Written by: Blackie Skulless

It’s been a long time since I’ve been so conflicted on how I feel about an album, but after like five listens, I think I’ve got it down, so strap yourselves in. Unto Others are a band I’ve loved since they first broke ground in 2019 under the name “Idle Hands”. Mana was like a one-in-a-million shot of combining traditional metal with goth rock, and it worked well. Strength hinted at a heavier direction for a few songs, being a little awkward at times but overall a great release. And then we get to the latest, Never, Neverland, making me think it’s going to expand on the heavier sound. It kinda does, but it also doesn’t. But also, it tries punk, upbeat vibes, and…. black metal?

It’s as weird as it sounds, and as much as I hate to break an album down by track, there’s absolutely no consistency to this outside of the fact that it runs with the melancholic vibes coated with the deep, sonorous vocals. Otherwise, this is a game of take what you like and leave the rest. Right in the opening, “Butterfly” lays a convincing ground of running towards the softer, gothic direction with the occasional heavier lick worked in nicely; I actually very much enjoy this one. Then “Momma Likes The Door Closed” shifts entirely and works like a metal oriented punk rocker that even includes blast beats. Seriously, it’s as if you’ve started listening to another album, before “Angel Of The Night” brings you right back to where you started, finding strength in a soft chorus.

Welcome to the second edition of DEMO(LITION) DERBY, a relatively new column dedicated solely to demos. Bolstering our underground cred since 2024!

Written by: The Administrator

Upon receiving permission to injudiciously trawl the depths of the Sleeping Village's promo pit for demo tapes, our hardworking Pit Herder caught and subsequently presented a writhing haul. A legendary catch. Turns out there's a lot of 'em, folks. It seems like demos are all we're eating these days, and so here is a brief writeup of one of my recent favorites.

tethered is a quartet out of London, and this very strong 5-track demo indicates that they are intent on hitting the ground running. Leaning into an overtly emotive DIY aesthetic, tethered state that they are attempting to "bridge the gap between some of the more introspective elements of mid 90's emo and the raw energy of hardcore." In this particular scribe's opinion, they have nailed the execution, and they inherent rough-around-the-edges demo quality only exemplifies their success.

This is some vehement and impassioned stuff, particularly in the case of vocalist Rose's intense delivery. Her singing reminds me of an overexposed polaroid, bringing both a sense of nostalgia and a timeless overblown emotive rawness. Take, for example, the strained and vicious "shred." The refrain of "no more patience no more peace" feels like spite incarnate, and the following verse is vengeful in a way that feels both sharply targeted and extremely real. Rose's delivery is hurried, leaving very little room for breath between words, which in turn leads to some heart-palpitating urgency. 

​This trend of energetic emotion is displayed through the demo, and the instrumentation often matches the forward thrust of the vocals. On this note, the drums are notably present across the short breadth, a leading factor in the overall forward momentum of the tracks. On opener "torches," for example, I initially found myself following the drums more than the guitar, which almost serves more texturally. That's not to discredit the riffage, however--I particularly enjoy the jarring guitar work on the spirited "motorhinder." 

All told, tethered have good reason to be proud of this demo. It is well-constructed, rough and raucous without feeling over the top, and feels exceptionally heartfelt. I'm looking forward to hearing more--should they release an official debut, I'll certainly be checking it out! 

tethered - demo was released digitally August 19th, 2023, and saw release on cassette via strictly no capital letters. Find it here!

tether can be found:
​Bandcamp
​Linktree

Written by: The Administrator

Those of you with frighteningly impeccable memory may remember another mini-review from a while back discussing Cartoon Head's first foray into self-described "doom ska." I really enjoyed "Wrong!" in all of its oddity, and have anxiously awaited another Cartoon Head release in a similar vein. What we got wasn't a duplicate of those gloriously strange sights and sounds, but the result is wholly intriguing and chaotic nonetheless. In the band's own words: "It's a cover of a Ghost song and we fucked it right up for you."

"Square Hammer" is a classic unto itself, and a straight cover simply wouldn't work. Enter Cartoon Head's off-kilter approach. There's a poppy yet carnivalesque sense of panic and glee that drapes over the whole (very brief) affair. That instantly recognizable riff has been given the fun house treatment, drenched in a glitzy sleaze. The verses are sped up to a borderline comical degree, the vocals are just a little maniacal, and the noise-afflicted chorus feels like it has been dragged through the sewer. The track also just ends midway with the kind of abruptness that makes you wonder if you accidentally hit pause. There is no leadout, no reflection. It's a genuinely funny choice, and one that fits Cartoon Head pattern of operating outside expectation.
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The whole track feels less like an homage to Ghost and more like a medieval satire, a jester clowning with a crude effigy of a king. And if all this sounds like a negative, please know that I absolutely adore the Cartoon Head approach to absurdity. This track is an exciting exercise in pulling the rug out from under the listener, and that is a rare trait indeed. Given the implicit good humor and self-awareness that Ghost have utilized over their run, this feels like a very appropriate way to cover their music. If you want a faithful rendition of "Square Hammer," this ain't it. If you like weird music, check it out below.

Cartoon Head - Square Hammer was released May 5th, 2023 via Hvng Man Records. Find it here!

Cartoon Head can be found:
Bandcamp
Twitter

Written by: The Administrator

About, oh, 18 hours ago, the mere concept of Doom Ska had simply never entered my mind. Presently, the possibilities presented by the mere existence of the genre conglomerate in question have me pretty damn excited. This change is due solely to a single song from Cartoon Head–a track that sits confidently under the two minute mark, and notably enlists the service of brass hype to accentuate the churning see-saw riffage and bombastic vocal delivery. "Worse!" is, for sake of brevity, a ridiculously fun track. This thing rips. It has me pumped up and ready to flail my arms and legs in some gross attempt at dance. I wanna learn the lyrics so I can shout along. Why is it so short. I crave more.

The guitar is nearly nauseating in a highly kinetic fashion–it pulls and pushes, instantly leaving the listener feeling a little ragdolled. The jubilant horns, while initially surprisingly, are significantly less overbearing than you might imagine, and ultimately fit very comfortably alongside the clanging guitar. They add a delightful emphasis to the track's carnivalesque mood and sense of bouncy momentum.

I mean, shit. I was really taken off guard by this track in the best of ways. In a world of music that often feels referential and derivative–which, I hasten to add, is seldom a bad quality–Cartoon Head has put forth something that feels remarkably fresh. Maybe that's coming from a place of unfamiliarity, but from my perspective, “Worse!” feels uniquely original. Give it a well-deserved listen here!

Cartoon Head - Worse! was released Nov. 25th via HVNG MVN RECORDS

Cartoon Head can be found:
Bandcamp

Written by: The Administrator

Do you enjoy jarring music? If so, yer in luck: Hymn, today's band/self-reported "aging idiots" in question, are the absolute living embodiment. This release is a clanging and boisterous romp, a chaotic and jolting free fall through a gallery of outwardly weird punk, acidic skramz, and a homegrown variety of post-hardcore that perches on the experimental edge.

Over a seven track stretch, Hymn demonstrate an eclectic menace and intensity, presented in a lo-fi rough-n-ready form that feels designed for the frantic mess of a cramped live environment. I’m reminded fondly of drunken and impromptu 3AM noise rock shows that plagued my college years. Very few things have managed to capture that particular brand of sonic, social, and emotion disorientation.

This year, in an attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we're trying something new and novel around these parts. Namely, we're gonna actually publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. In that spirit, here's a mini-review of an excellent cover track.

Written by: The Administrator 

Holy shit, I really dropped the ball on this one. The mighty Mothman and the Thunderbirds releases a certifiably sick cover track and I don't react for, like, nine months? Better late than never, I suppose, but this is pretty embarrassing.

In any case. While I'm not a huge CKY fan per se, no one amongst us can deny the sheer catchiness of their debut single. Indeed, "96 Quite Bitter Beings" contains, somewhat devilishly, one of the singlemost infectious riffs of all time. Stack it up against any of the common suspects, I don't give a damn. Listen to the OG intro once and it is stuck in your head for the better part of a decade, bopping around with wild and persistent abandon. Rather than letting a righteous earworm die, Alex Parkinson takes that very same riff and dives right in, unleashing it once more in all its jubilant glory.

This track has bounce and pep, and with production in the capable hands of Egor Lappo, the guitar is crisp as ever-living fuck. From a production standpoint, this sounds significantly more polished than the (excellent) Into the Hollow. Despite my affection for the band's sludgy origins, I love how fresh and clean this cover sounds on the first half, where it does not deviate particularly far from the original track. That said, the back end quickly floods over into increasingly metallic environs, with rolling drums and a general stompiness that utterly craters CKY's milder vibes across the bridge. 

Regardless of whether or not you hold "96 Quite Bitter Beings" in the the same nostalgic shrine dedicated to MTV/Pro Skater aesthetic of the very early aughts, this cover is worth your while. Mothman and the Thunderbirds has improved on the original solely by benefit of intriguing and climatic composition, and the stellar musicianship and production don't hurt either. As an homage and a reinvention, it is excellent. Check it out here!

Mothman and the Thunderbirds - 96 Quite Bitter Beings was released Sept. 28th, 2021

Mothman and the Thunderbirds can be found:
Bandcamp
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

Written by: The Administrator

Sonic qualities aside, Titanosaur is not a moniker that conjures notions of elegance. The name imparts a certain sense of inevitable weight and destructive force. This we know. The hefty behemoth leaves footprints the size of small craters, and crushes cars in its maw like unto a nutcracker chowing down on a walnut. The music, then, must match the aesthetics of the beast. Rest assured, this one-man hard rock/metal outfit out of Hudson, NY, does just that.

Drawing from the venerable likes of Monster Magnet, Red Fang, Motorhead, and Black Sabbath's more overtly rock oriented  work, Titanosaur delivers crunchy riffs and gruff hooks with a no-nonsense air and a hard-edged bite. Back in February of this year,I briefly reviewed Titanosaur's excellent Absence of Universe, stating that, besides demonstrating the band's best work to date, the album illustrated a unique "wry self awareness, notably pounding riffage, and thick application of late cretaceous groove."

Off the back of that release, we've got some new tunes incoming. I love a band on a roll, and Titanosaur is currently cruising. But enough rambling! We're pleased to present here today "Eater of Death" and its accompanying B-Side "The Time is Now." Hit play on the ol' embed below, sit back, and enjoy! As always, we'll be there to meet ye on the other side.

Written by: Blackie Skulless

Just before the world was taken by storm with a pandemic, Skumstrike blew my mind with their comprehensive brand of black/speed/punk. On 2020’s Execution Void EP of only fifteen minutes, they managed to sell me instantaneously. With a newer love for extreme music, I found the Canadian duo to touch close to the powerviolence side of things due to the unforgiving delivery. Now, they’ve solidified this into the form of full length with Deadly Intrusions.

The debut album is every bit as intense as what we were given before, with just a slight hint of clarity amongst the extremely coarse finish. The noisy gradient over the guitars and borderline fuzzed vocal delivery is still ever so present, coating the metal oriented passages with the blackest tint. But the leads themselves stand out higher than they ever have before, be it the solos or the riffs. This is helpful, especially because some of the songs move right into the next, further bridging the already overwhelming songs.

Greetings, dear adventurer! If you, like I, spend entirely too music time traipsing the hallowed halls of metal twitter, you are undoubtedly familiar with the work, wit, and glorious flowing locks of one Laurence Kerbov, the face of Legendarium.

​If you aren't familiar, prepare to get acquainted real damn quick.

Legendarium plays heavy metal for heartfelt fans of heavy metal. In other words, this two-man crew reliably delivers the expected sonic goods alongside a jubilantly old-school ethos. Their projects never shy away from the overtly nerdy fascinations of yore--sword and sorcery is a common theme, and the profoundly epic nature of his influences shine through across every album released thusfar. As I wrote in regards to 2020's Reign in Repose, "Legendarium plays good ol' heavy metal with a healthy tinge of jubilant punky bounce...a highly melodic affair, with an emphasis on fun riffage, triumphant solos, and narrative cohesion." The forthcoming Under the Spell of Destruction, out this Friday, mirrors yet improves upon this winning formula in every way, resulting in an album that demonstrates a consistent evolution in both technical proficiency and compelling songcraft.

We're honored and pleased to present here today the excellent title track. Give it a listen below, and, as always, we'll meet ye on the other side!