Tuesday 30 August 2016

LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE

GenresPunk / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Doom / Ambient / Crust / Sludge Prog
Related artistsThe Solexine Chapter.
CountryTorbes FRANCE
Years Active2014-present
Song: "Qui (Intro)"
Album: "Somnolences"
Year: 2014
For fans of: Gantz, Nous Étions, Rosetta, I Was A Cosmonaut Hero, MilanKu, Aporia, Amanda Woodward, Aussitôt Mort, Mort Mort Mort, Men As Trees, Mihai Edrisch, Nionde Plågan, Respire, Black Love, Amber, Envy, Isis, Sed Non Satiata, Cult Of LunaLakmé, Viva Belgrado and Arktika aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Dingleberry Records / Walking Is Still Honest Records / Gato Encerrado Records / A L'Hombre De Cette Vie Records / Never Trust An Asshole / Ours / Desertion Records / Marnegro From Buenos Aires / Suck & Cut / Emotionally Unstable Records / Voice Of The Unheard / Not A Pub / Shivery.MMXII.Productions / Unnamed
This post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #9.
You can download: the August Mix#8 right here or get the new September 2016 Mix#9 here.

Yet again, thank you Jesse Mowery. Jesse pushed me into listening to an album I had previously downloaded by the band and just not listened to. I remember him posting that this French band was bearing the torch in France for Mihai Edrisch, Envy and Gantz influenced Euro screamo. LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE, also written by the band as LES 2 MINUTES DE LA HAINE released their debut songs on an all encompassing 12"LP titled 'Somnolences' in 2014 followed by a split 7" with Eaglehaslanded and a digital single the following year.

The massive, driving and epic 'Somnolences' drops 8 huge songs that combine Arktika with the likes of Envy and mash that beast with the screamo of Mihai Edrisch and the spaciness and vocals of Rosetta. I believe that the album itself is a concept album loosely based on 1984 and a lot of tracks have French film samples which my wife has been kind enough to translate for OMSB readers. The opener "Qui (Intro)" is my personal jam, as the initial rainy, 80s sad cop with birds soundtrack ends just before two minutes and the band gets down to business at 2:57 with the Arktika and Rosetta feel of screamo influenced post-hardcore. "ne voit (De tout lâcher)" is the perfect mixture of heavy and melodic, much like my friends in Nous Étions, and build a weaving tapestry of post-hardcore goodness. "pas la mort (La coupure)" is a much quicker romp by the band, as the first half alone houses some of the album's fastest work. At two minutes the song gets a little more aggressive before slipping into bedtime sounds at 2:31 with a repetitious and catchy line of, "routine excuse". Translation "you were made in the image of man, by the masses for the masses; recognize that you have a job to do; work hard, increase production, avoid accidents, and be happy." "en rose (L'éléphant blanc)" begins with the following translation before moving into what is most likely the heaviest song on the full length. At 55 seconds the song catapults into (what sounds like) ancient retellings of the wars of gods, and it's fucking stellar. A rough translation of the intro sample: "Do you like gymnastics? Yes, my captain. Do you also like playing hockey? Yes, my captain. And golf? I really like golf. And football? It's my favourite sport. And basketball? Ah all these sports are excellent. Encourage them all. Sports for everyone. Develop team spirit, organize your free time. Occupy your men so they don't think. That's the main point."est (Vol libre)" is just under three minutes of massive movements and crushing vocals and ranks up with "en rose (L'éléphant blanc)" as the band's heaviest material, but this holds up as a song even more so, as those prodigious low blows throughout the track will trample your life. "affecté d'un (Suicide à Vérone)" eerie opening sample before a slow, grooving rhthym is introduced before the crashing climax hits. At 2:23 the song slides back into some Black Love sounding space screamo/post-hardcore and I fucking love it. "daltonisme (Prions le bitume)" begins with the lengthiest of all the samples, as the song is counted in after 1:35 with mad Mihai Edrisch feels and great little breakdowns beginning at 2:17. That introductory sample I mentioned was also translated by my wife who tells me that the man and woman are arguing about war, then a third woman comes in and they discuss illegal books (Fahrenheit 541?): Translation "What is this? A book?/It's a novel./You're crazy! It's against the law!/Calm down and listen.../Ah it's no doubt interesting...I hope by the time he's finished we'll be freed." The closer "du coeur. (Nourrir ses rancoeurs)" clocks in at 5:09 and includes no samples. The song gets right into the instrumentals with the vocals and driving movements beginning 25 seconds in and cascading over the edge of awesomeness by the end of the first minute. By 2:30 the song begins its descent and comes in nice and easy like a mother whispering a child to sleep. The final sample says something along the lines of, "Do you want any dessert?" to which the man responds "No, nothing at  all. Not even dreams."

In 2015 they started the year by releasing a great split with Eaglehaslanded that is very reminiscent of older post-hardcore/melodic screamo such as Amanda Woodward and Lakmé as well as newer stuff like Aporia and Nous Étions. "Tampon Rose" is a really awesome song that brings their Envy and Rosetta influence to the forefront in a mere 3:06. The opening has an almost upbeat and happy demeanor to it as it rolls through a few sections combining both post-rock and post-hardcore with spacey elements that bind into the same sound by the two minute mark accompanied by an additional aggressive boost.

LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE has also released a song titled "Le Thé du tigre." digitally (and perhaps elsewhere, I dunno) in late 2015 and is the newest song released as of this review (Aug 30th, 2016). The 4:04 track opens with a dreamy, lulling meandering through space that picks up some vocals and additional instrumentation at the one minute mark and the entire first half sounds a lot like current Spanish screamo gods Viva Belgrado. By two minutes the song has taken a darker, sadder and more isolating turn with the eventual shedding of all instruments save a few guitar notes and gang vocals which culminate at three minutes. Killer song.

The next full length by LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE will be in my top picks for album of the year before I even hear it. Stoked as fuck.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2014 - Somnolences 12"LP (stream/donate/download here) [buy 12" here]

2015 - Eaglehaslanded split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here) [buy here]
2015 - Le Thé du tigre. digital single (stream/donate/download here)

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(2014) LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE - "Qui (Intro)" (from 'Somnolences')

(2014) LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE - "est (Vol libre)" (from 'Somnolences')

(2014) LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE - "daltonisme (Prions le bitume)" (from 'Somnolences')

(2015) LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE - "Tampon Rose" (from 'Eaglehaslanded' split)

(2015) LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE - "Le Thé du tigre." (from 'Le Thé du tigre.')

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LES DEUX MINUTES DE LA HAINE additional links

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Sunday 28 August 2016

BOYS NIGHT OUT

GenresPunk / Rock / Hardcore / Metallic Hardcore / Alternative / Pop Punk / Emo"?"
Related artistsForedirelifesake, Grade, The Receiving End Of Sirens, Isles & Glaciers, Hard Calibers, Jerk Circus, Rescue, The Company We Keep, To The Lions and The Fullblast.
CountryBurlington, Ontario CANADA
Years Active2001-2007 / 2015-present
Song: "The Only Honest Love Song"
Album: "Demo"
Year: 2001
For fans ofChiodos Bros, Alexisonfire, My Chemical Romance, Silverstein, Grade, The Anatomy Of A Ghost, Foredirelifesake, Jude The Obscure, The Solo Project, Recover, The Used, Protest The Hero, La Dispute, Circa Survive, Poison The Well, Blink 182, The Fullblast, Saves The Day and Hopesfall.
Label(s): One Day Saviour Recordings / Forge Again Records / Ferret Music / Suburban Home Records / Roadrunner Records / Howling Bull / Good Fight Music
This post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #4.
You can download: the August Mix#8 right here or get the new September 2016 Mix#9 here.

Chances are I'll either be lambasted for only posting about the very first demo EP by BOYS NIGHT OUT or I'll be disregarded completely for even liking BOYS NIGHT OUT, considering what is usually posted here and the reactions I see online occasionally. But I don't really give a fuck. Our historic walk through music is individual to each person, so if you went through ska or metal, country or rap, pop-punk or indie rock, whatever the hell path that led you here, isn't that all that matters? Let's try to talk about music without being fucking assholes. It certainly seems to be a fine line with fans and haters of the band to begin with, but in the end this blog is about dishing out music you might not otherwise be aware of. And guess what, the first BOYS NIGHT OUT ep called 'You Are My Canvas' is actually pretty decent. I was going to write a review for this band and their discography but decided against it after speaking with my brother Mike, as my review is too short and...perhaps, scathing?

"BOYS NIGHT OUT were a band that, in the early 2000s, were breaking into a scene ripe for the taking with throat shredding screams and metallic hardcore amidst sugary sweet singing and pop-punk. Their initial debut 'You Are My Canvas' in 2001 was in constant rotation wherever I was around the time I was also listening to Poison The Well, Saves The Day, Silverstein and Hopesfall. I remember expecting their followup EP to be a dazzler, but I was sorely disappointed in 'Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses' and everything that came afterwards even more so. Basically, that first EP was all I enjoyed and listening back on it now is almost like watching a favourite childhood movie, it's great and awful at the same time. Although I still enjoy all four tracks on the cd, the lyrics certainly make me a little uncomfortable, as 'artistic' as they may be."
~Dave


So, Mike decided to do a lengthier, more in depth and informative review for people who may want to check out BOYS NIGHT OUT. Go Mike.

Reviews such as these, always start or end with bands who 'sound like' the aforementioned. BOYS NIGHT OUT's are comparably tough. The band was definitely born out of the late nineties pop punk/screamo scene along the QEW highway in South Eastern Ontario, with bands like Alexisonfire, Silverstein, and Grade.

The sound of BNO is much more mishy mashy (complex) than the conventional, I scream now, you sing now, mentality of other bands on Victory, Ferret, and god knows where else. It feels like clap-your-hands pop music meets meaty, distorted, breakdown heavy screamo/hardcore. There are many sing song anthems (catchy karaoke-like tunes) on 'Trainwreck' (2005) and the two albums before and after 'Make Yourself Sick' (2003), 'Self Titled' (2007).

BNO's off timing twangy guitars can lead the listener down a road of melody, where a crushing riff and emotional breakdown can add depth to a very versatile sound. The tunes are generally fast with varying time signatures, allowing for an assault on genres as it can change from Blink 182 to The BloodBrothers to Poison the Well.

The vocals are a perfect fit as they aren't clean but are slightly raspy, giving the alcoholic and misogynist lyrics some dramatic effect. The anger or violence in some songs is contrasted nicely with happy sing along moments. It's not like, "this is the hard part, now we'll play the soft part and sing soft"... it's not like that. Anything goes. The screaming is done well when shared between members adding a dynamic effect (mostly live) and creating a thicker sound.

'Broken Bones Bloody Kisses' - The early 4 or 6 song EP (depending on which version you have) is a great mix of metal and pop punk, as black and white as BNO gets in their discography. Lyrically, it's ultra violent.

'Make Yourself Sick' - This shows the most interchange in guitar work and is considered one of their best works.

'Trainwreck' - The concept album is the most mature of the records, showing a wide range from pop rock to old school skate punk/screamo.

'Boys Night Out' - Good rock and roll album, slightly cheerier in tone, but still dark lyrics with fast beats and good sing-a-long songs.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2001 - You Are My Canvas cdrEP

2002 - Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses cd/12"EP

2003 - Make Yourself Sick cd/12"LP

2005 - Trainwreck cd/2x12"LP

2006 - Dude, You Need to Stop Dancing dvd

2007 - Boys Night Out cdLP

2016 - Black Dogs 10"EP

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(2001) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "The Anatomy of the Journey" (from 'You Are My Canvas')

(2001) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "The Only Honest Love Song" (from 'You Are My Canvas')

 (2001) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "Sketch Artist Composite" (from 'You Are My Canvas')

(2001) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "Victor Versus Victim" (from 'You Are My Canvas')

(2002) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "Where We Breathe" (from 'Broken Bones and Bloody Kisses')

(2003) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "I Got Punched in the Nose for Sticking My Face in Other People's Business" (from 'Make Yourself Sick')

(2005) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "Medicating" (from 'Trainwreck')

(2007) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "Up With Me" (from 'Boys Night Out')

(2016) BOYS NIGHT OUT - "Of Waves" (from 'Boys Night Out')

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BOYS NIGHT OUT out of print wma download for the 2001 Demo / additional links

(download here)

Official Website
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***HOUSE SHOW w/Black Love, Respire, La Luna, Terry Green & The World That Summer***






On August 1st, 2016 an epic basement show happened that almost didn't come into being. After failing to find a venue in three different cities, some local friends/fans offered to put up their townhouse for a show and they'd never even had one there before. Needless to say I was a bit worried about the show coming to fruition but with the exception of one neighbour's complaints near the end of the evening (9:30 on a Saturday) the show went off without a hitch. Actually, it was fucking amazing. Twas truly a night of friends and people hanging out with 15-30 minute bursts of noise. I made a little 7-minute clip show a few weeks back that you can watch on zee right here ->


THE WORLD THAT SUMMER
This is the band I do vocals for. Matt from Terry Green was nice enough to film two of our songs, the first from a split 2x12" with 7 other bands called "The Standard Gravity of Impending Doom" and the second from an upcoming split 12" with our Swedish friends Nionde Plågan with a tentative title of "Faction: Religion" that I fuck up by bringing in my vocals too early. Still, both songs sound pretty decent and are pretty dang heavy post-hardcore/post-metal...or something along those lines. We've got another show on September 3rd, 2016 at The Doors Pub in Hamilton (facebook event here) with some killer bands such as La Luna, Sarin, In The Name Of Havoc and Not For You.

BLACK LOVE
From Montreal, these six fellas surprised me by playing directly after us and bringing the house down (not literally) with their expansive and gravitational post-rock, post-hardcore and post-metal sound. They played a few unrecorded tunes, broke a string, spoke French and stole our hearts. Science bless Black Love. Can't wait for that new LP, fellas! The members also spent the night at my place and were excellent house guests, with Janic even kissing the picture of my family goodnight before going to sleep. If you haven't checked out the band the video of a new song below is a prime place to start.

RESPIRE
As per usual, Respire kicked major ass, even without Emmett their trumped player who was understandably incapacitated that night. The five available members went all out with their new material from the upcoming 12"LP 'Gravity and Grace' which is currently at the pressing plant and will be released on Zegema Beach Records, I Corrupt Records, Dingleberry Records and Ozona Records this fall. The band also had a strange incident involving a stolen shirt that turned up as a birthday present on twitter the following day. Weird. Anyways, check out the four videos below and see why people are calling their LP album of the year.
"Ascent" live from this show
"Eternal Light" live from this show
"Evening. Melancholy II" live from this show
*Bandcamp*

LA LUNA
I was lucky enough to have both final bands say yes to playing this date so I definitely think this was a stacked fucking show. The four piece boasted their new drummer Keon and the band ripped through what must have been at least 20 minutes of scathing, snarling and screamy hardcore from Toronto. The band draws from a myriad of influences and ends up sounding like their own beast whose parents may have been linked to the Killie and Loma Prieta bloodlines. The band will also be playing the same show as The World That Summer on September 3rd, 2016 at The Doors Pub in Hamilton (facebook event here).
"1" live from this show
"2" live from this show
*Bandcamp*

TERRY GREEN
They did it again, but it's no surprise here. Mississauaga's Terry Green were an epic closer of sassy, emo/screamo akin to Gillian Carter, Monte Ida, State Faults and The Reptilian. Amidst spilled beers and pressure to "not play too loud", the boys ripped through four or five songs in less than 20 minutes to close a truly magical evening. The tracks have all been laid down for their debut 12"LP that will be released on Zegema Beach Records likely early next year, so get stoked for that. I post about this band a lot because they are amazing people who make amazing music and deliver it in an amazing fashion. Love you guys.
"Instant Relief" live from this show
"Indianapolis Jones" live from this show

Thursday 25 August 2016

GRAND DÉTOUR

GenresPunk / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Ambient / Instru-metal / Prog
Related artistsBökanövsky and Child Meadow.
CountryToulon FRANCE
Years Active2012-present
Song: "Trabao y Arrebato"
Album: "Tripalium"
Year: 2016
For fans ofPelican, Russian Circles, Tomydeepestego, Finger Of God, Mogwai, Godspeed, You! Black Emperor, Ornaments, Omega Massif, Ahleuchatistas, Maserati, K.C. Milian, Don Caballero, The Rabbit Theory, Explosions In The Sky, Mono, Glasir, NY In 64 and Town Portal.
Label(s): too many to list
This post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #5.
You can download: the August Mix#8 right here or get the new September 2016 Mix#9 here.

GRAND DÉTOUR, it's like orchestral instru-metal with just the basics, drums, bass and guitars layered over a number of genres, including hardcore, post-rock, prog and screamo (minus the screaming). The songs range from dreamy and serene to powerful, thick stuff, with most tracks being on the heavier side of post-metal and post-hardcore, but not nearly as massive as some of the well established bands in the genre. If Amanda Woodward and Sed Non Satiata decided to listen to tons of Pelican, Russian Circles, Tomydeepestego, Town Portal and then decided to go instrumental it would pretty much sound like GRAND DÉTOUR.

I was first introduced to the band via their debut output, 2013's 'Grand Détour' EP which consists of five very good songs that were very accurate initial insights into the band, their sound and where they were heading three years later. My favourite tracks are "Trahis par la Soif", which is a bouncy romp not unlike Don Caballero, and "Sourd Comme un Livre D'histoire" that is even more playful but includes much heavier moments.

In 2016 the band released 'Tripalium', on which every track has its own great part, if not numerous. The opener "Demi-chaine" boasts an ethereal, dreamy section from 1:45 and a cool little ending led in by bass at about 3:35 that leads into dancey/chuggy territory by the end. "Trabajo y Arrebato" is littered with playfully catchy guitar progressions and is my favourite song on the record, with hints of Amanda Woodward, Sed Non Satiata and Gantz. "Révolte en solde" is the darkest song on the record, incorporating a lot of heavy riffs but the songs never gets into Pelican or Omega Massif territory. "Les deux pieds dans le vide" is slow and more of an ambient track at only 2:38. "L'entre deux mers" begins right away with some catchy as fuck post-rock/post-hardcore with jangles that would make midwestern 90s emo bands stand up and applaud and climaxes at 2:38 in fine European fashion. "Arbeit und Rhythmus" is short but contains the best part on the album at 1:47 with an unreal finger tapping section that'll have you bobbin' along in no time."Hayekeynes" is 1:19 of awkward noise, "En bon père de famille" is mad chill and closer "La pénibilité et la crasse" is extremely well-constructed and ornate, with a killer midsection of jangly mcjangersons that transition to an epic ending.

This instrumental screamo/post-hardcore band is excellent and their 'Tripalium' 12" is currently tied with Tomydeepestego's new record for the best instrumental album of 2016. I have the entire GRAND DÉTOUR discography for sale in the Zegema Beach Records distro which are linked below.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2013 - Tripalium 12"LP (stream/donate/download here) [buy here]

2016 - Grand Détour 12"EP (stream/donate/download here) [buy here]

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(2016) GRAND DÉTOUR - "Trabajo y Arrebato" (from 'Tripalium')

(2016) GRAND DÉTOUR - "Arbeit und Rhythmus" (from 'Tripalium') live at Little Elephant

(2016) GRAND DÉTOUR - "L'entre deux mers" (from 'Tripalium')

(2013) GRAND DÉTOUR - "Trahis par la Soif" (from 'Grand Détour')

(2013) GRAND DÉTOUR - "Sourd Comme un Livre D'histoire" (from 'Grand Détour')

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GRAND DÉTOUR additional links
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Wednesday 24 August 2016

EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE, THE

GenresPunk / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Screamo / Emo-violence / Skramz / Grind / Metal / Ambient / Crust / Sludge / Thrash / Noise / Power Violence / Grunge / Experimental / Prog
Related artistsThe Ultimate Screamo Band, The Catlin Elm, Carpet, Royaume Des Morts and Nous Étions.
Country:   Montreal, Quebec CANADA
Years Active2002-present
Song: "Roland Made the Paper"
Album: "Over the Top"
Year: 2004
For fans ofEd GeinAdvocate, (early) Curl Up And DieMe And Him Call It Us, Crestfallen, .gif from god, Cassilis, Combatwoundedveteran, Boak, Love Lost But Not Forgotten, The Great Redneck Hope, Jude The Obscure, Fall Silent, I Am A Curse, Callow, The Encyclopedia Of American Traitors, Destroyer Destroyer, Ritual Mess, Ruined Families, Akimbo, Perth Express, The Love And Terror Cult, Potence, The Exelar, Dangers!, Gas Up Yr Hearse!, Loma Prieta, Campaign Committee and Seventeen Again.
Label(s): L'Oeil du Tigre / Contempt For Humanity / New Romance For Kids Records / Cadavre Exquis / D7i Records
This post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #7.
You can download: the August Mix#8 right here or get the new September 2016 Mix#9 here.

I first heard them THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE over a decade ago when I picked up 'Over the Top' on some kind of whim...I'm unsure which. At the time I was able to pick up on some of the cool stuff going on, but for the most part the noise and cacacophony was a blockade for me. Now that I am much more versed in heavy music, I have come to the conclusion that if Ed Gein listened to a ton of Love Lost But Not ForgottenCurl Up And Die and Fall Silent they would probably end up with this crusty, filthy, acidic, violent and pummeling hardcore punk. The band loves their movie clips and also mimics Old Man Gloom on many tracks in the way they include half song/half noise or half song/half audio clip and does so really, really well. Intriguing and humourous song titles litter each release, with a few examples of: "Sixty-nine on a Sexy Night", "I Am the Best Person Ever", "Welcome to My Haircut", "My Dick is So Hard I Could Be in School" and "No One Has Bigger Balls Than God". The band has undergone some lineup changes, label changes and sound changes over their, now, 14 year existence.

Back in 2003 THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE released their 'Demo' which is pulverizing metallic hardcore, mosh and a bit of screamo and powerviolence thrown in for good measure. Bands such as CrestfallenThe Great Redneck Hope, Destroyer Destroyer, Advocate and early Curl Up And Die come to mind quickly whilst sonically having your ass kicked. The vocals and instrumentals are very, very much like those of Crestfallen and early Curl Up And Die, especially on "Don't You Look Sharp Tonight?" and "The Instructor's Notes Were in a Tangle", the latter of which also has a Predator movie clip ending and I'm always a sucker for that. This EP is probably my favourite release by the band.

THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE came back the following year and continued their evil, venomous and scathing grindy, metallic hardcore. The spastic, emo-violence chaos that is 2004's 'Over the Top' is literally just that, a little over the top. The vocals are extreme, the drumming is insane and the strings are stopping and starting on a dime. This is quite obvious from the opening track of "Drinking Cocktails With Little Straw Hats" and continues until the closer "Beauties are Fast-Forgiven, Ugliness Easily-Forgotten" which is a longer, drawn out song that sheds chaos for a solid foundation of heavy, chugging riffs. At least two of the seven songs were rerecorded from their 2003 'Demo', as "The Instructor's Notes Were In a Tangle" and "My Dick is So Hard I Could Be In School" are definitely on both.

In 2005 the band released a whopping 15-song LP with a new direction. Almost gone are the shrieks and squeals which have been replaced by Daitro-esque yelled/screamy vocals (but not the instrumentals, so perhaps Potence is a better example) and the switch works, but the movement away from the band's traditional sound would continue, and not always for the better. This LP, however, contains a plethora of beauties that covers the short and repulsive ("Listening to Elvis" and "Enfant de Chienne"), the one to two minute chaotic and dense gems ("Another Blown Light Bulb" and "Welcome to My Haircut") as well as the long and cohesive ("I Am the Best Person Ever" and A Prolonged Disaster").

After a 2005-2011 break with no output, the band came back with a much more chilled out and experimental approach on 2011's 'The Prolonged Disaster' with mixed success. Focusing on progressing the sound and ending up with much more of a post-hardcore/grunge territory, at times I'm reminded of a faster and less heavy incarnation of Kowloon Walled City and even Loma Prieta's 2015 LP 'Self Portrait'. Songs such as "Scum of the Earth" and "Eugene" exceed four minutes each, which is the length of 4-8 of their older tracks combined. "Scum of the Earth" includes clean, post-metal vocals that work for the musical output and "Eugene" sags after only a minute with a serene but lengthy piano and orchestral outro, so both are rather forgetful. That being said, songs like "Comfort and Discouragement", "Terminus", "Mourning Melody" and "Another Mayday" are excellent, quick and to the point powerviolence/hardcore romps. The closer, "Building a Freedom/Lullaby", is a prime example when the band utilized the progressive hardcore approach and over the 6:52 duration fuckin' nails it.

Seemingly realizing the detracting tangents of their 2011 recordings, THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE shifted back to releasing a 12-track 7"EP in 2014 which reverts to dirty, aggressive and caustic hardcore from their days of yore. They use an interesting formula that begins with a barrage of noise inspired by Combatwoundedveteran for 30 seconds, followed by another 30 seconds or so of ambient noise. "Hocheluga Witch" and "Who Are We?" take the cake for the heaviest and most straight to the point stingers on the album, while "Bring Me Joy" and "Old Dirty Sun" are without a doubt the most insane.

During the writing of this review I certainly became much more entrenched in the band's discography, and I'd expect a few readers of this blog will have a similar reaction. Oh, and the drummer Guillaume is also the brain behind The Ultimate Screamo Band, which Zegema Beach Records helped release in 2015 to mostly glowing reviews, a few negative ones, as well as a handful of ridiculous and absurd rants.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2003 - Demo EP (stream/donate/download here)

2004 - Over the Top cdEP (stream/donate/download here)

2005 - Hairbomb cdLP (stream/donate/download here)

2011 - The Prolonged Disaster cd/12"LP (stream/donate/download here) [buy cd here]

2014 - first joice [power] of the shit 7"EP (stream/donate/download here) [buy 7" here]

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(2003) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Don't You Look Sharp Tonight" (from 'Demo')

(2003) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "The Errors of a Little Boy" (from 'Demo')

(2004) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Roland Made the Paper" (from 'Over the Top')

(2004) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Beauties are Fast-Forgiven, Ugliness Easily-Forgotten" (from 'Over the Top')

(2005) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Another Blown Light Bulb" (from 'Hairbomb')

(2005) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Welcome to My Haircut" (from 'Hairbomb')

(2005) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Loser" (from 'Hairbomb')

(2011) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Mourning Melody" (from 'The Prolonged Disaster')

(2011) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Building of a Freedom/Lullaby" (from 'The Prolonged Disaster')

(2014) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Hocheluga Witch" (from 'first juice [power] of the shit')

(2014) THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE - "Who Are We?" (from 'first juice [power] of the shit')

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THE EXPECTORATED SEQUENCE additional links
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Monday 22 August 2016

***THE REPTILIAN w/Terry Green, Nanette & Wimp City show review***

On July 25th, 2016 THE REPTILIAN came back to see us in The Doors Pub in Hamilton after travelling all the way from Kalamazoo, Michigan in the USA. The three extremely kind fellas visited us back in Aug of 2014 with Two Knights, which you can view here. After chilling at my place all day we headed to the venue. The place filled up quickly and Wimp City pulled in a ton of people who stayed for the duration of the show. There was many a merch sold, especially by THE REPTILIAN, from whom I acquired distro items for their new 'End Paths' cassette (buy here) and 'End Paths b-side' flexi 7" (buy here). I've done a quick review/overview for each band, starting with the opener, and included the videos I took as well as links to each band's bandcamp and facebook site. It was definitely a thoroughly enjoyable show!




NANETTE
I've seen the Nanette fellas a few times now, with the band always showing promise but sounding a bit muddled live. This night was exactly what I was waiting for, I flawless set with great sound. I was able to see and hear Nanette the way that I can only assume the band's wants to come across; driving, emotional, catchy, heavy and screamy. Check out the video below for a fine taste of Toronto's Nanette.


WIMP CITY
As stated above, Wimp City did a fantastic job of bringing some awesome folks to the show. The two-piece turned three-piece has now reverted back to a two-piece of bass/vocals and drums. The rollicking sassiness of this punk/hardcore hybrid is infectious and it seems like the band is playing more shows nowadays so I'm excited to see where they go from here.

1

2

THE REPTILIAN
The decade-old Kalamzoo 3-piece played a short but sweet set of just over 20 minutes comprised primarily of new material from their stellar 'End Paths' full length that was just released. The last time The Reptilian played I was impressed, but this time I was floored. The energy injected into the new songs live tops the excellent sounding recorded material and watching the three get really into the songs as well as Russ pulsating with the music was powerful and magnetic. I always liked The Reptilian, but now I love The Reptilian.

1 - Old Growth

2 & 3 - Drifter & No Path

4 - Wrong Pattern

5 - Turn and Coil


TERRY GREEN
I don't when the plateau is going to be reached, but Terry Green gets better and better every fucking time I see them. With a new 12"LP on the horizon, fans such as myself have been salivating for over two years waiting for a proper recording and release from these four Mississauga sweethearts. The band played songs mostly from the upccoming record and did so with the perfect mixture of intricacy, rawness, restraint, passion and chaos that results in the band being discussed by new listeners post set with exhuberance.
1 - Indianapolis Jones

2 - Instant Relief

Sunday 21 August 2016

***OMSB podcast #10 w/Ollie (The World That Summer)***

A month or two ago I went to my friend and bandmate's apartment in downtown Hamilton to discuss music and some movies. His name is Ollie. We discussed a myriad of things, none of which involved our band, oddly enough. Bands we did discuss:

Yage
Brainbombs
Inception (soundtrack)
Kazuki Tomokawa
The Catalyst
Full Blown A.I.D.S.
Mutoid Man


***

I don't usually do memorable quotes from the podcast series but damn there were some gems in here:

"Their singer just shouts terrible, terrible things. This song about murdering prostitutes is actually very tame compared to most of their output."

"Woah, you're incepted by me not seeing Inception."

"You haven't seen Kindergarten Cop? How is that possible?!?!?!"

"How do you feel?"
"I feel like my pod has been cast."

***

Here are some related links:

OMSB Podcast #6 w/Steve (The World That Summer) (listen)
The World That Summer (w/Ken Mode & Life In Vacuum) show review
The World That Summer (w/Worst Gift & Black Love) show review
The World That Summer (w/Foxmoulder & Sarin) show review
The World That Summer (w/Lentic Waters & Locktender) show review
The World That Summer (w/Gillian Carter & Respire) show review
The World That Summer - T-shirt (buy)
The World That Summer - Zampler #7 exclusive track (listen)
The World That Summer - Caddac cdr (buy)
The World That Summer / Apostles Of Eris - split cassette (listen/buy)
The World That Summer stickers (on this page)

Friday 19 August 2016

DRUMMERS

BandDRUMMERS
GenresPunk / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Prog / Screamo
Related artistsSparrows Swarm And Sing and Pretty & Nice.
CountryMassachusetts USA
Years Active2011
Song: "Oceans"
Album: "Drummers"
Year: 2011
For fans ofThe Reptilian, Wolves, Hercules Hercules, Mouse Fitzgerald, Meth And Goats, Logs, Drive Like Jehu, Wow, Owls!, Worst Gift, At The Drive In, Animal Faces, Solids, JR Ewing, Sing! Sing! Prison, North Of America, Rye Coalition, Sinaloa and Ultra Dolphins.
Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #6.
You can download: the August Mix#8 right here or get the new September 2016 Mix#9 here.

3-piece awkward and disjointed, yet somehow dancey and catchy. All I know of is the self titled debut cassette LP 'Drummers' that was released back in 2011 and seems to be non-existent on the internet, so I've uploaded the album in mp3 form right here. If Wow, Owls! and Meth And Goats listened to a ton of North Of America and other mathy, indie, garage rock they would probably sound like DRUMMERS, which is a damn fine thing.

The 10-track album opens with a noisey intro called "Planes I" before "Planes II" hits hard as a post-punk romp through dancey hardcore with yelling that borders on screaming but never quite makes it there. "Hearts" begins like a Christmas tune and quickly morphs into an Animal Faces and Drive Like Jehu post-hardcore rock song. The fantastic "Oceans" is a great song that should be your first listen cuz it's fucking vintage DRUMMERS. The track gets unreal at 1:40 with an ultra catchy guitar riff that leads out the dancey, catchy and sassy tune. "Fabric I" is a second interlude, this time with a few sad, country/folk guitars that bleed into "Fabric II", another jammy hardcore/garage rock song with an eerie ending. Seasons" is a surprisingly somber acoustic number, while "Islands" sports the whispered, almost shoegaze-esque vocals from the onset but eventually the yells take over and the song builds to a dramatic ending. "Bridges" is the longest song at 4:06 and utilizes some excellent transitions to lead from one great section to the next. "Home" closes the album in acoustic fashion, and as the second such track on the album this is no longer all that surprising.

Chances are you've never heard of this band. Now ya have. Enjoy.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2011 - Drummers cassetteLP (download here)

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(2011) DRUMMERS - "Oceans" (from 'Drummers')

(2011) DRUMMERS - "Planes II" (from 'Drummers')

(2011) DRUMMERS - "Hearts" (from 'Drummers')

(2010) DRUMMERS - full set live video
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DRUMMERS out of print mp3 discography download

(download here)
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Wednesday 17 August 2016

MONTE IDA

BandMONTE IDA
GenresPunk / Hardcore / Emo / Emotive Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists?.
CountryRennes FRANCE
Years Active2013-present
Song: "Lete"
Album: "Corinth"
Year: 2016
For fans ofGillian Carter, Shizune, Mothlight, Ravin, State Faults, Raein, Lautrec, Cease Upon The Capitol, Subjects/Rulers, Altar Of Complaints, Polina, Rainmaker, Youth Novel, Kaddish, Daitro, Chuck BassØjne, Young MountainHuman HandsПричал, Itto and The Usual aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #2.
You can download: the August Mix#8 right here or get the new September 2016 Mix#9 here.

MONTE IDA released a notable EP back in 2014, but it wasn't until this year's 'Corinth' EP that I truly began to immerse myself in the band's material. The French punk band plays dreamy and screamy hardcore that is its own beast, although comparisons to bands such as Shizune, Kaddish, Lautrec and especially the new stuff to Gillian Carter are quite apt.

This new 'Corinth' EP is four tracks of progressive and quirky screamo that begins with the exceptional "Lete" which, let's be honest, screams of Gillian Carter and newer Raein, but that's a really really good thing. Next up is the playful, screamy and ultimately Italian sounding "Averno" which has a very positive vibe to it, as does most of the music that MONTE IDA releases. From the debut 'Devotion' EP, songs such as "Teramene" scream Lautrec with the dancey and chill screamy sections. There's also "Eco" which has a heavy Cease Upon The Capitol imprint and the initial onset of Gillian-Carter-initis which the band has adopted heavily on their new record, while "Tauri" sounds like Shizune and Youth Novel.

If you have yet to check out MONTE IDA I'd strongly recommend doing so now, just jam those youtube videos below and then donate some money to the band. I'm super excited to hear what comes next!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2014 - Devotion digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

2016 - Corinth 12"EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2016) MONTE IDA - "Lete" (from 'Corinth')

(2016) MONTE IDA - "Averno" (from 'Corinth')

(2014) MONTE IDA - "Eco" (from 'Devotion')

(2014) MONTE IDA - "Ate" (from 'Devotion')

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MONTE IDA additional links
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