2018 albums

Esoteric Tape: Sullest – Fashionable Male 8.7 (Hardcore/Pop Punk)

I’m just too excited. It’s hard to write this review while or immediately after listening to this record because there is so much going on here and I react in very different ways to all of it. This is a tape sent to me courtesy of Tor Johnson Records when I ordered Cyttorak’s EP I reviewed earlier this year here. I’ve ordered from them a couple times now and it’s always great, cheap as chips as we say in Australia. Their bandcamp discog is 3.25 USD. The tapes are like 2 – 6 bucks a pop at the most and it’s always the strangest and actual esoteric stuff (what I’m all about baby). This is Sullest and their tape Fashionable Male. An adventure into hardcore pop-punk. […]

2018 albums

Esoteric Tape: My Minds Mine/Sick Of Stupidity (Grindcore)

Splits can be done for many reasons but the ones I’m thinking of first and foremost are that they make for a great promo package for labels and is a great way for bands to put out music that just isn’t very long. It can also be a good way for multiple bands from one scene location to reach globally. Might as well put in with another band or two rather than add filler to create the new EP or LP. Perhaps they want to experiment with another genre or something like that too. The split is a utilitarian format for these reasons and many more. It’s collaborative and if all goes well, it’s a lot of fun. I’m always more likely to stick around for a B side if it’s just another bands A game. […]

2018 albums

Album Review: OVER POWER – Ruination 9 (Grindcore)

OVER POWER are an Indonesian death grind trio with an addictive grindcore sound, brace and behold the downstrokes and audio samples. I have a soft spot for this style of music, it’s so rooted in having a good time that I can’t bring myself to scrutinize it. Ruination is a mosh a minute and a head-nodder at the very least. There’s some interesting takes on here, especially vocally. […]

2018 albums

Album Review: Whoretopsy – Take My Breath Away 8.5 (Brutal Death)

Whoretopsy recently got a new vocalist and I have to say right off the bat that he sounds awesome. The style is far more hardcore influenced than a lot of the brutal and grind death still around, it’s a really nice blending of genres that doesn’t shift hard enough to ever betray what makes them so metal. From Australian accented hardcore shouts to full blown pig sequels, it’s all here and it all feels valid. Musically they are technically proficient and playful, just down-tuned to hell. They often qualify under death metal and grindcore in equal measure, some more purist metalheads might not enjoy this offering but I consider it refreshing and a heap of fun. They embody “Australia” in a lot of ways – often sarcastically which in it’s self is very Australian. Nothing here is done without anger coated humor or humor coated anger. […]

2018 albums

Album Review: Iron Eagle – Audio Nasty 9 (Grindcore)

It’s been a while since I’ve heard some good punk influenced death metal. Deathgrind, grindcore, whatever you want to call this, It’s pretty fucking rad and definitely some dirty shit through and through. It’s not as simple as you’d expect though, with many tasty treats hidden beneath a repulsive outer layer. The name is based on an old movie, Iron Eagle, if that gives you any insight into their more playful influences, humor and old films have always been effective within the genre. […]