolds' voice) and the groovy chops of Malevolent Creation, minus the speed, plus the atmosphere. At time this is their last album dated 1994 and despite the group disbanded in 1995, they returned in 2016 with the original line-up.

  Discogs  ,  Lastfm  ,  Download  ,  Wikipedia  ,  Web  ,  Facebook  ,  Myspace 

VOICE OF ADDICTION

"the lost art of empathy"
Year:  2018
Country:  US
City:  Chicago
Label:  none
Format:  CD, LP
Tracks:  12
Time:  36 min.
Genre:  rock
Style:        Punk        Ska

Voice Of Addiction are politically charged and socially conscious Chicago based punk-rockers. V.o.A. has been around over a decade doing 1.200 shows across US and Canada. Having five official releases and independently selling 6.500 physical copies these boys have proven they are a force to be reckoned with. V.O.A. realizes how important the live show is to their career & never fail to deliver a highly dynamic and energetic performance in which all are encouraged to participate. Both a new full-length physical album and a feature length documentary are due to be released in 2018.

  Discogs  ,  Lastfm  ,  Download  ,  Web  ,  Facebook  ,  Twitter

BLOODY PHOENIX

"war, hate and misery"
Year:  2007
Country:  US
City:  Los Angeles
Label:  Rescued From Life
Format:  CD, LP
Tracks:  26
Time:  29 min.
Lyrical themes:  social issues, politics
Genre:  rock
Style:        Grindcore

formed in 2001, featuring ex-members of LA's cult grinders Excruciating Terror. Blood Phoenix takes up where ExTx left off - blistering straight forward old school grindcore ala early Napalm Death. Their 2007 release "War, Hate & Misery" marks a return to old-school grindcore.

  Discogs  ,  Lastfm  ,  Download  ,  Facebook  ,  Myspace  ,  V K 

DYSCARNATE

"and so it came to pass"
Year:  2012
Country:  UK
City:  Horsham
Label:  Century Media
Format:  CD
Tracks:  10
Time:  44 min.
Genre:  rock
Style:        Death Metal

Modern death metal is in an identity crisis, with bands not being able to decide whether they want to venture out into the new wave of "old school" death metal or follow the masses and be technical messes or the thousands of other genre leanings. Dyscarnate, however, are pretty fucking clear about what they want to do: play kickass riffs. Top to bottom this album is just riff after riff. Borrowing heavily from the ideas of early Obituary, Jungle Rot, and modern Behemoth Dyscarnate is perfectly content with being a band that is purely about linear death metal.

Little needs to be said about the guitar sounds from a technical perspective other than I think the distortion pedal I know guitarist/vocalist Tom Whitty throws in his loop (you can see as much in 'In the Studio' videos online) gives the guitar sound a more compressed sound, which when combined with the fuzzy bass sound allows for a sort of fizzing pop on top of the mix. It's really unfortunate because if this had a sound more like Dying Fetus's newest Reign Supreme the album as a whole would benefit. The riffs are, of course, fucking incredible. Ranging from the high octane chugging of "In the Face of Armageddon" to the pounding grooves of, well, any song on the album this record has balls. Whitty's no nonsense style definitely adds to the overall brutality, but leaves the album one dimensional for the first few tunes.

Unfortunately, this album is incredibly one dimensional. By the time "Grinding Down the Gears" is roaring through the headphones, you just want anything else. Then another hardcore breakdown fucking barges in and just tramples all over you. It becomes riff chaos after that as everything just swirls in and out of your ears, causing the rest of the album to go sort of un-listenable. Some might find this overwhelming powerhouse of riffing enjoyable, but at this point all these breakdowns and double bass patterns are becoming too similar. Not entirely devoid of being memorable, thanks to the killer fucking chorus sections like in "The Promethean", but so similar that it becomes pretty grating. This is super unfortunate because the final track, "Kingdom of the Blind", is so chock full of adrenaline and ferocious riffs that you just kind of forget about listening to it. (*Review by Aker ).

  Discogs  ,  Lastfm  ,  Download  , Web  ,  Facebook  ,  Myspace 

DISASTER STRIKES

"in the age of corporate personhood"
Year:  2017
Country:  US
City:  Boston
Label:  Alternative Tentacles
Format:  CD, LP
Tracks:  12
Time:  33 min.
Genre:  rock
Style:        Hardcore        Punk

Formed in 1999, Disaster Strikes have crafted their own unique brand of punk and hardcore inspired by Econochrist, Dead Kennedys, and Crass. However, like all Alternative Tentacles artists, their politically informed, impassioned music is not easily pigeonholed. Disaster Strikes is one of the wave of east coast bands recently joining AT's roster, and is easily one of the funnest and most politically active. Singer J.R. works as a union organizer, a job which lends his lyrics a truth based in his real life activism for the working class. The band combines a wide variety of influences, not just punk, to produce the hard-hitting and diverse music that is Disaster Strikes.

  Discogs  ,  Lastfm  ,  Download  ,  Web  ,  Facebook  ,  Tumbrl  ,  Twitter  

DEAD ENDING

"shoot the messenger"
Year:  2017
Country:  US
City:  Chicago
Label:  Alternative Tentacles
Format:  CD, LP
Tracks:  14
Time:  28 min.
Genre:  rock
Style:        Punk        Hardcore

Dead Ending, the new hardcore punk band from Vic Bondi (Articles of Faith), Jeff Dead (The Bomb), Derek Grant (Alkaline Trio), and Joe Principe (Rise Against), has set a release date for their debut EP. The self–titled record will be released May 15, 2012 via Alternative Tentacles Records. Veteran musicians making veteran old school hardcore in the vein of bands of early 80s decade. Highly recommended for those lovers of classic sound and don't miss this band.

  Discogs  ,  Lastfm  ,  Download  ,  Web  ,  Facebook  ,  Twitter