The following are the salvageable photos of Die Choking and Carved Up I captured at the Burners show in Bethlehem PA on 11/13/15. Twas my first time using a new camera!
I got to see Carved Up do a special Halloween show where they did a Snapcase covers set, dare I say better than Snapcase could have done. Carved Up is TJ Schilling, Nick Norvilas and Josh Cooper. They filled the lineup out with guests Keats Rickard and Ryan Ratajski to perform the Snapcase set.
I had the privilege of checking out this advance copy of Carved Up's "Matador".
I went on a walk this week with said advance of "Matador" playing in my headphones. I got lost. Literally. Just kept walking, enveloped in the music. Beautiful fall day, loud music in my ears. Gone. Escaped reality. Carved Up as the soundtrack.
The week will end up with me seeing Carved Up live at the Burners in Bethlehem PA on 11/13/15 (and then hopefully traveling to Jabber Jaws in Allentown PA to see some power metal later - great night in the Lehigh Valley for music).
I will also purchase "Matador" in the preferred vinyl format at the Burners / Bethlehem show. "Matador" deserves the respect of being in my vinyl collection, not just on my computer & ipod. You know how I roll. #vinyljunkie since 1971.
Pretty swell week.
By the way, Carved up is from Philly PA. They are a three piece. They play some instrumentals, then they come full on with vocals that destroy. They create music that is damned beautiful one minute and crushes the next.
Somehow, the heavy, hardcore metal rage ("Death Remains the Same", "Crevice - Crevasse"), the AmRep pedal fueled noise ("Riffer Phoenix", "The Riffer Wild"), the intricate and beautiful instrumental landscapes ("Hot Pocket", "Mystic Riffer", "Ωx") all fit as an album and as individual songs. How they can be so good at the variety of music they perform is a treasure. Influences such as Jesus Lizard, Helmet, Snapcase, Torche (especially on "The Arrangement"), Tar, Jawbox, Lotus ("Hot Pocket" could fit as well on the SPA Sirius Channel - which I love almost as much as Liquid Metal channel) and so many others gel into something very special. There is no weak spot on this record. Gonna be one of the top releases of 2015.
Carved Up "Matador" Track Listing:
Death Remains The Same
The Arrangement
We Built Riff City
Riffer Phoenix
Hot Pocket
The Riffer Wild
Helena, Save Me
Crevice - Crevasse
Mystic Riffer
Ωx
Carved Up "Matador" Vinyl Pressing Information: First pressing of 250 units on 140-160 gram 12" vinyl
"Ancient Evil" is the 7th album from San Diego power metal band CAGE. The adventurous concept album is based on a horror novel written by lead singer Sean Peck. Cage doesn't mess around. They take their craft seriously. Putting all of this together is borderline insanity.
I've never really been one for concept albums. But Cage's "Ancient Evil" has me intrigued and I can't turn it off. Judas Priest (I've been listening to "Painkiller" a lot lately), double bass - thrash, meets GWAR-like (or I suppose Mastodon-like) story-telling, equaling complete over the top pure metal. Plus they have a guy who goes by the name "Conan" on guitar. There is nothing that isn't over the top with Cage. Not sure Jabber Jaws will be able to contain this monstrosity (Allentown on Friday November 13, 2015).
Part of the reason why I am enjoying "Ancient Evil" is that musically, Cage is technical, proficient and most importantly... they don't over-indulge in the "look how great a musician I am" yawn fests that are typically associated with concept albums, never mind progressive power metal bands in general. The music is tight and the structure efficient rather than self indulgent. "Ancient Evil" is a pleasant surprise that trumps any preconceived notions of a power metal concept album.
Compilation albums used to be the way to learn about new bands.
My first introduction to Newtown Neurotics was 1983 on the compilation album "Punk and Disorderly III - The Final Solution". I'm pretty sure every punk I knew in the early 1980s owned a copy of all three of the LPs in the "Punk and Disorderly" series. I still think everyone who considers themselves a fan of punk should own those LPs.
Newtown Neurotics contributed the track "Kick Out The Tories" to "Punk and Disorderly - The Final Solution". Pretty sure that was the first time I even heard the word "Tories". The song stands as a true punk classic. Combining the distinctive vocals of Steve Drewett expressing the frustration of early 1980s life in England, with the driving, melodic punk, Clash/Professionals styled music. "Kick Out the Tories" stood out as a crafty song that demonstrated the band was more than just your typical punk band that started their songs and blasted straight thru to the end of the song. "Kick Out The Tories" has a mid-song break into a brief and maybe not so technical extra-distorted "lead" that still resonates with me as punk perfection. The introduction to Newtown Neurotics via this compilation pointed to a creative band that had talent and passion.
Which led to my frustration, as their vinyl LPs were extremely difficult to obtain in the United States for some reason. Their amazing debut LP, "Beggars Can Be Choosers", on Razor Records, released in 1983, finally entered my vinyl collection via Radiation Records (Italy) in 2014. Which is just silly, for a band I loved this much. I would also suggest obtaining the "45 Revolutions a Minute: Singles 1979-1984". Of course I had these songs digitally once reissued on CD, but anyone who knows me, knows that I have been a vinyl junkie since 1971. I wasn't the only one upset that their vinyl was always so difficult to obtain. From the Newtown Neurotics facebook page: "This will be the first time the Neurotics or Steve Drewett has had a domestic release in the States and I am so glad that it is 'Triumph' that will become the standard bearer of what we are, to hopefully new ears and a new audience."
The Newtown Neurotics became the Neurotics in 1986. This cd/download is a live set recorded in 1987 at a show that apparently was delayed due to a bomb scare at the Brunel University where this was recorded. Go figure.
The set list doesn't include early classic punk tracks like "Kick Out the Tories" or "Mindless Violence" or "Hypocrite". However, there are three songs from "Beggars Can Be Choosers" ("Wake Up", "Newtown People" and "Living With Unemployment"). So, "Triumph Over Adversity" serves an introduction to the Neurotics ("we're the neurotics" as they introduce themselves at the beginning of track one) for me, much like the "Punk and Disorderly" compilations introduced me to Newtown Neurotics. See, I never obtained ANYTHING by the Neurotics. Not on vinyl, not on CD. Just didn't happen. It wasn't intentional.
The sound on "Triumph Over Adversity", is surprisingly crisp, for a live set in 1987. The energy comes through and you'll want to play this loud, as if you were in the pub listening to the Newtown Neurotics play these right in front of you. The fourteen tracks are a joy to listen to. The Neurotics tracks that I did not know, I now feel like I have to seek out and obtain those later records. "Repercussions" and "Kickstarting a Backfiring Nation" are now on my want list. Thank you to Pat and Violated Records for bringing this to the States. Now all we need is some vinyl!
Way back when I ran FOE records and actively distributed music by other like-minded souls, I helped sell a few dozen of the Bobbykork / Wally split 7"s. No, I do not have any more of the 7"s for sale. Apparently I said that Bobbykork "has developed into the Lehigh Valley's premier noise, aggro, Amrep type band" in a write up in FOE zine back a couple handful of years ago. Kermit Lyman III kindly pointed out to me that I could now listen to this digitally for free. So I am sharing that knowledge.
The bandcamp page http://wallywestphilly.bandcamp.com/album/overkill-split-7 does a wonderful job of describing this mayhem: In the second half of the last decade of the 20th century, a cadre of jerks decided to live together in West Philadelphia, and make the kind of music that they wanted to hear. They eventually met other jerks with esoteric musical influences and creations as well. They tried a record label. At least you can say they tried. You might find some physical copies of these records, CDs and cassettes floating around, but don't hold your breath. Bobbykork- Weller, Kevin James Cooper, Chrissy Eckhart, J Stuart - recorded by Dana Fehr. Wally - Kermit Lyman III, Tim Petersatan, MF Carr - Recorded by Mick Mullin and Randy Garvine Artwork by Mo Moussa, Layout and design by Weller Download and enjoy!
Released: September 4, 2015 (reissue) original 2001
I love all the auditory chaos that is Pig Destroyer. "Prowler in the Yard" has all the necessary elements of grindcore:
mind altering guitar riffing
a sick heavy sound
drumming that enrages
over the top vocal shredding
"Prowler in the Yard" stands the test of time as a classic. The entirety of the album is an experience that provides a psychological relief and demands a physical response. You can lose it to this. Nothing else exists when this record is on. This is... or was... the only Pig Destroyer LP I was missing on vinyl. I don't have that issue anymore. This slides in right between Pickens and Pink.
