The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand

So, I have been on a massive Swans kick - and this is just...perfect for that kind of mood.

I stole this from the fine folks at Debutante Debris - this has to be the "heaviest" post-metal or whateveryouwanttocallit record I've ever heard. The production on this is just...exciting. Clean vocals, even, and just...wow. I am floored.

This record is long as fuck and works loud or as background music. This one goes down as an instant favorite.

Enough gushing:
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Milhouse - Obscenity in the Milk

I guess I can upload stuff that I'm not in the mood listening to.

Milhouse. Artie Philie and Rachel from Indecision. Fast slightly weird old school New York hardcore.

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Achilles - The Dark Horse

It's funny how "Botch" and "Deadguy" kind of became a formula a long while after they broke up.

Anyway, here's one of the bands that did it best. It's a more punk/hardcore/upstate NY version of that particular brand of stuff, not dissimilar to Engineer or The Minor Times.

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Grade - And Such Is Progress

I thought to myself, "Maybe not everyone knows who Grade is and never has the opportunity to hear them." And being the philanthropist that I am, I want to give the world that opportunity.

90s hardcore from Canada, surprisingly featuring none of the members of Left for Dead. I don't love all of their later stuff and Kyle Bishop's post-Grade project, The Black Maria, was laughable. However, one or two of these dudes are in the band To The Lions, which while being a little generic, runs in the same vein.

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Examination of The... - The Whitest of Elephants

South Dakota. Home of my boss and Examination of The...

I heard these guys around the same time I was really getting into Isis and this has been the "other slow record" I've repeatedly turned to. Kind of Neurosis meets Kiss It Goodbye meets Harkonen. Perfect.

I know that it's ex-members of some screamo bands and that they have some other shit I gave up trying to find.

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The Black Heart Procession - 2

I never would have guessed that I would post one of my favorite albums because a German crust band did a cover of a song on it.

The Black Heart Procession - my favorite lo-fi indie rock band. My favorite record by them. So fucking good.

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OLD - Lo Flux Tube

James Plotkin, seminal guitarist of lots of cool shit, doing two-man grind before anyone else had thought of it.

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The Blinding Light - Ascension Attempt

"Metalcore" became a dirty word for me eventually, representing something weak and insipid - however, in the midst of metalcore's decline (or maybe well into its decline) this record came out. Brian Lovro from the all-mighty Threadbare, fronting something that sounded like Threadbare mingled with Carcass.

I was/am in love.

This album is fucking long and heavy, with some weird ass lyrics but some of the most inventive compositions I can think of short of Converge or Suicide Note.

These guys have a new record coming out sooner than later, which is exciting although some of the other projects they've had in the interrim were entirely forgettable.

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JJ Paradise Player's Club - Regenesis

I've been trying to up this for a few days, but Media fire was not amused with it for some reason.

JJ Paradise Player's Club - members of Unsane and Kiss it Goodbye actually playing something that sounds like you would expect ex-members of the aforementioned bands band to sound like!

Groove-oriented, slightly noisy hardcore. I never got really involved in these guys, but every time I remember this record and "Wine Cooler Blowout" I really enjoy listening to it. I'd definitely say I prefer to almost all of Unsane's discography.

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Horror Show - Our Design

Philadelphia makes some amazing punk rock. Being the home of Ink & Dagger I think is testament enough.

Horror Show are pretty typical hardcore in the vein of American Nightmare BUT I mean this kind of hardcore is way out of vogue now and there are only a few good records that survive the era. This one's spectacular.

Their singer, Nicky Money, caused the band to break up by stabbing someone at a show and then went to prison for a few years and couldn't tour because of parole issues. That's pretty hard.

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Tristeza - Spine and Sensory

This is one of my all-time favorite records. I guess you'd call it post-rock or something like that, but to me it's just good music.

Features members of The Locust and The Album Leaf.

It's strange this album came out almost ten years ago but I am still yet to hear anything current (or in between) which really compares very favorably to it. All of their other various records with and without James LaValle just don't have the same magical properties (or at least none of them that I have, I am missing a couple pieces of their discography).

Must have for all indie snobs. This is not the remastered reissue...which seems kind of pointless because there was nothing wrong with the production, but if it sells more units of something I guess they'll do anything.

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Systral - Black Smoker

Systral were, for me at least, the prototypical German "metalcore" band from the 90s. Kind of a heavier, more straightforward version of what we were doing on this continent - I always liken them to Acme but with a stronger death metal influence.

Anyway, this whole LP is pretty heavy. There are some cool rocked-out Entombed parts, which are enjoyable, and tons of death metal squeals.

I have no idea what the hell any of the lyrics are or if they're in German or American but I can tell the dude is definitely pissed.

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Anodyne - The Outer Dark

1. I have seen this CD used so many times, it's kind of a running joke.

2. Mike Hill is awesome.

Anodyne are either from Seattle or New York...I think. Anyway, it's pretty technical "hardcore" in the vein of something like Cave In if they all loved My Bloody Valentine and Black Flag instead of Failure and Slayer.

This one's a little bit more rare than their LP on Level Plane, so without further ado:

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Agoraphobic Nosebleed - A Clockwork Sodom

Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Scott Hull doing the craziest grind you can with a drum machine.

These are some slower/longer tracks that feel more like Asphyx than Benumb.

Get into it.

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PS. I am getting a big kick out of posting this while listening to The Decemberists.

Fucked Up - Year of the Pig

This is in celebration of Fucked Up's new LP. I'm sure you can find it for free in many other places on the internet, so I won't waste our time.

If you don't know who Fucked Up is - they're pretty much the biggest punk band in the world. I assume they'll replace The Clash or something.

"Year of the Pig" is definitely my favorite Fucked Up track. I remember being floored the first time I put the needle to the record. It has everything - I won't belabour you with a pointlessly bloated description, but I can't imagine a better eighteen-minute-long opus about prostitution.

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PS The B-Side "Black Hats" is about computer hackers or something. Cool. I like computers and punk music, so it's totally win-win.

Converge - You Fail Me

This is just a request.

Converge's fourth (?) LP - You Fail Me. Personally, I think this record is really under rated and I definitely appreciate it more than [most] of Jane Doe.

I'm sure if you ever wanted this you already have it. But whatever.

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Annihilation Time - Bad Reputation & Cosmic Unonsciousness

Here are Annihilation Time's two EPs. Ironically, they're the first and last things I liked from the bands. Their second and third LPs are especially not my cup of tea, but these two EPs are both really good SST worship. I guess, for me at least, the obvious comparison is Black Flag - and that's in no way a bad thing.

They're both available as bonus tracks on the 'II' CD - but I wouldn't want to force someone to buy that trash to get these two gems.

I especially love the Thin Lizzy cover. I have a big hardon for hardcore bands doing classic rock covers (I'll upload Premonition of War's "Mississipi Queen" cover, promise).

Do or do not. There is no try.

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Dead Low Tide - S/T

Dead Low Tide is Spencer Moody and some of the other dudes from The Murder City Devils playing some cool, bluesey indie rock. I won't make a qualitative comparison between the two bands; this record stands all on its own apart from being from that whole Washington crew.

For me this kind of runs in a similar vein to These Arms Are Snakes. While they don't seem to be aping The Jesus Lizard, I feel like there are a lot of similarities. Maybe this is more punk-oriented or has more simple chord progressions...or maybe it's just me. Listening further it could be the phenomenal bass production which is something that has always struck me about both bands.

Anyway. This is good. Laid back-ish. Kind of like the commute home on Friday. You're still a little high strung, but the catharsis is right around the corner.

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ps. Since the upload is taking a while...I can't believe this record came out 5 years ago. I remember picking it up used and in bad condition shortly after it came out. It seems like it's been a lot longer, but half-a-decade is still a while. What's weird about it, looking back, is that this DIDN'T foreshadow TAAS, they would have even been contemporaries but this record just sounds so much older.

Gaza - East

Gaza is pretty abrasive. Well, more than "pretty," I guess. They're almost obnoxiously abrasive, but that's commendable. Coming from SLC, it's cool that they're so gratuitously harsh...in a non-camo shorts sort of way.

The best description I've been able to come up with for them, in general, is if Integrity had evolved in the late 90s and were heavily influenced by Hydra Head [last time I make reference to that whole era, promise]. Noisey, dark, heavy, kind of sadistic.

While their full length "I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die," is really good, I like the shitty production on this better. Plus, the first song is "Kasam Rocket," which if you say outloud sounds extra hilarious, even though I realize its social implications in terms of the middle east are anything but laughable.

It's a short EP; I think it's out print. They're recording something soon, too, so if you snag this now you can tell everyone, "I liked their first EP better."

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Fear Before the March of Flames - The Always Open Mouth

Tons of people I know love Fall Out Boy or Blink 182 or something equally as insipid. For me this record is like that. I'm mildly sheepish to admit how much I like it.

Everything else FBTMOF (now known simply as Fear Before) has released I am pretty ambivalent toward, but this whole recording resonated with me. From the phenomenal packaging, to the lyric booklet being hidden behind the CD tray...I just dug it.

You get some snotty, abrasive math-oriented punk with neat-o electronics and the occasional Hydra Head style breakdown. I understand the social context the band exists in and for once, I think the band themselves do, too.

However, their new record has tons of clean singing which immediately means it's bad. So, even if it is only one record they ever put out that I liked, at least it's really long.

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Celebrity Murders - Time to Kill Space

Well...like I said before I love Artie Philie (I guess this should be some foreshadowing for the Milhouse stuff eventually).

This is probably the fastest, meanest, smartest punk record to come out in a very long while - and I'm stumped to think of anything so obscenely clever but not ironic that I've ever heard.

You get a pretty generic NY punk frame, throw in a little bit of off-kilter timing, but topped off with the snarliest, most guttural vocals spewing pure vitriol:

You say you'll clean up but you won't - like a pariah who can never own a home. All the walls are closing in. With a box under the bed, saving up for the debt hanging over your head - you're everybody's problem.

These dudes don't play anymore and obviously never toured nationally. I wish there were more bands of this caliber.

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Foals - Antidotes

On the lighter side of things, I give you Foals Antidotes. All I know about them is that they're from oXXXford, England [potentially sXe!?].

They play post-rock - but wait, don't leave yet. They're also "sponsored" or "played on" MTV2. WAIT! Look at the cover - it's hand drawn but has some weird, arbitrarily colored parts! If you can get past the pretense and the numerous afflictions of the presentation and context of the record...

It's actually good. I swear. It's kind of like Minus the Bear meets Explosions in the Sky. Mathy, spacey stuff that holds your attention with some legitimate hooks. While I can't vouch for the lyrics [since I downloaded it as well] I am guessing they're about girls and partying. That's got to count for something.

What is it with Europe and amazing math rock? I don't get it but I am jealous none of these guys will be playing on the same continent or, at the very least, the same coast as me any time soon.

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From Ashes Rise - Discography

I will say that I love From Ashes Rise, as well, although I don't have the tattoo. They aren't my favorite Memphis via Portland band, but they're still amazing.

This is the discography of all of their early stuff (the rest of which is attainable from Jade Tree and Havoc). The first half is everything you'd want and expect, but the second half - their second LP - kind of sucks. I read a lengthy interview they posted a few years ago and it admitted such.

Still classic. Still out of print (I heard you can get the Brazilian copy still?).

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Indecision - To Live and Die in New York City

I will preface this by saying I have an Indecision tattoo - the same one as everyone else.

This is my favorite release. Artie Philly really does it for me, and these songs are some of the most memorable and intense from any New York hardcore band from the time period.

For those of you not already deep in the know - this is Most Precious Blood before that's who they were. Heavy, catchy hardcore from the mid-90s.

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