SPECIAL NOTE: I just noticed that there are some typos here and there. Future reviews will not have any of that. I got in a hurry so fuck you.
Loopool. ‘Navigator's Spicetrance.’ 3inch. Ad Nauseam Records.
some definitive deep trancelike stuff to be had here. immediately i was transported to the deepest regions of space and left to contemplate nothing. loopool's delivery is one that is ever shifting, albeit very slowly, yet maintains even tones and thematic texture. very dead and empty sounding but still rich in haunting ambient power and a very dense mournful mood. while far from a reinvention of the wheel, loopool has demonstrated great skill and care with his art. this 3inch is a quality listen and should warrant further investigation into loopool's work.
Resin Cum. 'act V: Arbeitsschew.' CDR. Gay Noise.
this 6 track disc goes in several different directions and each of them is fantastic. resin cum manages to straddle genre barriers and cross pollinate to give your ears a real goddamned treat. this can only be described as bleak lo-fi ambient soundscapes with songs creeping in and out of crispy layers. hot crumbly breathing gives way to in the red piano and guitar treatments. while things shift rather rapidly from track to track and within, resin cum seems to be able to move about freely into different areas without coming off as a forced production. to my eyes and ears this is what DIY is all about: a thorough ear scrubbing jaunt through the backside of the night packaged ever so nicely in a handmade package. this is a shoe in for top release of this here issue of witch kunt. seek this out and get inspired. act fast though as there are only 50 physical copies otherwise go support resin cum's facebook and bandcamp pages. seriously excellent stuff that is well worth your while to check out.
Junko and Kylie Minoise. 'Nature.' CD. Dirter.
I think you motherfuckers know what you are in for here. a single 39 minute holocaust for your auditory system. what you get is a three pronged attack of brittle static, degenerative feedback, and bowel curdling screams. there is no subtlety, no relief, and no hope to be had here. you will feel the pain and you are going to like it. this one is definitely one for the serious devotees of damaged speakers and domestic violence. cruel and barbaric hatred for the harsh heads. cheers fuckers.
Zalhietzli. Self titled. CDR. Zugzwang productions.
This CDR is a compilation which includes 2 releases and is a great overview of what Zalhietzli brings to the noise table. The five tracks on this disc are in the 5 to 12 minute range and run an interesting gamut of styles. On the one hand, with the opening track “Juvenile” you the listener are thrown head first into a frosty bleak soundscape that exhibits no changes or variations. The dramatic emptiness continues into the second track but with the additional introduction of some primitive electronic beats. This particular addition is a non intrusive one and rather compliments the ambience quite nicely. The disc continues onward in this particular manner and closes as it begins with a deadened morose drone on the track “Chemtrails Over the Rainforest”. So again, Zalhietzli brings together the heavy droney ambience with some proto electronic rhythms and loops to create a very interesting listen. The one knock against this disc is the sampled vocals which take away from the power of the sounds on display. A great release nonetheless that retains a powerful simplicity that could warrant repeat listens on your hi-fi set up.
Arvo Zylo / Dental Work. 'Velcro Bismol.' CD. no label listed.
Here you have a killer disc full of stuff to crush your delicate eardrums for certain. According to the inside credits, this release consists of source material provided by dental work which was then reassembled and very handily mutilated by arvo zylo. Some brutality, mixed with some quiet loops, violent stop start harshness, and some low key moments where you can catch your wits. What I found was that the quiet bits were often so long that I sort of tuned out but then would get jarred back to attention when the heat got turned up. When this disc gets harsh it goes straight for the balls with a nice loud swift kick. Again, when I say this fucker gets loud, it gets very loud, which is exactly how I like noise releases to be. The loops which I would attribute to dental work’s source material are often quite rhythmic and hypnotic and get buried when arvo zylo turns on the power. In some spots I really felt like I did not want to hear the source material but that is just a personal preference of mine. For me this disc succeeds when it is crushingly loud and violent as it feeds my need for harsh noise. This disc falls short in some of the quieter bits as they sometimes seem too long. However, this should not deter you from at least giving this release a spin and judge for yourself. A very solid outing this one.
Richard Ramirez / Crucifix Eye. Split. C32. Forever Escaping Boredom Records.
Well gang I think you know the goddamned drill here. Anytime a Richard Ramirez release shows up at my house I always know I’m gonna get buttfucked out of my panties with some of that evil Texas brutality. This cassette is no exception as it is crammed full of trashy hatred on both sides. Crucifix Eye dedicates their 16 minute side to dishing out a simple yet heavy duty wall that never wavers and never relents. No Earth shattering noise revelations to be had, just a brain scorching wall of hatred. Richard Ramirez dishes up some nasty grit and grind with plenty of screaming feedback, skin peeling static, and plenty of stop/starts to keep you guessing where you’re going to get stabbed next. Throw your ears in a deep fryer and think it over. A solid split to be certain.
Zone Tripper / False Flag. Split. C18. Forever Escaping Boredom Records.
Holy shit, this split cassette is a ghastly reminder of what noise can be when people quit with the trends and get down to the business of making some noise. Both sides are densely layered with pure audio terrorism and harassing PE styled vocals. I am calling this one right down the middle as both sides absolutely slay. I cannot recommend this one enough. Get the fuck with it and seek this one out at all costs and come on in for the big win. Stellar work.
Su Sous Toulousse en Rouge / Roro Perrot. Split. Forever Escaping Boredom Records.
This split here is a true mixed bag and in my opinion is actually only a one sided cassette. First off, Su Sous Toulousse en Rouge deliver a nicely formulated howling spectral blast with intermittent pulses and scratchiness. Its variations are slight and hardly noticeable yet just engaging enough to hold your attention. For me it is these sorts of pieces which I enjoy the most as it takes great restraint to not go all over the place and the restraint is what makes this one work. A real loud and dead wail of lost souls coming for you. However, as is often the case with split releases, where one project makes the most of their respective side, the flip side can sometimes be incredibly difficult to make it through. Here we get Roro Perrot, bumbling and fumbling his way through a broken mess of damaged folk noise. Out of tune acoustic guitar, tons of reverb, garbled singing and tons of weird out of place stops and starts. This is just simply terrible stuff. If Roro Perrot is in fact HNW master Vomir, then he really needs to stick with his main project and not fuck around with this goddawful bullshit. Maybe I’m not hip enough or I just fail to get the joke but I find this sort of stuff tiresome and without merit whatsoever. This split gets the nod only for Su Sous Toulousse en Rouge who pull all the weight with their capable and powerful work.
Emil Beaulieau and Raven. ‘s/t’. tape. Forever Escaping Boredom Records.
It has been a long time since I have heard anything from Emil Beaulieau and it is nice to see he has not lost any of his penchant for the loud and harsh. On this collaboration project, Emil Beaulieau and Raven get down to doing some serious HNW action. There’s no real reason to describe to you what you should already know. This tape is total fucking burial. Crank it up and go to hell motherfucker.
Zalhietzli. ‘Chiral Tape.’ Cassette. Zugzwang Productions.
Don’t let the slightly unimpressive yet mercifully short beat excursion deter you in any way. Once this tape gets cooking it gets crispy as fuck and stays there. Helicopter flying through dirt. Face melting off slowly. Skin turning to syrup. Totally dead frequency action. The B side is a continuation of the dour scrubbing your brain gets on side A. By the conclusion; everything is lurching forward and backward in frustrated stops and starts; until the entire thing dies a quick and restless death at the end. Again, the beginning moments of this tape are off putting and this piece would have been served better had this portion simply been excised from the final product. A short listen but one that could provide you with some good listens while trying to figure out what to do with the corpse on your living room floor.
Emotion of Loss / Zmajevdah. ‘split.’ Cassette. Zugzwang Productions.
Intriguing excursion into multiple genres all wrapped in sickening buzz and haze. Croatian artist Zmajevdah combines black metal elements with some droney shoegazer haunts to create a fantastic listen that cradles you gently and then drops you head first on the linoleum. There is plenty of desperation, urgency, and anguish to urge you on to slam dope and seek oblivion. With Emotion of Loss, you get dispatched to the other side and treated to a bleak and blackened dronescape that evolves with the speed of molasses into a doomy meditation. The beat is methodical and plodding, the bass is totally bowel rattling, and the vocals are hateful. This split is a killer reminder that heavy music does not have to follow the trends, but rather, it can serve as a way forward to future musical agonies. Essential listening for you as you pop pills and write suicide / love notes.
Pusdrainer. ‘Sperm Bank Horror.’ C32. Jungle Crunk.
This fucking tape is making the palms of my hands sweat in a not so good way. Porno sounds interlaced with a percolating rattle painting one of the ugliest pictures my ears have ever heard. My mouth is dry, my palms are soaked, and my ears keep picking up on a not so pleasant fuck scene. By the end of the A side I have the urge to piss and I am unsure about flipping this tape over. This may or may not be a good thing I must add. But of course I flip it over and get treated to more sweaty perversion. Heavy breathing ushers in a severely broken siren like call that buries the jack off / rape / fuck session in a hearty damaged grime. Someone is getting fucked up the ass and it sounds incredibly unpleasant. What you get here is one of the gnarliest releases that I have ever heard, absolutely fucking creepy and traumatizing.
En Perro. ‘Cementerio de Ideas.’ 3inch. Buh Records.
Here we have some old school primitive noise from Peru that will most assuredly incinerate your hearing. Totally loud and delightfully obnoxious in approach and texture. While there are no new revelations, the old school approach will appeal to old timers such as myself. Again, this release is loud as fuck and delivers at a level appropriate for the style it dwells in. Rusty nails fired out of an assault rifle aimed at your head all while the gulag around you burns. You collection won’t suffer without this 3inch but the fact that it’s from Peru should be enough for you to dive in and get a taste of what sort of damage comes from our southern brethren.
Overdose the Katatonic. ‘Self Titled.’ CDR. Ka Records.
Seattle noise maniac Overdose the Katatonic delivered a set at this year’s Eugene Noise Fest that knocked my dick in the dirt. Not only did he dish out noise like a deranged tank but his recordings also beat your ass too. Harshness all over the goddamned place accompanied by sporadic vocal venom is how he likes to get the job done. This disc is a deliciously damaged mess that will have you reaching for the psych meds in no time. The destruction goes on and on all while incinerating your eardrums in the finest traditions of old. True hardcore hate from one of the Northwest’s finest noise heads.
Holy Filament. ‘Year One.’ CDR. Den of Dead Trees Recordings.
When it comes to noise, I always get this weird notion in my head that Seattle seems like a million miles away. Holy Filament confirms this notion of mine with a long form ode to loneliness and desperation. ‘Year One’ runs a familiar gamut not entirely unlike fellow Seattle noisers Blue Sabbath Black Cheer as the listener is treated to a radio that has no stations. Holy Filament issues forth a long drawn out nightmarish search through the frequencies in order to find a friendly voice. Deep fried highs and painfully dead lows abound on this one. Out of the six tracks; all of which are superb in execution; this disc really starts scaling some big time heights on the third track ‘Cave Dweller.’ After that, the dark ambience strikes a killer counterpoint to the damaging frequency strangulations. This one is a super long dose of listening fun for nights alone when depression needs to feel like a security blanket.
Cedric’s Lettuce / Eat Your Pets. ‘split.’ CDR. Medical Malfunctions Records
Alex of Cedric’s Lettuce sent me a sick package of some true down and dirty d.i.y. noise action a few months back and now I consider it a sacred duty to get down and dig in. What should first be noted about Medical Malfunctions Records is that the product is as low budget as it gets. I’m talking covers photocopied at the local minit mart, sharpie labeling on the disc, along with raw as fuck noise piss takes. This disc kicks off with Cedric’s Lettuce who subscribes to the theory of ‘throw it all against the wall and see what sticks.’ His seven tracks stand solidly in the harsh schizo territory with lots of pedal damaging attack and pummel. However, there is also a minimal amount of dabbling with traditional instruments; albeit in an impure way. Track five ‘The Minimalist Track’ is a bass solo of sorts that comes straight from the bowels of Cliff Burton’s rotting fucking corpse, which changes up the game plan all while staying crumbly and heinous. His final track entitled ‘The Same Old Shit’ is by far strongest track as it exhibits the most focus and care in construction. Eat Your Pets is a one man project that blisters your sorry ass with some caustic noisy blast beats, searing feedback, and hateful vocals. Not much to say here other than get ready for an aural beatdown as both projects make you poop your goddamned pants. Eat Your Pets gets the nod here for having the most potent singular focus; no fucking around; no oddball out of place bits; just blasting insanity from one track to the next. However, do not discount Cedric’s Lettuce as his sound experiments will make for good time joint tokin’ pleasure while getting a handjob from some fucking pig. This here is quality junk straight from the dark side motherfucker.
Deep Fried Embryo / Cedric’s Lettuce. ‘Split.’ CDR. Medical Malfunctions Records.
Alright let’s get down to business here. Deep Fried Embryo serves up fifteen violent outbursts of grind disgrace. There is no finesse, no class, no deep thinking here as this three piece grind combo shits out clods and chunks of pure blasting action. With such heartwarming tracks as ‘Maggot Infested Asshole’ and ‘Eating Out the Prostitute After a Hard Days Work’ you get the immediate sense that Deep Fried Embryo is definitely not looking to make any friends. Cedric’s Lettuce gets down to some crispy business with that sweet one man harsh noise defecation. His grating attacks are crushing as all get out and none of his ten tracks overstays its welcome as he keeps his assaults efficient and deadly. This is the definition of true underground music; brutal / reckless / with fucking around kept to a strict minimum. Take some knifers, break out the jo jos and pizza sticks, and get your face kicked in asshole.
Cumshovel / Scatacratia. ‘Split.’ CDR. Medical Malfunctions Records.
Another lo budget split from the MMR team. Cumshovel buries you in a heaving and throbbing load of harsh noise gravy that exhibits a disturbing lack of variation in the entire nine minute duration of the track. Scatacratia pumps out five messy wads of harsh wall cums and shits. There is no need to explain this split to you; it is a mess of noisy shit. Those who dig that sort of thing will give this at least one spin in your car stereo to scare the sluts down on the strip. Fuck off and get shit on.
Anal Cake / Cedric’s Lettuce. ‘Mecomium Stain. CDR. Medical Malfunctions Records.
Let’s just get down to business here. First off, it’s a safe bet to assume that Medical Malfunctions Records is the home of ugly music; the haven of brain frying stupidity; the den of sonic iniquity. This CDR like all the other ones in the MMR canon are rife with scorching retardation that will fuck you up and may even deduct I.Q. points. First, fresh off the turd with a justifiably unintelligible logo, Anal Cake pukes forth ten tracks of electronic jackhammer grind. Jarring, brutal, and bordering on stupid; if it weren’t for the brutality I’d be laughing my ass off. Savage cyber grind with the requisite toilet flushing vokillz all framed within short blasts of hatred. If you are a fan of stuff like Libido Airbag or Cock and Ball Torture then you will be in for a fine time here. Cedric’s Lettuce gets it on with some harsh noise fun that never stays still for very long. Some harsh blasts of deadly heat along with some skit scat pedal abuse. Much like the glory days of the early 2000s when dudes just got down to business and stopped getting all hung up on trends, manifestos, and all that non-essential bullshit that noise never needed in the first fucking place. No deep thinking here, nothing to ponder, just something to crank up good and loud while you stare at a Hustler.
Flabby Rabies Flap. ‘Session one + three. CDR. Medical Malfunctions Records.
Stupid band name….let me just get that out of the way right now. However, the 57 tracks that they kick down on this disc more than make up for their silly name. Absolute mind dissolving PE / grind hatred that never slows down. Short blasts of static laden grind with some seriously pissed off vocals; irritated to the fucking core. No pussyfooting around here gang; just an unheralded classic awaiting your brittle eardrums.
Noise Nazi / Cedric’s Lettuce. ‘The Rohm Party. CDR. Medical Malfunctions Records.
Another fine piece of audio sewage courtesy of Medical Malfunctions Records sure to ruin your hi-fi set up. First off, Wisconsin’s Noise Nazi gets down to some pretty guttural harsh noise that is rife with a real sense of dread. The six N.N. tracks are carefully constructed in order to present the top shelf crispy evil that you require; from searing highs to crumbly lows; it’s all in there. Noise Nazi really gets cooking on tracks 4-6 which really gets into some gloomy territory; and are by far the best tracks of his respective portion of the split. Then there’s Cedric’s Lettuce who proceeds to fire off 26 blasts of smelly sonic diarrhea. If you are looking for care, caution, or skill forget it because Cedric’s Lettuce doesn’t roll like that. C.L. likes to dance on his pedals and make a real nasty mess of things; that much is certain. If you are an artsy fartsy piece of shit looking for some sort of revelation you can go fuck yourself. No art whatsoever.
Various Artists. ‘Strength Through Joy To The Noisy Party For Christmas. CDR. Medical Malfunctions Records.
Okay…..first off, let’s just start with the lineup on this here 32 track comp / car wreck; which should more than easily give you a hint as to what lies within: FxPxNxWxFxOxSx, Anal Sadness, Dededesprintere, Deep Fried Embryo, LEMP, Parapalegic Punchbag, Sarin Diarrohea, Fuck Your Life, Video Nasty, VRV, Zeron Unit, Krokodil, Eat Pussy, RedSK, Menso Noise, Barulho Ensurdecedor, Vomiting Shit, Arseterror, Leptospirosis, Cio-Cio Sangre, and Bucket of Piss. Personally speaking I think that pretty much sums up this review and I haven’t even listened yet. But being the daring risk taker that I am I will spin this fucker and tell you what’s what….so here goes. This comp runs the gamut of extreme sounds with hatred coming in from all precincts, and since this is a Christmas themed compilation good ol’ Santa Claus gets a searing hot branding iron of noisy violence straight up his shit chimney. If you like harsh noise, grind, PE, and other way out sounds then this would be a great way to sample the wares so to speak. A filthy smorgasbord of hot noise and cheese crackers that you can eat, chew, vomit and shit back out. This is a goddamned race for your life here. Medical Malfunctions Records serves up the essential and non-essential all at the same time if you can believe that. Go for it pussy.
Various Artists. ‘Four Way Split.’ CDR. Medical Malfunctions Records.
Noise Nazi, Fascist Razorback, Septic Incubation, and Vomiting Shit team up to kick your stereo in the balls. Noise Nazi starts things off here will some quality harsh PE action that is tightly layered and constructed. Fascist Razorback throws down 3 tracks of some non-descript noise that goes nowhere and fails in doing so. Septic Incubation which is an alter ego of noise monger Cedric’s Lettuce really takes shit to the next level with 14 machine gun blasts of retardo gore grind with such delightful track titles as ‘Infant Jerky’ and ‘Mongloid Weightlifter.’ This 4 way fuck session concludes with Iowa grinder Vomiting Shit who pummels and pulverizes his merry way through 12 tracks of ghastly blasts and sizzling noise. Who survives this one? For me, Vomiting Shit and Septic Incubation get the edge since it seems I’m in the mood to grind tonight. If you want a taste of some underground hatred then this could be a winner for you if you aren’t an uptight music snob.
Cedric’s Lettuce. ‘In the Name of Failure. CDR. Shit Noise Records.
What you get here is more of that good timin’ free wheelin’ schizo pedal abuse from Cedric’s Lettuce; that runs the standard gauntlet of mind scorching noise and guttural electronic scrape. 19 tracks of Neanderthal driven racket that will make your next knife hit session a real gas. Nothing completely mind blowing but still of the old school if that sort of thing jacks you off. The kind of noise that Merzbow would make if he liked to fuck meth’d out bitches in a station wagon parked in the far corner of the parking lot at the shopping mall.
Cedric’s Lettuce / To-Bo. ‘Split.’ CDR. Shit Noise Records.
I must say that out of all the C.L. material I have reviewed, none of them have reached the bowel rattling heights that this split has achieved. His 27 tracks on this split are simply over the top with serious speaker frying electronic blast beats and furious throat ripping screams. The whole thing is tied together with a cruddy mess of busted frequencies which gives his material the singular focus that his other releases seem to lack. To-Bo unloads a severely damaged 10 minute buzzing mess of pointless noise; and I say that in the nicest way possible. To-Bo manages to straddle the line between harsh and wall noise as the layers shift and change over time; rarely staying in one place for too long. This is a solid outing from both artists and would definitely make for a perfect soundtrack for shoplifting cheap booze while high on even cheaper speed.
Cedric’s Lettuce. ‘Tumor With Teeth.’ CDR. Shit Noise Records.
I’ll keep this short and sweet. Based on the other reviews of Cedric’s Lettuce that I have written here, you should be well aware of what is taking place. C.L. delivers competent harsh, scathing, sometimes erratic, power electronics that will torture your speakers for a nice long while. No high art to be had here, just some good old fashioned circuit driven asshole stomping.
Don Haugen. ‘Angels With Black Wings.’ CD. Obfuscated Records.
Eugene Oregon’s king of noise has always possessed the ability to continuously change without coming off as indecisive about the sounds he makes. This release consisting of 4 tracks recorded live is proof of Haugen’s skill in crafting some of the northwest’s most expansive and stunning work. The first track ‘Steel Eagles of the Black Dawn’ starts off the disc with a strange jaunty intro which degenerates into a barely audible buzz. However, by the ten minute mark the listener is submerged in a deep drone which swirls, whirlpools, and eddies around; going from molasses to gravel at the drop of a hat. By the track’s conclusion you have been taken to 4 or 5 different gloomy zones. The second track ‘Gripper’ is a tone heavy, patience trying, piece that makes its pilled out way into a grumpy drone before returning to its syrupy origins. By the time track three stumbles out of the speakers it becomes clear that while Haugen loves to weave in and out of the tone / drone dynamic, he has introduced broken radio sounds into the mix. The matter of fact weather man makes for a non-distracting compliment to the proceedings before once again surrendering to a doomy buzz. Haugen’s transistor frying magic moves in its own way under his careful guidance; making for an amazing 32 minute sonic experience. The final piece ‘Test Pilot’ slowly wakes up, staggers around and then settles into a drawn out drizzling groan; only getting interrupted by heaping helpings of dirt being thrown in your face. While this CD is quite good, it pales in comparison to catching Don performing live. Whether as Don Haugen or Warning Broken Machine, his skill and care are always on display which makes for a beautiful live ritual. Seek this disc out to get just a small taste of one of the Northwest’s greatest.
Various Artists. ‘Small Doses.’ CD. Mortville, No Fucking Labels, Saors, Death Agony and Screams, and Discos Al Pacino.
Holy fucking shit. This here is a momentous labor of love which apparently marks the end of Mortville Records is a monstrous way to close up shop. Assembled here are 100 bands covering the entire spectrum of noise / grind / H.C./ and other grimy sub-genres. To accurately describe the experience of listening through this compilation cannot be done with any degree of justice. Total audio violence that will take you old school motherfuckers back to the glory days of Slap-A-Ham records and other 90s extreme music labels. You know the deal, tons of short blasts in rapid succession which will have you struggling to keep up with the track listing. With 100 acts on this bitch you are guaranteed a sweet mix of familiar names along with a whole gang of new surprises to shove in your ears. A few of the more notable names on this thing include: Facialmess, Violent Headache, Sete Star Sept, Godstomper, 7 Minutes of Nausea, and Vomir. Like I mentioned before, the sheer variety featured on this comp will please anyone who likes their music crude, brutal, messy, and underground. The liner notes are top shelf and serve as a great companion piece to the disc itself; the icing on the goddamned cake if you will. There’s much to love about this one gangstas so seek it out and make it a part of your collection immediately.
Thanks for the support of the Arvo Zylo/Dental Work collab! I see many great artists in your reviews!
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