The Endless Blockade / The Bastard Noise - The Red List CD Review (20 Buck Spin)

DOWNLOAD: The Bastard Noise - "Mutant World of Shame / Underworld" (hosted on 20 Buck Spin)

The Red List came out last month on 20 Buck Spin and this is a split release from grindcore heavyweights The Bastard Noise and The Endless Blockade. According to 20 Buck Spin's website, this "album was first hatched in idea form on the occasion of a show between both bands in 2007".

The Bastard Noise start off the disc with five tracks (~30 minutes) of sludgy, bass-heavy doom which is overlaid by squalling guitars and electronics. Vocals range between a "Cookie Monster" death metal growl and a higher pitched demonic shriek. Unlike some of the past releases from The Bastard Noise, there are some boundaries and structure to the music which makes this the closest that I've heard the band come to actual songs. While this is still music the most people outside of the genre wouldn't understand, The Red List moves The Bastard Noise back toward their hardcore roots (which started with Man is the Bastard) and the sound on this disc is comparable to bands like Starring Janet Leigh (Metal Blade/Ironclad).

The Endless Blockade contributed three tracks (two of which are ~ 15 minutes each) which range from power violence to white noise. The leadoff track, "Deuteronomy", is a solid slice of aggressive hardcore that starts off with some blast beats and hoarse, street punk vocals. Over the course of this 15 minute song, there are slower almost proggy moments and an interlude of squalling electronica (both of which the band returns from with a hardcore blast). Unfortunately, once the band got my attention with "Deuteronomy", they lost it with remixes of "Advance Directive" and "Model 49 Rebreather" (both from 2008's Primitive sessions). "Advance Directive" isn't a bad song but Noah Creshevsky's cut and paste techniques left this song as a jarring series of starts and stops that seemed out of place with the overall flow of this disc. I don't know what to say about "Model 49 Rebreather" other than it is 15 minutes of pure white noise. The "song" was supposed to have been remixed by The Rita but I'm not sure how one would remix static.



Links:
The Endless Blockade
The Bastard Noise

White Mice Kick Off Maxximum Ganjahovahdrive Tour 2010/ Show at Shea Stadium on April 16th

"We're talking the scabby riffs of Buzzov*en, the rhythmic eccentricities of Lightning Bolt and the psychedelic clutter of a shotgun full of mescaline." - Decibel

White Mice's Maxximum Ganjahovahdrive Tour 2010 kicks off tonight in Providence, Rhode Island. From there the blood encrusted, furry savages will infest and pillage the country for the next month and a half, bringing their vomitous, psychotically-entrancing apocalyptic hymns about Cheesus and such to the masses, including a massive headfuckfest in the southwest, as they invade SXSW for a plethora of shows.

When asked to describe their sound in a recent Hellbound.ca interview, White Mice drummer Phallusturd Scrowleak spouts "Diehearearrock is what wee call it. Grate music to Commit Sin to, others might attempt name us butt there is only one true name, of which can only be produced by the screaming flatulence of 666 demons breaking winds of 666 different tones and can only be heard by the whoreshippers of Cheesus Miced the lard and slaviour."

The band kicked off a cross-country tour today that includes a stop at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn for a show on April 16th with Liturgy and Suffering Bastard.

Here are the complete tour dates:
3/10/2010 AS220 - Providence, RI w/ Fuzz Orchestra, Stress Ape
3/14/2010 Now That's Class - Cleveland, OH w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy, Stress Ape
3/15/2010 The Mopery - Chicago, IL w/ Liturgy, Tinsel Teeth, Cacaw
3/16/2010 Camp Concentration - St. Louis, MO w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy
3/17/2010 The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy, Black Cobra
3/18/2010 Mouse of Tinnitus - Denton, TX w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy, Nite Shadez
3/19/2010 1111 - Austin, TX Saucedo - 4PMouseparty
3/19/2010 Headhunter's - Austin, TX | SXSW 20 Buck Spin/Profound Lore showcase w/ Liturgy, Endless Blockade, Coffinworm, Salome, Yakuza
3/19/2010 "2 AM @ Lamar Bridge" - Austin, TX
3/20/2010 Okay Mountain - Austin, TX
3/20/2010 Club 1880 - Austin, TX | Load Rec's Showcase w/ Tinsel Teeth, Drunkdriver, Todd, Pigeon Religion and more
3/21/2010 Brofest 2010 - Doublewide Bar - Dallas, TX w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy +many more
3/22/2010 Ambitious Loser Fest - OZ Cafe - Wichita, KS
3/23/2010 Rhinoceropolis - Denver, CO
3/25/2010 V.A.C. - Boise, ID w/ Uzula, Micro Babies, For Fuck’s Sake
3/26/2010 The Josephine - Seattle, WA
3/28/2010 The Know - Portland, OR w/ Lesbian
3/29/2010 The Tube - Portland, OR w/ The Ramjac, Lesbian
3/30/2010 The Hub - Sacramento, CA w/ Mom, Nuclear Death Wish
3/31/2010 21 Grand - Oakland, CA w/ Lesbian, Nuclear Death Wish
4/01/2010 Hemlock Tavern - San Francisco, CA w/ Lesbian, Nuclear Death Wish, CCR Headcleaner
4/02/2010 Women of Crenshaw - Los Angeles, CA
4/03/2010 Mountain Bar - Los Angeles, CA w/ Lesbian
4/04/2010 The Tribe - Phoenix, AZ w/ Pigeon Religion, Melted Cassettes
4/05/2010 tba - Tucson, Az
4/06/2010 Mohawk - Austin, TX
4/07/2010 Super Happy Funland - Houston, TX w/ Useless Children, Golden Axe
4/08/2010 Schiller Street - Little Rock, AR
4/09/2010 Little Hamilton Collective - Nashville, TN w/ MLU, Suffering Bastard, No Compassion, Laser Slut
4/10/2010 CFBG’s - Greensboro, NC w/ Mutant League, Three Brained Robot, Suffering Bastard
4/11/2010 The Juggling Gypsy - Wilmington, NC w/ Suffering Bastard, Food World, Caucasians, Khnum
4/12/2010 The Nightlight - Chapel Hill, NC w/ Suffering Bastard, Cheezface, Ex-Monkeys, Nuss
4/13/2010 The Triple - Richmond, VA w/ Suffering Bastard
4/14/2010 *TBA - Philadelphia w/ Suffering Bastard
4/15/2010 Sidebar - Baltimore, MD w/ Suffering Bastard, Fourth Horseman
4/16/2010 Shea Stadium - Brooklyn, NY w/ Liturgy, Suffering Bastard
4/19/2010 Charlie's Kitchen - Boston, MA w/ MLU, Rotten Apples, Crazy Dreams
4/20/2010 17 Mules - Providence, RI w/ Useless Children, MLU, Holy Sheet and more

Links:
White Mice

Coffins - Burried Death CD Review

I've never really taken a firm position on music downloading until tonight. I was searching for some background info on Coffins to add to this review and a good number of torrent sites came up in the top slots on Google. C'mon kids...the CD isn't officially released for another month and it is already all over the internet???? It is highly unlikely that Coffins makes much money and this sort of bulls*t will limit both the band's releases and their ability to tour in the future.

Anyway...on with the review. Coffins sound has devolved and slowed waaaay down over the years. On the band's third release, Buried Death, the music is akin to a death metal version of The Melvins crossed with Kyuss. There are low-end bass and drums throughout the disc over which guitarist/vocalist Uchino growls in a cookie monster voice and locks in some stoner guitar riffs and psychedelic leads. While the band's style remains consistent across the disc, there is enough musical diversity between the tracks that the band doesn't wear out their welcome.

In addition to the music, the packaging is pretty cool on this release as Coffins appears to be one of the few bands that remembers the thrill of buying a gatefold LP for the cover art, inserts, etc. Buried Dead has some pretty killer cover art by Chris Moyen depicting zombies in the graveyard and the CD comes in an LP-like inner-sleeve. The band obviously took a lot of care in putting this release together.

Buried Death will be released on June 24th on 20 Buck Spin which is distributed through Southern Lord. Decibel magazine cited Buried Dead as one of the 25 most anticipated LPs of 2008. The title track, "Buried Death", is included on Southern Lord sampler that will given out free on Boris' North American tour.

Coffins is playing the Maryland Death Fest this weekend and made their US debut last week, which included shows at ABC No Rio and Rockstar Bar. There are some pictures of Coffin's show at ABC No Rio posted to Flickr.

Links:
Coffins' MySpace Profile
Coffins' Website