Moss Icon - Hate in Me

moss icon's self titled 7"

you were visiting a house that's been sealed for a 1000 years.
little crayon scribbles, a white truck on a string.
you were standing there with your plaid and your favorite things.
but now your sleeping or fucking or something.
- moss icon - 'i'm back sleeping, or fucking, or something'

Oddly enough I wrote this first paragraph after the rest. Lyrically I just don't think I can think of a more appropriate example of the topics of early emo records then 'I'm Back Sleeping, or Fucking or Something' because in reality every person has been kept awake thinking about what happened to those that were lost due to whatever situations may arise throughout life. The romantic undertones that are embodied in the song title deal with the futility of things and the fact that the two things he mentions are sleeping and fucking have to resonate in everyone. I guess what I'm saying here is that Moss Icon lyrically have to be the most superior of those early emo bands because they are so easily relateable, but at the same time extremely deep. Perhaps this is just an attempt for me to relate to someone else who is constantly thinking about those people that have passed me by and what they are doing at the moment. Sleeping, or fucking or something .

Moss Icon is almost always associated with emo usually getting placed somewhere between Rites of Spring and The Hated. 'Hate in Me' as a 7" is a perfect slab of late '80s hardcore where you can feel the move of progressive mixed with a attachment to a long stagnant scene. Moss Icon certainly wasn't reaching the more lengthy heights that their later records would embrace on 'Hate in Me' and that more appropriately helps describe how this 7" really gives off that early DC hardcore sound. Oddly enough according to bidhardcore.com (great piece of this 7" here) the members of Moss Icon said that those bands (Embrace, Rites of Spring) had little impact on their sound. Further goes to show you that this sound was clearly the next progression of hardcore music and that it was popping up everywhere in the late '80s. Musically this record is mostly enjoyable because of the extremely melodic guitar and the vocalists great performance. Unlike The Hated or Rites of Spring John Vance wouldn't come off like he was wailing until his group's later records, here he sounds like the perfect vocalist for this music. His scream isn't restrained, but his knack for filling these otherwise simple tracks with impassioned lyrics that perfectly fit the feel of these tracks is one of a kind. 'I'm Back Sleeping, or Fucking, or Something' remains as one of my favorite songs of this genre and this record in general is probably the best example of the early Moss Icon and emo sound.


Moss Icon - Hate in Me (1988)

Faithealer - Bound and Chained

Faithealer's Bound and Chained

in fitting in with themes, here's another great aggressive vocal performance from a girl. Faithealer come from Texas featuring a variety of members from groups such as Hatred Surge and Mammoth Grinder. their sound mixes a variety of influences to make a truly unique metalcore based sound. i guess if you wanted to you could maybe label this under that movement "deathcore", but i hate that term and the influence of death metal is extremely slight in this band, only translating itself in the form of the vocals which reach guttural levels at some points. the strength for this group though is obviously in their melodic portions which relieve the aggressive portions with an almost sludgy feel. all shitty genre puns aside, this is a record that definitely emblessishes on what hardcore in general can instrumentally procede. definitely indebted to '90s groups like Unruh and their release 'Setting Fire to Sinking Ships' which kinda mixed the aggressiveness of groups like Biohazard with the atmosphere of One Eyed God Prophecy. anyways, cop this from inkblot. it is going to be a classic someday.


Faithealer - Bound and Chained (2008)

Punch - Eyeless EP

punch

i had heard about punch through a variety of facets. seeing Loma Prieta lots of the merch was present, Ghostlimb gave them a few shout outs when i saw them in Seattle, and when i went to see Portraits of Pasts in late December the group also got some mention. after hearing about them from so many great bands i figured that there must've been something legitimate about the group. after hearing this 7" i realized what a mistake it was to not check out the group earlier. a combination of thrash, '90s hardcore, and grind-like rhythms Punch is definitely one of the more aggressive and interesting throwback groups currently playing. of course, the main draw point for many is the female vocalist Meghan (what's up with Meghan's in hardcore?) who is certainly a great front(wo)man and brings the perfect compliment to the already fericous enough music. lyrics center around the dislike of California society or rather society in general, but the success with Punch mainly comes from their ability to as i constantly say about bands to draw on new and old trends in music. if you have interest in hardcore, this is definitely a recommendation.


Punch - Eyeless EP

Cold World - Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First

Cold World's previous effort 'Ice Grillz' was a novel, simplistic portrayal of rudimentary hardcore fused with a hip-hop presence. It included everything from Wu-Tang Clan samples to the drummer stepping up to DJ the group’s productions. The record was a solid if not gimmicky work and somewhere along the line the hype behind the group caught up to Deathwish. In turn we are presented with the well anticipated record 'Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First' which compared to the debut features a much more prominent metal influence as is usually for the bands on Deathwish. Going a little off subject, Paint it Black's 'New Lexicon' released earlier this year kind of gave me hope for the new Cold World. Dalek producer Oktopus was heavily involved in the production of that record and it feels so appropriately. Cold World as well is certainly not negatively affected by this idea of rap and hardcore fusing as one. 'Dedicated' presents an atmosphere that is simply nonexistent in any other hardcore group. Subtle lyrical references to rap classics, random incorporations of electronic drums, the excellent and raw sounding samples. Cold World is easily feeding their supposed image, but beyond that they also possess the ability to write some damn good songs.

cold world's 'dedicated to babies who came feet first'

In examining the sound presented on this record we only need to look at the title track. Starting off with a punk based riff that would sound more at place on their debut the track lyrically presents us with an image of the rural area of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Like most of Pennsylvania Wilkes Barre is a mix of city life with the enormous amount of rural areas that the state is known for. The issues that lead singer Dan Mills touches on seem to be a meeting point between these two environments. Musically the song brilliantly uses samples in its chorus with the calls of 'my life, my life, my life, my life'. Transitioning straight from the chorus into a bridge featuring Blacklisted vocalist George Hirsch provides a great counterpoint to Dan Mills somewhat redundant vocals. The song breaks into an excellent breakdown as it finishes off in an epic manner. While I love how sparingly the samples are used on this record it does seem like the best songs on the record succeed by implementing some form of hip-hop into otherwise by the book hardcore. 'Liars, Thieves' is another clear highlight with its drum machine transitions making the group come off as a legitimately interesting rap / hardcore hybrid and not the least bit nu-metally.

Negatives can be easily found on this record though. Singer Mills is an easy mark for the sometimes lacking heaviness of the group. The two backing vocalists do a good job of providing a heavier edge, but the lead of Cold World is certainly not the band's strong point. Other complaints can be filed towards the fact that Cold World isn't really presenting anything new besides the incorporation of some hip-hop gimmicks. The music here is basically derivative of mid-90s hardcore groups like Biohazard and Life of Agony and while those aren't bands that have seen a revival lately it is still not going to provide the group with as much respect as say a group like Paint it Black or Modern Life is War. The mid-tempo approach leaves some songs coming off as simply imitations of the actual classics on the album. Still, I don't think Cold World is going for something entirely new with this record and rather splicing together a supposed image of NYHC with the more urban side of that city's music and in that regard it works flawlessly.

cold world

All issues aside Cold World should be applauded with the rest of the Deathwish roster for releasing what has seemingly become a trend of consistent, interesting hardcore records. 'Dedicated to the Babies Who Came Feet First' isn't going to change anyone's mind about hardcore, but for those fans who have long worn out their copy of 'Urban Discipline' will find themselves right at home with tracks like 'Roaches and Rats'. Cold World's worldly perception obviously elicits their namesake and their entire sound is devoted to presenting that idea as a reality. If one thing can be said about 'Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First' it is that they have certainly done that.


Cold World - Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First (2008)

Tabula Rasa - The Role of Smith

I'm not really sure how I came across Tabula Rasa's 'The Role of Smith'. I know I purchased it at a Warped Tour in Pittsburgh at which I was because I was interested in seeing Glassjaw, Rise Against, and like minded groups live. I was in the various booths section and while looking for something to purchase I believe somebody from AF Records came up to me and talked me into buying this record. That is the vague remembrance I have, anyways this was kind of different from the stuff I was listening to at the time. I was versed in Fugazi which represents the post-hardcore this group is based in, but Tabula Rasa has a distinctive math rock core. This is most likely because of their birthplace which also happens to be Pittsburgh. Don Caballero may be that city’s most important export and the influence of them is felt on this record immensely. What is interesting is that members of Tabula Rasa would in the future meet up with Mike Banfield of Don Cab fame. Tabula Rasa seems distinctive of recent groups like Kidcrash and Off Minor in terms of instrumental prowess, but the vocals and song structures do evoke a more poppy background. 'More Words Than Not' is a clear example of how catchy the group can be with its distinctive switches between calm, melodic portions to stretched out mini-crescendos. I guess simply put Tabula Rasa kind of sounds like the meeting point between At the Drive-in and Three Penny Opera.

Tabula Rasa's 'The Role of Smith'

Dynamically 'The Role of Smith is excellent. This group of musicians were perfect at letting the songs boil down and up at the correct time and also with their version of repetition. Songs don't really follow verses and choruses rather verses and choruses follow the songs seemingly popping up in between various guitar intricacies and drum fills. This works beautifully making tracks like 'How Old Are You..?' and the instrumental 'The Eating Contest' seem fluid yet extensively composed. The fluid nature of the music drifts into the playing of each member of the band and everything from the rhythm section to the vocals all seems to have a placement in the construction of the songs. The main problem of the record seems to be because of its rather spotty production. The guitars seem a little weak, the bass a little out of place, and the drums not pristine enough. I often over look this fact by simply rationalizing that it was on a record label run by Anti-Flag so obviously they weren't that concerned with releasing a completely amazing package. 'The Role of Smith' is a fabulous example of post-hardcore and should definitely be investigated by anyone interested in the genre.

Ghostlimb's 'Bearing and Distance'

I've also included Ghostlimb's latest record 'Bearing and Distance' on this post. I have the vinyl release of this record, but the CD version apparently possesses more tracks so I figured I'd upload that one. This record is one of the best hardcore records I've heard in '08 yet. It features members of Graf Orlock who I'm not really a fan of but to think that group has helped this one come to be justifies its worth ten fold. There are numerous nautical references all over the record and stylistically it sounds wrapped in despair similar to its themes. Essentially a trio playing some of the most aggressive and interesting hardcore these days and live they are equally as entertaining. Certainly a group anyone interested in aggressive music should check out.


Tabula Rasa - 'The Role of Smith' (2003)
Ghostlimb - 'Bearing & Distance' (2008)

Ampere / Funeral Diner - Split

i'm going to be seeing Ampere tomorrow evening. i've been wanting to see Ampere since I heard their first LP way back in 2005. obviously as we can tell from the last post on here, 2005 was a great year for "emo" or whatever. 'All Our Tomorrows End Today' was an excellent combination of early '90s hardcore with Orchid's rigid sophistication. that record is such a perfect capsule of what Ampere is all about. anyways, from my first day hearing them i've been sure they must have been a killer live act.. but every time they came somewhere near Pennsylvania something came up. hopefully no foul play is involved tomorrow. in honor of seeing Ampere or whatever I'm putting up their split with Funeral Diner. The track by Funeral Diner is released somewhere else, i believe a tour EP.. but both Ampere tracks are just on this record. 'Sleepwalkers' is definitely the highlight on Ampere's side throwing together all sorts of odd guitar lyrics and even a part that sounds like it is about to break into something that isn't fast as shit which is certainly uncharacteristic for the band. the Funeral Diner features an excellent track that feels very similar to the new Funeral Diner member laced ...Who Calls So Loud. all in all this split 9" was a great purchase and the etchings that are on the actual vinyl are beautiful. wish i had pictures.

ampere / funeral diner - split

asleep or awake, eyes open or closed.
we'll see through boarded windows and cracked concrete.
you & me - all of us - we will be discord, volatile & explosive.
we will write our histories.
we'll not let on to faking and plant a thousand lies.
they won't know; no one will know our truth.
we see the logic in revision & practice what we hate
- so revel in your contradiction, a wrench in some machine.

- Sleepwalkers; Ampere

Ampere / Funeral Diner - Split 9"

Top Ten of 2007: 108 - A New Beat from a Dead Heart

the hardcore reunion seems to have become in vogue as of late. i'm not going to back up that claim with anything other than the recent Suicide File reunion that took place in Chicago. from the slew of youtube footage it does seem like a rather sincere event, but one has to question how effective or ethical a reunion for a hardcore band is. i mean, in its premature stages wasn't hardcore all about constantly pushing ahead? i'm not saying i wouldn't have loved to seen The Suicide File play some of their hits from the classic 'Twilight', but that reach for nostalgia in my opinion is sort of elevating the band to a status of being above their fans in some way which kind of attacks the one sacred thing i ask for in all of music, emotional expression. oh well, at least we know a band like 108 isn't pretending in the slight as we can tell by their first reunited release 'A New Beat from a Dead Heart'.

108

i'm guessing if you've ever read a review of 108 it mentions their religion, how they were an anomaly (i keep using that fucking word) in hardcore because of their eastern religious beliefs, something to that effect. i guess that is important, i mean when i saw them late last year they were burning incense and playing the typical drone chants that have come to define 'indian' music. in all honesty thought, i don't really give a shit about this groups religious beliefs. they could be declaring for the prosecution of all jews and if they played as intense and well composed music as they do on 'A New Beat from a Dead Heart', i'd still be down with the record. obviously, the time and signing to Deathwish has provoked a more modern take on their sound. tracks like 'Three Hundred Liars' and 'Martyr Complex' evoke a sound that is based in old 108, but with an obvious Converge/Ballou influence behind the guitars. mark that to the fact that Kurt produced the album, and while it is apparent upon first listen it isn't really distracting. basically this is a hardcore group that originally flirted with metal and now has seemingly fallen in love with that genre of music. a welcome change and a passionate record that i wasn't exactly expecting from a group that had been gone from the scene for so long.

108's 'A New Beat from a Dead Heart'

while in the view of last year, 'A New Beat from a Dead Heart' is clearly a top ten record, in 108's own discography it certainly is not the highlight. a New York band that was obviously one of the strongest impacts on the mid-90s hardcore sound 108 has a fabulous string of albums from 'Songs of Separation' to 'Threefold Misery' all under produced gems of religious exploration in the field of aggressive music. an extremely unique take on an otherwise agnostic sound.

108 - 'a new beat from a dead heart'