Immolate - "Ruminate" CD Review (Impedance)

Australian power-trio Immolate expanded to a four piece for the release of their second full-length Ruminate. This new disc’s sound is lumbering noise-metal that is directly akin to the sound of AmRep bands (Hammerhead, Helmet, Unsane) from the 90’s.

To get into the details of the music, vocalist/bassist Nick Irwin has a vocal style similar to Bruce Loose (Flipper) and his angry, spoken-word vocals are mostly buried beneath a wall of guitars and walloping drums. Guitarists Justin Irwin and newcomer Dave Achille wrap repetitive, noisy dirges of guitar feedback around each song but occasionally break into some wild soloing. It is a raw and primitive disc that is helped along by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Eyehategod) who mixed the disc.



The band changes up tempos and song structures across the disc and deftly avoid sinking into a sludgy quagmire. For example, the opening track "Heathen" rumbles like a classic Melvins track and it is followed "Hot Hot Heat", which is an up-tempo alt-rock/grunge track with clean(er) vocals. Almost all of the disc's tracks race by around the three minute mark and the almost nine minute psychedelic dirge "Code" wraps up the disc.

Ruminate was recorded by Russell Pilling (who worked with Immolate on their debut full-length) at Damien Gerard’s studio in Sydney.

Links:
Immolate

Nails (Southern Lord) Kicks off US Tour // Show at Europa on Sept. 23rd

New Southern Lord signees Nails are kicking off a US tour this month which stops at Europa on Sept. 23rd. On the bill with Nails are Venomous Concept and Strong Intention. Tickets are $12 and the show is all ages.

NAILS’ music is beyond brutality; filthy, vicious and raw. Imagine a cross between the good Amrep bands of the nineties (Helmet, Hammerhead, Today is The Day, Unsane) and Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel riffage played at breakneck speeds. Their epic battle cry Unsilent Death was recorded during the cold winter of 2009 at Kurt Ballou’s (Converge, Trap Them, Disfear, Black Breath) Godcity Recording Studio. The CD version of Unsilent Death was originally released in very limited quantities by Six Feet Under records. The LP version was self released by the band on the band’s own Streetcleaner label and quickly sold through the 1000 piece pressing. Southern Lord is extremely honored to pick up the torch of this album and let it burn brightly through many more countless battles!

With plans already in place to record a new release for Southern Lord in early 2011, the NAILS crew will spend the rest of this year on the road. As previously announced, the band will take part in the Southern Lord-sponsored The Power Of The Riff Festival in Los Angeles on August 8th alongside Goatsnake, Black Breath, From Ashes Rise, Repulsion, the Animosity-era lineup of Corrosion of Conformity and countless more. In early September they embark on a cross-country rampage that will last over a month, including five dates opening for Venomous Concept.



NAILS September/October 2010 Tour:
9/05/2010 Nile Front Room - Mesa, AZ
9/06/2010 10756 Limas - El Paso, TX
9/07/2010 Ten Eleven - San Antonio, TX
9/08/2010 Red 7 - Austin, TX
9/09/2010 The Nightmare - Dallas, TX
9/10/2010 Downtown Music - Little Rock, AR
9/11/2010 The Roxy - West Hollywood, CA w/ Trash Talk, Magrudergrind
9/12/2010 Firehouse - Birmingham, AL
9/13/2010 585 Wells - Atlanta, GA
9/14/2010 Talent Farm - Pembroke Pines, FL
9/15/2010 Transitions - Tampa, FL
9/16/2010 Warehouse 8B - Jacksonville, FL
9/17/2010 Legitmate Business - Greensboro, NC
9/18/2010 Daniels Pub - Cincinnati, OH
9/19/2010 Dojo - Indianapolis, IN
9/20/2010 Double Door - Chicago, IL w/ Venomous Concept
9/21/2010 Blondie’s - Detroit, MI w/ Venomous Concept
9/22/2010 Sonar - Baltimore, MD w/ Venomous Concept
9/23/2010 Europa - Brooklyn, NY w/ Venomous Concept, Strong Intention
9/24/2010 Katacombes - Montreal, QC w/ Venomous Concept
9/25/2010 Sneaky Dees - Toronto, ON w/ Venomous Concept
9/26/2010 242 Main - Burlington, VT
9/27/2010 Bogies - Albany, NY
9/28/2010 *TBA - Philadelphia, PA
9/29/2010 Lilly’s Pad - New Haven, CT
9/30/2010 The Church - Cleveland, OH
10/01/2010 Mickey Finn’s - Toledo, OH
10/02/2010 1108 Main - Cedar Falls, IA
10/03/2010 The Beat - Minneapolis, MN
10/04/2010 Scion Lab - Kansas City, MO
10/05/2010 Blast O Mat - Denver, CO
10/08/2010 Che Café - San Diego, CA
10/09/2010 Sub Mission - San Francisco, CA
10/10/2010 The CYC - Fresno, CA
10/30/2010 Troubadour - Hollywood, CA

Links:
Nails

Cinema, Cinema - Stranded In Stereo Party, Fontana's, NYC 11-19-08

Download Cinema, Cinema - I Don't Wanna Be Yr Boyfriend (MP3)

Cinema, Cinema played Stranded In Stereo's party at Fontana's last Wednesday.

I have been hearing about Cinema, Cinema for some time but the band live set is really something to see. The band plays with a brutal ferocity and energy that reminds me of some of the bands that used to record for Amphetamine Reptile Records in the late 80's/early 90's. Fans of bands like Vaz, Hammerhead, Helmet and The Melvins would do well to give Cinema, Cinema a listen.

Cinema, Cinema is now down to a two-piece (which leads to easy comparisons to Vaz) and the video below captures the first two songs from the band's set.



Cinema, Cinema's new disc, Exile Baby, is due out November 25th on Digitone Records. The band is playing The Vanishing Point (240 Meserole Street, Brooklyn) on December 5th and Public Assembly on December 19th.

Links:
Cinema, Cinema's Website