Thursday, April 29, 2010

Resistant Culture - Welcome to Reality


Bringing you the sound of “Urgent tribal grindcrust”, Resistant Culture is one of the few recent truly anarcho-grind bands that follow in the sonic audio wake of Napalm Death and Terrorizer, and also gives a salute to the Discharge /Antisect/Doom crust boys in terms of social criticism and pure audio genius. Based out of L.A. this band is a blunt force strike against society in support of environmental issues and Native American/indigenous rights and cultures, including womens rights against sexual violence. The fact that this grind/death music is so reactive and pyrogenic, it should come with a warning label stating that "upon listening this sound may spontaneously burst into flames".

This band is the perfect slam to your head but also serves a real purpose and grind/death metal is the perfect medium to spread the aggression and bring about some insight into issues that do actually matter, not too mention the appearance of Jesse Pintado (RIP) of ND/Terrorizer on this recording to show his support for the band and their message. For a brutal band the lyrics are clearly audible and the infusion with tribal/Native American chants and even the occasional tribal instruments thrown in behind sound samples of military choppers in the back ground really creates an angst that takes a real message away from the mosh pit, but is undeniably mosh material.

This is some of the best grind/anarcho stuff that I’ve ever heard actually, it’s sophisticated yet completely brutal and throbbing. I’m always for giving the finger to bullshit and flushing the turds that run society through ignorance and greed like the giant hot steaming mass of shit that they are, and this is the band to do it with. Brains and real opinions done with some of the most intense and extreme music styles, blast beats meet the streets and desecrate them. AWESOME!!!!!!!! Please check this band out, they have several releases aside from this one and they are all flawless and equally as gnarly, bands this good need to be heard and definitely felt.

http://www.resistantculture.com/community/home

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Bekhira - Demo 1996 (re-issue on Elegy Records, 2010)


Another fiendish and brilliant piece of black distorted filth to come our way from France, and this comes highly recommended for the true underground listener. Upon first listen it’s immediately obvious that this band is a sonic fury of dark and raw angst, it’s really hard to believe that this is a demo actually, although it’s a re-issue of a demo, it’s still too good to be a demo. The production is perfect, never dissolving the raw power and belligerence, but not well produced to the point of destroying the metallic muscle that is the buzzing chainsaw guitar riffs. If you want your metal black, strong, untainted, and straight ahead ferocious this is one to check out. Recommended for fans of Dark Sanctuary, Deinonychus, Chemin de Haine (as it contains members of these bands), Watain and Darkthrone, but I’d add in Funeral Goat, Hellhammer, and Vomitor.

www.elegyrecords.com

Hellveto - Kry (Pagan Records)


The true sound of Pagan Black Metal is the perfect description of this Polish masterminds work. Twelve years in the making and sweeping across the underground with his storm of symphonic and opaque sounds, unleashing the spirits of the ancient dead, but not forgotten, cultures and the people. Think of it as the hollow echoing voices of the past calling out as the spirits pass through you, the chill of the presence as they enter into your being and the thrill of the heathen energy within as it runs through your veins and you wield the axe.

I’ve been a follower of Hellveto since Autumnal Night and have heard my share of pagan and symphonic bands, but not too many can really haunt you like this stuff does. Autumnal Night felt like a blaze, you could actually feel the fire through the music and see the tribe performing a ritual as the inferno burned hotter and brighter lighting up the sky. This newest work, Kry, is as dynamic as you can get from a symphonic solo project, you feel the frosty dawn approach as the midnight fog crosses the Slavic plains and the stirring of the souls of the past as they scream out to signal the return of the pagan blood, yet always remains a black metal album.

This is truly epic, stark, bone-chilling, and resonating album that brings to life the true legend and spirit of the pagans. The wall of guitar encircles you as you hear the haunting voices muddled in the brewing of the storm, the keyboard is simply a backdrop to give you the feeling of something stirring, never diluting the sinister atmosphere created within this music, the percussion is tribal and perfect to summon the dead and unleash the beasts of pagan wrath and fury. If you are unfamiliar with this artist then I'd suggest you introduce yourself immediately, this is nothing short of FUCKING amazing. I’d also recommend checking out Blakagir.