REVIEWS

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PROCESS 2014 DEMO

Another gem from Gainesville, Florida. This is what blown out d-beat noise should sound like. Charging drums, shouted slogans, and short mastered guitar licks. This project seems to pick up where Mauser left off with less rock and more straight forward d-beat charged noise punk. Great band. Expect lots of heads turning for this one. You can download the demo for free from HERE.

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SSYNDROM 2014 DEMO

Hailing from Sacramento comes this 4 piece noise assault. Opening track comes out abruptly with a distinctive Shitlickers ferocity and influence. Influences are very clear with the former being the most prevalent one along with Anti-Cimex and Disorder. Tracks are manic, fast and noisey. If this is your bag then this is a fine listen. You can check them out on FB and you can download the demo for free at there Bandcamp.

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VERMIN 2013 DEMO

We slept on this but now we are very aware of Vermin from Gainesville, Florida. This scene keeps pumping out solid punk bands. Reverbratiing vocals and blistering short fast songs gives the listener an awfully good ear full of blistering punk. This demo doesn't dissapoint and watch out for there S/T 7" coming out soon on URGENT WARNING RECORDS. We couldn't find a download link but check out the demo on YOUTUBE.

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ARCTIC FLOWERS "WEAVER" LP

With plenty of albums both recently released and gearing up for release by current deathrock bands, it’s actually hard to decide where to start… But I suppose I’ll begin here with the latest Arctic Flowers LP, “Weaver”.

With the release of the fantastically eerie “Procession” EP of 2012, it seemed that Arctic Flowers had really come into that mournfully haunting delay and reverb heavy atmosphere of the classic deathrock sound they had always expressed such interest in. However, in comparison, “Weaver” displays a definite shift away from such shadowy tenets into more assertive new wave phantasmagoria – not unlike the “Reveries” LP of 2011 actually. I don’t mean to imply reversion, far from it, but rather that they've sounded most natural when bringing down the hammer with the decidedly aggressive approach set to a faster-than-classic tempo… much like in what I like to regard as the band’s anthem, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”, off of the first EP.

“Anamnesia” on the “Weaver” LP heralds back to where Arctic Flowers soars. Its deliciously driving bass line violently punched the fuck up with war-like drum beats (which is always appreciated) captures the extreme energy this band cultivates at shows and shares with the peoples; Arctic Flowers always brings on the intensity.

Though I wouldn’t leave “Weaver” on repeat for days on end, the brief, but effective (and rather spooky) presence of the interlude, “Cold Air Dead Hand”, caught my attention and provided as an excellent transition into “Byzantine” which would have no problem pulling all of the peoples off of the wall and onto the dance floor at any goth club - perhaps in the company of New Model Army and Children on Stun. I know what I’ll be putting on at the club next time!