It's a nasty piece of work, this second album by these Norwegian upstarts. Well, technically, it's their third full-length, as their 2005 self-financed debut was picked up by and re-released with a different tracklist three years later. For the sake of argument though, let's just go with the second album and state upfront that it's one of the most maniacal releases out there at the minute. Like their debut, "Powers of horror" bases itself on a solid, if rather unconventional, punk foundation with distinct metal overtones, all of which meld together to produce a filthy collection of semi-complex punk metal that stands alone in terms of creativity while remaining firmly embedded in both genres' formative roots. This album sounds a little cleaner than its predecessor, but that's not to say it's a sanitary release by any means. In staying true to the extreme side of the label, Haust doesn't release music; rather they spew forth a barrage of unrelenting vehemence with a total disregard for public safety. It's this approach that encapsulates total musical violence at its most harrowing, with vocalist Vebjørn Guttormsgaard effortlessly tying all the elements together with a brutally savage output. Standout tracks? It's hard to say since -- and this may sound like the old cliché -- every track on here is a contender. Does it better what Haust did on "Ride the relapse"? It depends on what angle you're coming from. Take seminal Dutch deathsters Pestilence as an example. Did you adore the grime of "Consuming impulse" and feel just a little wary of the relative tidiness of "Testimony of the ancients"? Both awesome albums in their own right, but the latter just hinting at what might come a few years down the line. Of course, there's not nearly as much variation in cleanliness on the two Haust albums, but the difference, however slight, is definitely there all the same. It's very unlikely they'll change as much as Pestilence did, though. That aside, the more I listen the more I think that "Ride the relapse" just pips this at the post. Not by much, mind. Regardless, they're two lethal albums! Just buy both and make your own mind up. - John Norby
If this record had been released in the US, Yamon Yamon would be the perfect support band for the Cap'n Jazz reunion tour. However, while sonic similarities exist between those groups, it's from all of the Kinsella brothers' catalogue which influence is taken. It's quite a refreshing heritage too, not only because the music does not date itself as easily, but also because it's always been very competent. Yamon Yamon adhere to that aesthetic on their debut, creating a piece a bit more lighter and simultaneously punkier ("African nights") and one with indie-centric ferocity ("The darker place"). What has continuously struck me whilst listening to this though, is how great it must sound live. - Matt Giordano
Both José González and Junip's music is best suited for a seated theater than a standing-room only club, but that didn't stop the latter from putting on an excellent show at the last stop of their premiere US tour in Seattle on Saturday night. Expectations were met and exceeded and the new material sounded great once I let myself get into their hypnotic groove. Great heavy 70s vibe too, with the driving organ and extra percussionist on stage -- definitely got the feeling they could easily let things ramble off into spacier territory with quality results. Maybe next time, in November? When they come back with a more established repertoire?
Though I really did enjoy the show, I still have a few bones to pick. One, and this is more of a general complaint not specific to Junip, the mandatory/expected encore is bullshit. I love seeing a band play a solid, well-planned and focused set; even better if they leave the audience wanting more (and don't give it to them). Second, Mr. González needs to ween off the covers. I fully expected "The ghost of Tom Joad" since the band recorded it for the "Black refuge" EP, but had I left pre-encore, I would have missed it and been none the wiser. In fact, I kinda wish I did leave pre-encore because what they did play was not worth sticking around for. Two covers (the aforementioned Springsteen plus a Nico song) with an unmemorable original sandwiched between? Lame. Shame to go out on a bad note.
Well, well. What a nasty little nugget of thrash metal we have here. Zombiekrig purvey a sound that's ever so slightly on the wrong side of clean, resulting in an album that's just sonically abrasive enough to stand up to the likes of genre luminaries Destruction and Kreator. While "Undantagstillstånd" is an insanely good debut album, it'll surely come into its own when played in front of an audience. Indeed, you can bet your brains that this stuff will slay in a live environment, with the zombie horde clambering at the stage as the Swedish quartet feed them their dose of head-mashing blackened thrash. This album is like Romero gone mental in the music world and, like most of his movies, it doesn't let up for a second. There are some amazing mid-paced sections and, while the majority of the album is simple enough, every element slots together perfectly to prove that ultra-tech really isn't the final word in extreme music. No riff collections on here, just plain, pure, down and dirty thrash played with the sole intention of accomplishing total head removal. Vocalist Axel Widen is the real attraction on here though. His spine-chilling screams and shrieks adhere to a typical thrash standard but offer so much more: they're both disturbing and awe-inspiring in equal measures and they elevate "Undantagstillstånd" to a pedestal that would have been less attainable given a lesser throat-destroyer. This is almost an essential album and a bit more originality and attention to detail on further releases should find the band achieve their full potential. Besides, with a name like Zombiekrig, how can they really go wrong!? - John Norby
Returning late last year with their proper second record, Mixtapes & Cellmates have improved in every aspect. Whilst their debut and prior EPs were restrained in their reflective qualities, "Rox" sees them invert that. Could it all be the addition of a drummer? Or could it be the leaps and bounds frontman Robert Svensson has made as a songwriter (as evident on his solo debut)? I believe it's that, and the band coming together as a whole. Theor love of early 90s noisy shoegaze is exemplified on songs such as"Soon", "Rain, letters, memories" and "The lesser half of cynical boys", as is the influence of 80s British guitar pop on "Sunday", "All of the above" and "Soft eyes". What set this apart from their comtemporaries whose output may be similar is that Mixtapes take it all a bit further, adding that bit more screeching guitar notes and maxing out their phase pedals. Everything on this has a bit more emphasis, and it all melds together into blissful music. - Matt Giordano
There's nothing at all conventional about this Danish quartet and it's for this reason that they will appeal to pretty much anyone who likes their music to force them to think once in a while. It's not that Menfolk are overly complex, or even that they're difficult to understand; rather they are just quirky as hell right across the board. Odd song structures benefit from an odd overall sound, and this is mainly down to the band's ability to think outside the box in all aspects of their craft. Norway's maestros of all things bizarre -- Virus -- spring to mind on occasion, although Menfolk don't offer quite the David Lynch-type headfuck that Czral and his cohorts manage to muster. Instead they combine the essence of that eerie complexity and blend it with a more simplified structure akin to Rage Against the Machine and Fugazi. A simplified complexity, if you will. That might sound like a bit of a contradiction in terms, but after one spin of "Beast one / Man nil" it all makes sense. Sort of. Hell, these guys don't even approach instrumentation in a conventional way, opting to bookend the crunchy drive of one guitar with the pummelling detonation of two basses. It definitely works wonders for the sound which, while hinting at the aforementioned acts, comes across like a punked-up Primus meets a funked-up Fudge Tunnel. While the musicianship is spot on the money, this is quite a noisy release, where guitar feedback, although kept in the background, serves as a deliberate structural component. If there's one gripe about this album though, it's that the passages where single notes (rather than chords) are played on the guitar sound a bit too watery. It's a shame, since the chords are absolutely monstrous. A great second album with little in the way of flaws and heaps in the way of punk attitude. - John Norby
Haust
Yamon Yamon
Zombiekrig
Mixtapes & Cellmates
Menfolk