Heil - Demo II (2012)

The term "blackened" is thrown around far too often these days ( God knows, I have used it myself on occasion ) and its applied to pretty much all forms of extreme music to describe the influence of black metal in a bands sound. Usually its pretty far off the mark and applied to any band that uses lo-fi recording and ultra hissy distortion to create their sound.

Heil certainly have that element present in their noisy take on punk. Its a superbly over blown guitar sound and rancid, rasping vocal that make up the majority of this demo. The drums occasionally pick up pace but for the majority of this record work best when banging along at a stomping pace. You know "Nothing Left Inside" by the almighty Black Flag? Well imagine Darkthrone having a crack at that and your pretty close to Heil's sound. Its pretty sweet.

Heil - Demo II

Jackman - Bad Intentions (2012)

More sexually repressed, lo-fi black noise from the Danish mystery that is Jackman and the folk at Posh Isolation. Following on from the example set by the S/T demo I posted back here ( nearly two years ago!) Bad Intentions seems to have ramped up the Brainbombs influence that was struggling to be heard amongst the filth and dirt of that first release. Pulling back on the noise and black metal elements, though it is still noisy as hell, and concentrating more on simple punk songs. A nasty little listen.

Jackman - Bad Intentions

Kiss It Goodbye and all the other good things.

By now you will have probably heard the news, despite being only half the original line-up, Kiss it Goodbye have reformed for some select US shows. The band responsible for one of the most important albums to my musical growth as a youngster. Even now, over 10 years since I first heard it I still get a buzz every time I listen to it. In honour of this and my love for the melodramatic howl of vocalist Tim Singer, I have posted up some choice cuts from the dudes discography.
She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not is still, to this day, one of the angriest hardcore records I have ever heard. Tim Singer sounds like he is going through a complete mental breakdown, his vocals a mixture of mumblings, shrieks and roars complemented by the berserk, twisted instrumentation. I still struggle to get my head around some of the ideas and riffs on this album. You can draw a definite line from Black Flag to the KIG, sonically and lyrically they both possess a crazy, wild anger that not many bands achieve. Stone cold classic.

Kiss It Goodbye - She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

Prior to KIG Singer and guitarist Keith Huckins where part of the Deadguy line up responsible for Fixation On A Co-Worker in 1995. The New Jersey group, along with Bloodlet where the black sheep of the Victory Records roster. A superb album in its own right. Combining noise rock, hardcore and a ton of negative attitude.

Deadguy - Fixation On A Co-Worker

After KIG, the other members took part in Playing Enemy and Nineironspitfire. The demo below surfaced about 1999/2000 and whetted a lot of appetites for a future that never came. Family Man was KIG without Huckins and sounds for all intents and purposes like Black Flag smashing into Unsane's practise room. Sadly these two songs are all that ever seemed to exist.

Family Man - Demo

There was talk of other recordings over the years, internet gossip and so forth but nothing has come out yet.

P.S. My Mediafire account is on the fritz so the links on this page are courtesy of the awesome folk over at The Living Doorway and Counts Of Arson. Sweet stuff.

Gone - Lets Get Gone Real Gone For A Change (1986)

From the dope addled mind of Black Flag and SST head honcho, Greg Ginn, came Gone back in '86. A vehicle for his complete wig out, free-jazz obsessed, hippy rock dreams. This is early 70's stadium jams transposed to 1980's van tours and shitty basements. Its awesome. I have always been a fan of Flag's "The Process Of Weeding Out" and after watching the Reality 86'd documentary I was reminded of how much fun this record is. So I dug it out, spun it in the car to work a few times this week and am sharing it here now. Bonus note, until recently I had no idea it was the almighty rhythm section of Andrew Weiss and Sim Cain. YES!

Gone - Lets Get Gone Real Gone For A Change

This is not punk rock!

Rollins Band - Come In And Burn (1997)

Only Henry knows your pain. And only Melvin and Sim can lay down that huge groove.

Rollins Band - Come In And Burn

My most favourite Black Flag albums

My War

The Process Of Weeding Out

Loose Nut