Vanislejay

I recently picked up this 7" at the EXTRAÑA HUMANA and EULOGY double release show. I don't remember hearing or seeing this band before but I've clearly been missing out. This is heavy d-beat that checks all the important boxes. Solid vocals, heavy guitars with just the right amount of soloing, a couple mid tempo parts to keep things interesting, plus it was all DIY recorded in a warehouse. There's also couple really good samples on here which is always a bonus for me. Listen here: https://ocios...

EXTRAÑA HUMANA inhabits that sweet spot where they scratch a post punk itch but they are still solidly a punk band. Like there is a lot of delay and reverb, but no one has a fancy swoopy haircut and the hi-hat isn't the entire foundation of the drum beats. I'm saying this all in a positive tone cause this band is really solid and well worth a regular spot in the rotation. The recording is raw but everything is clear in the mix. Everyone fills their spot perfectly, a single guitar with lots of le...

This record feels like listening to AMEBIX in an amphitheater. Everything is there, you can hear everything in the mix, it's tight, but the sound is somehow both stark and a crushing wall. It's dark as hell, plus bird samples will get a high rating from me every time. Listen to this loud on a dark winter night while the wind blows. Listen here: https://rigorous-institution.bandcamp.com/album/tormentor Tormentor, by Rigorous Institution7 track albumRigorous InstitutionRigorous Institution...

OG Stenchies dropped this huge banger in September. As if they weren't already a goat lineup, they added Todd from TRAGEDY, solidifying their place in the arena stench cannon. No songs under 4 minutes, every song has epic guitar solos, the bass sounds huge, I can hear the drum skins screaming for mercy, everything on this record sounds huge and it works. Maybe I listen to too much raw d-beat but this record sounds incredibly polished and suits a band with a history of over 20 years well. They h...

This is bass- and-drums modern powerviolence that stays on the rails while going way off them. When I first listened I was like, I probably would be put off by this band live. I'm not really into bands with just a bunch of angry dudes, but the art was cool, the lyrics were good, political, anti-cop, so I dug a little deeper. Before this project, a close friend of the band passed away, and it seems like this project is almost a grieving project. Men dealing with their emotions in a healthy way? (...

I lived in Victoria for 10 years in the late 90's/early 2000's and since then, understandably, a lot of things have changed, but a lot has stayed the same. Here's a few things I tapped into while I was there recently....

I'm not the hugest fan of the THE SUBHUMANS' discography. Overall, they are bit too garage-y for me, the rock solos rub me the wrong way, and their style of satire doesn't grab my attention most of the time. People talk about the songwriting and favour one member's songs over the other, but aside from the real rippers none of them really grab me. The subject matter is great, but their sound just isn't my thing, this record in particular. So why am I writing a review of a classic that I don't rea...

BRUTE is a very appropriate name for this band. Hardcore leaning into powerviolence from Vancouver that sounds like it was written by primitive humans and I mean that in the very best way. Is it recorded perfectly or horribly, you have to decide for yourself. Based on the artwork I assume this is or will soon be out on tape and honestly I'd be a bit afraid that the tape will destroy my tapedeck from too much sand in the casing. Caution the intro to BBG may have a drastic effect on your ability ...

NO FUTURE from Perth, Australia have put out a masterpiece of noisy hardcore punk with their Mirror LP. The bass and drums are way out front on this mix and its well deserved, the noisy guitar tracks cut through perfectly when they are needed and the vocals are super powerful with maybe the perfect reverb balance. The lyrics are poetic and center around struggling through life in this corrupt immoral capitalist world. This LP rips and I hope I get to see them live cause if it's anything as ragin...

This was day 1 of the Noise Not Borders curated shows at the Suoni Per Il Popolo fest. This was a fun goth punk dancey show in the sweaty Sotterenea basement. LAURA KRIEG opened and I have never seen her perform before. It was a very 80's vibe, dancy synth tracks with vocals, and the occasional guitar lead. HRT set up on the floor and played a new set tonight. Super powerful industrial influenced noisy beats and hard vocals. Their set started a bit rough, but it all came together once the sound ...

This was day 2 of the Noise Not Borders curated shows at the Suoni Per Il Popolo fest. This was a big weekend for shows in Montreal, with multiple shows Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Just a regular Montreal summer-kickoff weekend. I didn't want to miss any of it so I got there early and had a nice time hanging out out front of the venue. This venue has a sub stage that gets set up on the floor for smaller shows and it was placed in front of the main stage, like a short runway jutting out. It mad...

SIYAHKAL is a raging Toronto hardcore punk band who sing in a dialect of Farsi. This tape is absolutely ripping, and is a pretty unreal recording for a live set. It opens with a maniacal laugh that sets the stage well for the next few minutes of making you stomp around wherever you are listening to it. The tape layout is photocopied on cardstock, and equally foreshadows how hard this tape is. For fans of brutal plodding hardcore like DESTINO FINALE. Listen here: https://serpentsgallery.bandcamp...

DESPERTÁ is a punk band from Saint John's, Newfoundland. This release blends hardcore punk with post punk in a way that is way better than it sounds like it should be. Don't spot check this record, listen the the whole thing cause it goes a lot of places, but it all works. Lots of songs have post punk intros that quickly transition into fist pounding hardcore that your downstairs neighbours will hate you for listening to. The lyrics are in Spanish which adds a great dynamic to this release from ...

This ep has been on heavy rotation since a friend posted it on our local punk mastodon instance a few months ago and i still just want to keep it looping into oblivion. Is this a perfect stenchcore release? Maybe there is too much hardcore mixed in for that label but that makes it even better IMO. At the end of the second track "Chain Breaker" there is a moment when you question if you are listening to a new IRON AGE record. "To Catch A Falling Knife" has maybe the hardest intro change into the ...