Kevin Drumm and Lasse Marhaug - bandcamps for noise legends

Just found out that Kevin Drumm and Lasse Marhaug have started their own bandcamp pages to slowly put their back catalogue stuff on. They've both been doing noise and experimental stuff for years and have some level of quality control so it's worth checking their stuff out:-

Kevin Drumm bandcamp

Lasse Marhaug bandcamp

Hopefully it might inspire other decent noise artists/labels to put up good quality back catalogue stuff.

Orgone Accumulators - august 2013 demo

THE GREATEST MUSIC YOU WILL EVER HEAR IN YOUR LIFE!!!!!

Yeah, I'm a bit biased cos I made it but it is worth a listen. Started as an attempt to make an electronica version of Man Or Astroman? Ended up as some kind of synth-y lo-fi indie thing?

Noise Rock - 2013 'scene report'

Noise rock is on fire at the moment. There's a small number of bands putting out absolutely killer stuff at the moment. Pretty much the only thing I'm scrabbling around collecting vinyl of. A lot of it seems to fall through the cracks and not get much attention. That's why I thought I'd bung together a list of the great stuff that's out there in one place.

It's probably worth stating roughly what I'm defining noise rock as to avoid confusion. I'm thinking of the output of labels like Amphetamine Reptile. Bands like Unsane, Helmet, Big Black, Distorted Pony, Glazed Baby, Hammerhead, Fudge Tunnel, 16, Cherubs etc.

It'd include Jesus Lizard but not the millions of post-ATP Lizard wannabe indie bands littering University cities across the world. Nor really the Lightning Bolt/Skin Graft/Load kind of thing (although you definitely need to check out Xaddax). The bands all probably like Swans as well but I'm not talking about hour long brutal doom stuff either.

Hope that makes some kind of sense. Anyway, all the following bands vaguely fit in that description. Also, I fully approve them all as quality noise rock. I can't be bothered finding a load of different ways to say each band is good. Every one of the bands on this list is good. Now go check them out. Oh, and feel free to make any suggestions in the comments. Keeping up with the noise rock tag on this here blog might be a wise idea too

HEBOSAGIL
http://hebosagil.bandcamp.com/
After a killer 7" on Kvlt Of Nihilow the gods of awesome Finnish music, Circle, have released the new LP on their Full Contact label.
A review, another review, another one.
Hebosagil on facebook

THROAT
http://ihatethroat.bandcamp.com/album/manhole
"fans of Unsane, Die 116, Tad, Bastards etc take note and obey." - Collective zine review
Another fantastic noise rock band from Finland. They've been putting out some great releases on Kvlt Of Nihilow, At War With False Noise as well as their own, excellent Kaos Kontrol label

BAXTER STOCKMAN
http://bstockman.bandcamp.com/
"The guitar parts crawl and lurk, reminiscent of the Jesus Lizard or some of the snakier, more aggro moments presented by bands like Crain, Rodan or the Shipping News while anchorage is provided by glutinous lumps of bass gloop that slide and slump ominously in the background" - Collective zine review
Yet more awesome Finnish stuff put out by Kvlt Of Nihilow and Ektro
Baxter Stockman on facebook

LURCH
http://lurchsongs.bandcamp.com/album/demo-april-2013
Think of stuff like Trance Syndicate, Band Of Susans, The God Machine, Foetus, Swans, Old Lady Drivers, Bastro, Steel Pole Bath Tub, Amphetamine Reptile etc. The guitars go from the really noisey end of indie stuff to all out sludge. Vocals go from almost-sung stuff (that's actually comprehensible) to agonised screams.
Lurch on facebook

TILE
http://tilenoise.bandcamp.com/
I've been waiting for this album for quite a while. They put an amazing 7" on Kvlt Of Nihilow but that was back in 2010. Thankfully it doesn't disappoint. It's more top tier noise rock. At times there's Pissed Jeans-esque tunes but generally just thunders the riffs along. Definitely an album I'm picking up on vinyl.
Tile on facebook

DRUNK IN HELL
http://drunkinhell.bandcamp.com/
Best band in the UK by a mile. "Vile noiserock shitstorm" was the description i put on a flyer once. There's been talk of them doing a split with the mighty Kilslug. Fingers crossed for records soon. In the meantime youtube will have to do - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOvOKIm4mdc - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41S2NNUHI-I - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he4W0DVMgK4
Drunk In Hell on facebook

WOLFBAIT
http://artforblind.bandcamp.com/album/w-lfbait
This is sick. Horrid, slow, relentless, pulverising dirge. Swans. Describe themselves as "kraut violence". Imagine Man Is The Bastard covering a Neu song. But a Neu song written by Chrome at their bad acid addled worst. Like being tarred and feathered and thrown into a cesspit.
Wölfbait on facebook

PINK CITY
http://pinkcity.bandcamp.com/album/virgins
Drum machine noise rock duo that "have found some FX and parts sound a bit like Nirvana drunkenly trying to do My Bloody Valentine stuff" Spoonful of tar
Pink City on facebook

WARBRIDES
http://warbrides.bandcamp.com/
Got a bit of math-y Chicago rock going on amongst the noise rock riffage

HYRROKKIN
http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-hyrrokkins-anacoluthon/
Like a jazzier Dazzling Killmen or a punkier Caspar Brotzmann Massaker. the Decibel thingy mentions Dysrythmia and Sonny Sharrock. a friend mentioned Nels Cline and Sun City Girls' jazzy moments.
Hyrrokkin on facebook

FRIEND COLLECTOR
http://friendcollector.bandcamp.com/album/fcii
the awesome Built On A Weak Spot blog compared them to Swans, Glazed Baby and Drunks With Guns. 'nuff said.
Friend Collector on bandcamp

MURDEREDMAN
http://polar-envy.bandcamp.com/album/murderedman
Murderedman on facebook

FAKING
http://faking.bandcamp.com/
Only a raw 3 track demo so far but hopefully there'll be records soon
Faking on facebook

DROSE
http://droseohio.bandcamp.com/album/a-voice-7
Interview at Destroyed Human, Collective review
Drose on facebook


DIRTDRINKER
http://dirtdrinker.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-lp
If you like stuff like Unsane, Ken Mode, Kowloon Walled City and Coalesce then you're going to be into this. It kind of exists in the grey area between noise rock and the good offkilter end of metallic hardcore (ie Hydrahead, Kiss It Goodbye, Botch, Deadguy etc). In some places the vocals even reach Steve Austin of Today Is The Day levels of intensity.
Dirtdrinker on facebook

PORNOGRAPHY
http://prngrphy.bandcamp.com/
"horrid Swans style noise rock. Repetitive dischords battered out in a most uncomfortable manner." according to me
Destroyed Human review

KOWLOON WALLED CITY
http://kowloonwalledcity.bandcamp.com/album/container-ships
Their first 2 albums, Turk Street and Gambling On The Richter Scale that Feast Of Tentacles put out are totally essential. Pounding rhythmic noise rock stuff. New album veers into a slightly more shoegaze-y sound but is still awesome. UK tour long overdue.
Kowloon Walled City on facebook

TIDE OF IRON
http://shybairnsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tide-of-iron-sow-ep
http://superfirecords.bandcamp.com/album/split-7-3
Keelhaul/Today Is The Day inspired stuff from Newcastle. Only a split on Super Fi Records so far. In the meantime, this video they made of Bill Cosby dancing to one of their songs is quality - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0BqXqoLgp4

ART OF BURNING WATER
http://artofburningwater.bandcamp.com/album/this-disgrace
"AOBW channel the prime noise-rock of vintage Zeni Geva and Godflesh with the more complex rhythmical riff obsessions of the Melvins, Keelhaul and mid-period Voivod" according to their press release - http://spoonfuloftar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/art-of-burning-water-this-disgrace-riot.html
Art Of Burning Water on facebook

GODSTOPPER
http://godstopper.bandcamp.com/
"Somewhere between the Thunder-Pop of sparkly heavy-hitters Torche, the aggressive sludge of fellow Floridians Cavity and the awkward stop-start dream-logic quasi-operatic noise rock of Pony Express Record-era Shudder To Think" - Sleeping Shaman
"stop thinking and get deep into a dichotomous band where dream pop meets nightmare metal, with a healthily unusual mixing of chiming major chords and filthy bass stabs together with chanting underpinned by crushing doom" - Collective zine review
Godstopper on facebook

BONE
http://boneband.bandcamp.com/album/for-want-of-feeling
Melbourne, Australia must be a bleak place. This lot have got a sparse, post-punk thing going on. kind of taut basslines with those old goth-y tom-heavy drums. But then there's also hints of 90s touch and go, Bastro, God Machine, Trumans Water and similar things.
Bone on facebook

SINKING SUNS
http://sinkingsuns.bandcamp.com/
The excellent folk over at Shiny Grey Monotone mentioned Killdozer, Steel Pole Bath Tub, Scratch Acid, Tar, Crucifucks, Big'N, Sicbay and Distorted Pony in their review.
Sinking Suns on facebook

Well, there you go. A bunch of awesome noise rock bands. By the way, there's a gig in London waiting for any of these bands plus some help sorting a UK tour.

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City

As ever, for the more mainstream stuff, Boomkat will sort you out nicely for an independent place to get the FLAC from

Well bugger me sideways with an animatronic panda and call me Wesley, Vampire Weekend have managed to make an album without any horrendous songs on. They've always had some really great songs on their albums but interspersed with stuff that veered from average to outright embarrassing. Take the first album for example. A Punk makes me literally want to jump under a combine harvester. The worst shit in the world ever. Like an unholy mixture of Less Than Jake, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Coldplay.

However, you could make a pretty decent EP out of that first album with help from the delete button. Second one had some great tunes as well but a fair amount of filler too.

Thankfully it's actually possible to listen to this new Vampire Weekend album all the way through without wanting to jump on a plane and batter the band's family pets to death with a golf club.

Quite an achievement in anyone's books.

Here's the good tunes:-

Iron Lung - White Glove Test

Once again Iron Lung prove that their lightyears beyond the rest of the 'power violence' hardcore crowd. All modern grindcore is rendered even more irrelevant than it already is. Burn Maximum Rock n Roll towers to the ground. Send every hardcore punk record made in the past few years to be melted down and recycled. Push every member of a xCelebrityNamex band under a speeding bus. Ban anyone with dreadlocks from buying a guitar. It's done. It's all over. Iron Lung are Gods.

Ice Dragon - Born A Heavy Morning

Some quality early 70s rock worship. Rather than balls out rocking or Sabbath dooming Ice Dragon go for a slightly more stately Groundhogs/Humble Pie almost prog feel.

Flaum Adger - s/t (ex-Jesus Lizard)

Folk from Jesus Lizard and Dis- get together to make a record of classic Chicago style underground rock.

Relatively tuneful which gives it a bit of a Tar feel in places.

The Tunnel - s/t

because you need a Venezualan duo that sound like Torche/Harvey Milk gone operatic but with organ & salsa beats in your life

worth watching this video until at least the 5:30 mark where it all goes wild Van Halen shredding and then he starts to dance.



This may well be my new favourite band. I'd try to explain this in more depth but I think I need to go and have a lie down for a while.

Tyranny Is Tyranny - Let It Come From Whom It May

Think 90s Ebullition/Crimethinc putting out a noise rock/Amphetamine Reptile type band. Maybe something like Torches To Rome crossed with Ire but with more Hammerhead than hardcore in the riffs. Lots of rhythmic guitar stuff, a few 'twinkles', some heavy bits. Seriously good stuff.

Daniel Rosenboom - Book Of Omens

This is jazz metal with the emphasis heavily on the jazz. This Rosenboom bloke is a proper jazz bloke (a trumpeter). Watched some live videos and it's all expensive shirts and mineral water and designer glasses. No bad thing in my book. Just trying to make sure you don't think it's some kind of Naked City style long haired skronk-athon.

Imagine the jazz songs Candiria did but with Meshuggah levels of technicality played by real jazz folk. It's weird because some of the guitar playing gets pretty brtual and dissonant but it still all sounds quite smooth. You know how Sonny Sharrock just starts randomly battering his guitar in the middle of Herbie Mann stuff? A bit like that but a tech-metal version.

Oh, and it's not tech-metal in a jaw dropping WTF widdlemageddon Behold The Arctopus type way. You could probably get away with playing it in a fancy restaurant. Well, for a while. The clientele would soon be ordering their steak ultra-rare and eating it bare handed and smearing blood over themselves before demanding a human sacrifice for dessert.

Svart Crown - Profane

Sick, weird technical death metal stuff from France. Starkweather were posting about a new song by Ulcerate this morning. They basically said FFO Gorguts, Pyrrhon, Portal and Svart Crown. Love the other bands already so thought I'd check Svart Crown out. Holy shit! Add something like Deathspell Omega to that list of bands and you're about there. Quality.

Trumans Water/Birdbath split

Well bugger me, Trumans Water are still going. Great news as they're a total 90s underground classic. Like a bastard punk rock Sonic Youth or something.

Was just watching this recently unearthed live footage of Trumans Water from 1993 and thought I'd check out what they're doing now.



Birdbath are alright too. Kind of math-y noisey indie rock stuff. You could imagine them playing with Bilge Pump.

Meridian Brothers - Desesperanza (Soundway)

One of those bands that's impossible to describe. Think a mix of The Residents, Ethiopiques compilations, 60s surf instrumentals, old 60s electronics and Latin American psych stuff like Os Mutantes and that Tropicalia compilation Soul Jazz put out.

This Colombian band are dead tuneful but in a really bizarre way. Highly recommended though.





Oh, and they've also done one of the strangest covers of Purple Haze I've heard



Boomkat is the place for FLAC of this