Roadside Burial / Exhibit A – Such Is Life/Home Dentistry Split

 This is quite an impressive split. Both bands play cruel grind and all in all manage to fit 56 songs in just under 47 minutes. This has an Australian feel to it with some brutal sound bites and sense of humor.

It’s a shame there are no lyrics in the liner notes of this. Great artwork as well. 

Plague Rages/Disturbance Project – The Screaming Nightmare Continues Split

Spain’s Disturbance Project and South America’s Plague Rages come together to pit their abrasive grind against each other. The artwork on this release is horrible but I enjoyed this split.

Various Artists – Sydney HxC (81/250)

Comp featuring hardcore bands from Sydney (duh!).

The majority of these songs are boring but there is some good stuff amongst that. Hand numbered out off 250 in a digipak.

1. No Love Lost – Sacred
2. Fistmouth - All Is Right With the World
3. Persist – Voices
4. Lockdown – Make The Most
5. Relentless – Inner Darkness
6. Endless Heights – The Minds Eye
7. Blood On The Wattle – By Any Means
8. One Strength – Chance By Chance
9. Bridges – Bad Dreams
10. No Such Luck – I’ll Never Understand
11. Changing Days – Closed Blinds
12. Stepping Stone – She Deserves Your Respect
13. Snake Face – Who Brings The End
14. Phantoms – Eye Of The Storm

Various Artists – I Hate My Life, Songs To Kill Your Boss To

Some great, and some not so great, bands on here. Short, fast and really pissed off songs. Shame the artwork really sucks though.

1. What Happens Next? – Positive Youth It’s Not Just For Kids
2. In Defence – Don’t Call Me A Moshist
3. Un Quarto Morto – Non Provare Cordogilo
4. Clean Break – Rich Parent Syndrome
5. A Bit Of Brain Dead – No Good Advice
6. Eye Gouge – His Name Was Jason
7. Fed Up – House Arrest
8. Prion Bitch – What Have I Done
9. No Such Luck – Questions
10. Conquest For Death - Front Row Tickets To Armageddon
11. S.M.D. – The Devil Made Me Do It
12. The Mindless Show – Eat Them All Mr Vulture
13. Blocked Out – The Sea
14. Party By The Slice – Punk Junk
15. Get Rad – It’s Not A Fire
16. Slogan Free Youth – Vinyl
17. Malparido – Tony Hawk/Autogestion
18. All To Hell – Toxic Attitude
19. The Strugglers – Good Intentions
20. Pride Of Place – Good Intentions
21. One Strength – Your Boring Me
22. Craterface – Isaac Newton

Conquest for Death – Beyond Armaggedon

This is a collection of past releases by the band pressed for their 2008 tour of Australia and South East Asia.

Trashy hardcore punk carrying a political message and DIY attitude.

Code of Lies – The Age of Disgrace

Grind/death 3 piece from Orange, NSW. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

Noisear - Pyroclastic Annhiallation

Great technical grind from New Mexico. Features covers of songs by Hail of Rage and Discordance Axis. 

The Arson Project – Blood and Locusts

Holy shit! Unrelenting Swedish grind. This is really good. The songs are high intensity, short and fast.

The only thing I didn’t like about this release is the artwork. I just found it alittle boring. 

Check this out!

Breaking Point – Judgement

I think that the aggression has been taken up a notch on this release.

Breaking Point – Breaking Point EP

More of the same from this UK hardcore band. Mosh and be straight edge to this.

Breaking Point – The Journey Demo

Hardcore from the UK.

FFO: Cruel Hand, The Mongoloids

Frenzal Rhomb – Meet The Family

This was my introduction to Frenzal Rhomb. This album is abit hit and miss though but it still has some great songs.

Bastions – Island Living

Hardcore from the UK. This didn’t blow me away but it is still pretty good. 

Various Artists – Slaughter Fest III

Comp featuring bands who played Slaughter Fest III. I’m only a casual listener of grind/metal but I'm starting to get more into the genre(s). I picked up some CDs recently from Grindhead Records which I'm enjoying and will post about later.

Check out these bands:

1. Ignite The Ibex – Exit The Emaculate
2. Nothin’ Suss – Semen-Powered Steam Engine
3. Nothin’ Suss – Slut
4. Granny Fist – I Eat Turds
5. Granny Fist – Rusty Trumpet
6. Granny Fist – Feeding You Dogshit
7. Buzzard – The Beast
8. Tumors – Doom Shake Shake The Room
9. Summonus – Down On The Reepperbahn
10. Boonhorse – Flight Of The Boonadactyl
11. Cuntscrape – The Veiny Shaft Of Justice
12. Cuntscrape – Fucked In The Arse, Shot In The Face
13. Mother Mars – You Are Me
14. Ebolie – Radioactive Ulcer Babies
15. Ebolie – Worked Holes
16. Looking Glass – Freya
17. The Kill – Needs More Napalm
18. The Kill – Blank Jare Psycho
19. Pod People – Two Eyes Bleeding
20. Captain Cleanoff -  32, 34
21. Captain Cleanoff – Hardcore Fashion Parade

Chris Wollard and Addison Burns – 7” (white 73/75)

Picked this up when I saw Chris Wollard and Addison Burns play with Tim Barry on their recent Australian tour.

This 7” was pressed specifically for this tour. Some great lonely cowboy songs on here and a Paul Kelly cover (‘Big Fine Girl’). You may be able to pick one of these up from the No Idea Records webstore.

This also comes in a screen pressed sleeve.

Assassins 88 – Kaneda EP

Uber raw, uber noisey and uber awesome. Assassins 88, I think, are a bass and drums two piece out of Canberra.

You can download this for free from Dream Damage, which I highly recommend that you do.

FFO: TV Colours

Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves – Anybody Else 7” (Lavender /500)

2 great tracks from Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves. B-side is ‘Left To Lose’. Picked this up when I saw him play with Tim Barry on their recent Australian Tour. Good stuff.  

Various Artists – Other Tongues: We Swam Back Home

The music was mind numbingly boring but I like the pictures/artwork.

1. Scott Spark – Fail Like You Mean It
2. Myles Mayo – Leave The Party (Party Pt. 2)
3. Dereb The Ambassador – Etu Dela
4. Jinja Safari – Forest Eyes
5. 78 Saab – All At Sea
6. Amaya Laucirica – Climb Up High
7. Yeo – The Weight I Pulled
8. Seja – Silver In My Eye
9. Cosmonaut – Say What You Want
10. Tuka – Tall Poppy
11. Daily Meds – Everybody Get Pumped
12. Class A – So Bad
13. Karuna – It’s A Beautiful Day
14. You Am I – Shuck
15. Scott Matthew – Community
16. Tobias Cummings – Exegesis
17. Tenielle – Better Than Leaving
18. Chris Pickering – Fisherman’s Daughter
19. Lisa Miller – Superfly
20. Richard In Your Head – Bad Temper
21. Nick Murphy – Tonight

Various Artists – Celebrated Summer

Featuring bands that played Celebrated Summer, a show that took place at Dirty Shirlows on the 20^th of November. A good mix of genres here.

1. Spider Goat Canyon – Walking Round Rocks
2. Teratova - …
3. Mere Women – Indians
4. Epics – More Than You Can Chew?
5. Halal, How Are You? – Daytona
6. Origami Girls – OGRAP
7. Hinterlandt – Lose Lose Situation
8. Fag Panic – Dinosaurs
9. AXXONN – Deficit
10. Hacks – Crashing a Bike
11. Yes, I’m Leaving – Oriental
12. The Native Cats – Eyes Of The Gang
13. Mekare-Kare -  
14. Spartak – Tweezers
15. Caught Ship – Sex With Strangers
16. East Brunswick All Girls Choir – Thanks For The Fucking Job
17. Hũskerlandt – Celebrated Summer

Various Artists – Pop Frenzy Records Summer Sampler 2011

Mostly boring, except for the songs by Best Coast, Abe Vigoda, Wire and Superchunk.

1. Casio Kids – Finn Bikkjen
2. Neon Indian – Sleep Paralysist
3. Kyü – Trains
4. Summer Camp – Ghost Train
5. Jonny – Circling The Sun
6. Gruff Rhys – At The Heart Of Love
7. Twin Sister – Phenomenons
8. Surf City – Retro
9. Best Coast – Crazy For You
10. Beach Fossils – Youth
11. Abe Vigoda – November
12. Wire – A Flat Tent
13. Superchunk – My Gap Feels Weird

Fresh Coats – A Train Wreck Named Desire

I really, really enjoyed this! I’ve had this playing all the way home from work and all of tonight. The only problem I have is that this is too short. I need more!!! Download this from If You Make It. DOWNLOAD IT!!!

FFO: Samiam, Iron Chic, Red City Radio  

Basement – Songs About The Weather

Basement are a UK band playing early Saves The Day/Title Fight style of melodic hardcore/pop punk. This is pretty good.

FFO: Small Brown Bike, Title Fight, Daylight  

Frenzal Rhomb – Coughing Up A Storm

Such a great debut album! Had this on repeat all weekend.

Frenzal Rhomb – Dick Sandwich

7 song EP by classic Australian punk band Frenzal Rhomb. The secret track on this scared the shit out of me. I had no clue that there was a secret track and after I thought the EP had finished I started to read (Short, Fast and Loud Zine check it out) and eventually the secret track kicked in. The secret track is the last song ‘Who Can You Trust?’ played backwards.

Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand

Angular post-pop. I remember when this came out it was pretty hyped. I have no clue what they are up to now, I haven’t kept up to date with the band but this record is enjoyable.

FFO: The Strokes, The Hives

Various Artists – Germs of Perfection: A Tribute To Bad Religion

There are some surprising covers on this comp. Some good some bad. Download it here.

Here is who covers what:

1. Switchfoot, “Sorrow”
2. Guttermouth, “Pity”
3. Cheap Girls, “Kerosene”
4. The Weakerthans, “Sanity”
5. William Elliott Whitmore, “Don’t Pray on Me”
6. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, “Against the Grain”
7. Riverboat Gamblers, “Heaven Is Falling”
8. New Politics, “Generator”
9. Cobra Skulls ft. Fat Mike, “Give You Nothing”
10. Frank Turner, “My Poor Friend Me”
11. Polar Bear Club, “Better Off Dead”
12. Tegan and Sara, “Suffer”

Various Artists – Get My Ass Back In The Van

I feel that people don’t appreciate comps enough. They expose people to new bands and make shitty car rides to work a lot better.  Death To False Hope Records have a bunch of comps up for free download which are all pretty good. So download them, get exposed to some great bands, share with friends and enjoy.

Here’s the track list for this comp:

1. Mixtapes - Sleepless in St. Paul (Rivethead Cover)
2. The Capitalist Kids - No Flowers
3. Red City Radio - They Don't Make Gravel Roads like they Used To
4. The Fakeboys - Suckfest
5. Captain, We're Sinking - Foster Brothers
6. Kadets - Letting Loose
7. Brutal Youth - 2 Hits!
8. Frank and Earnest - Addictionary
9. The Gamits - No One Cares,So Why Should I?
10. The Brokedowns - Celebrity Death Panel
11. Downbound City - With That Being Said
12. Why I Hate
13. Nightlights - Ghost Town
14. Red Tape Parade - Anything Else is Progress (Featuring Joey Cape)
15. Museum Mouth - Cathedral
16. Strong City - Business as Usual
17. Rain Over Battle - The Rose (Bette Midler Cover)
18. Chilling Winston - Marker's Make
19. Jared Grabb - Wheels Are Spinning Still (Ex Members of Scout's Honor)
20. Ascetic Parade - Don't ask Me
21. Black Sails, Western Shores - Hard Times
22. Black Birds - W.W.P.D.
23. Crankupmadonna - Come on Home (Ex Members of God's Reflex)
24. The Working Dead - Clopen
25. Sundowner - In The Flicker
26. The Campaing 1984 - Gold Rush
27. Random Orbits - Everything's Coming Up Milhouse
28. Young Tom Fury - I'm Still Here Asshole
29. Ka Plaa - Qa'pla
30. 10-4 Eleanor - Patricks Scarf is so Douche
31. Maple Stave - Cole Trickle
32. Big City Bombers - My Life
33. The Sandwiches - The Warmth of Summer
34. Mixtapes - Sleepless in St. Paul (Acoustic) (Rivethead Cover)

Four Year Strong – Enemy Of The World LP (orange)

Even catchier than ‘Rise or Die Trying’. Again, there is a big cheese factor, I mean just look at that cover!!! But there is still an overwhelming sense of fun around this record.

FFO: Set Your Goals, Veara  

Four Year Strong – Explains It All

With every cover/tribute album there are some highs and lows. This cover album/90’s tribute album has some great covers, for example Nine Days’ ‘Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)’. There are also some songs that are absolutely butchered. Travie McCoy, of Gym Class Heroes, helps out to destroy Sugar Ray’s ‘Fly’ in a cringe worthy cover.

Four Year Strong – Rise or Die Trying LP (yellow and purple)

Fun and catchy pop punk with breakdowns. At times a little too cheesy, but who cares? It’s pop punk! They are about to tour Australia again as part of the Soundwave Revolution festival (check out the dismal line up here).

FFO: New Found Glory, Fall Out Boy,

Forming – Forming

More great laid back indie/emo rock sounding like Tigers Jaw and Dinosaur Jr.   

Forming – Sleep Like A Dog

Laid back indie/emo rock. Truly awesome. Download this at Sound As Language.   

FFO: Tigers Jaw, Dinosaur Jr, Cheap Girls  

Former Cell Mates – Hustle

Mixing melodic punk rock and rock and roll seamlessly with liberal use of cowbell.

It took me a few listens to warm to this and now I can’t get it outta my stereo.

FFO: Alkaline Trio, Leatherface, Danko Jones.  

Fortune and Glory – Fortune and Glory

Bound to get lost in the overwhelming amount of pop punk bands with breakdowns and gang vocals.

Forfeit – Visions

I’ve finally gotten around to checking this band out. I actually liked this compared to other bands of this style of hardcore. However, I don’t get the style of singing going on there. The only band that I’ve really herd pull that off is Blacklisted.

Forever Young – The Guarantee

10 songs in 13 minutes. ‘Positive, aggressive hardcore’ as they describe themselves in their intro. Short songs about being vegan and straight edge.

Various Artists – Asian Man Records Vol 1

Another great sampler up for free download:

1. The Wild - Together On The Ground

2. Bomb The Music Industry - Can I Pay My Rent In Fun?
3. Classics Of Love - Slow Car Crash

4. The Riptides – Hung Up
5. The Apers - …But Then She Smiles
6. Kevin Seconds – No Good Eggs

7. Noise By Numbers - Cold Embrace
8. Laura Stevenson And The Cans - The Pretty One

9. Sundowner - As The Crow Flies
10. Jaake Margo – Paper Bag (Spilling)

11. Matt Skiba - S.O.S.

12. Kepi Ghoulie - Bye Bye Brain
13. Mugwamps - Ain’t Everything
14. Monkey - Hot Lunch
15. The Hot Toddies - Max’s Mankini
16. Smoking Popes – Long Day

17. For.The.Win. - Or Does It Explode? -
18. The Max Levine Ensemble - Creative Destruction
19. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Sense, Sensibility

Done For – Demo

There are some good quality bands coming out of QLD at the moment. This is one of those bands.

Done For play melodic, heart felt hardcore with a poppy edge.

I’m particularly impressed with the drumming on this.

Check this band out.

Defeater – Dear Father 7” (grey /1,500)

This 7” features 2 songs which appear on Defeater’s latest full length ‘Empty Days & Sleepless Nights’. ‘Dear Father’ is classic Defeater. Emotional, hard hitting and great lyrics that paint a picture. The B-Side, an acoustic track titled ‘I Don’t Mind’, on the other hand is a bit of a let down.

FFO: La Dispute and Touche Amore

For Those Who Can’t Wait – For Those Who Can’t Wait

I put this on on my way to work and was blow away. I had this on repeat the whole way there and the whole way home. It made the whole journey bearable.

This sounds somewhat familiar but refreshing at the same time. I don’t know what this reminds me of, but it’s on the tip of my tongue and frustrating the hell outta me!!! If you know TELL ME!!!

This is up for free download on If You Make It.