This is a blank formatted diskette.

I have been following local band Forces since catching them by chance live and really liking their blatant Depeche Mode worship. This unique release is their debut single 'Ice' put out by Siberia Records in 2011 on a playable postcard. I hadn't seen this format before but apparently they were quite common in the 60s and have been making a resurgence with the increase in interest in vinyl. With a bit of research I saw the ever reliable Pirates Press press them, so I can imagine I will be seeing a few more of them around. 

The track itself is a pretty great 80s stomper, sounding as i mentioned before akin to Depeche Mode with more of an EBM edge. The band does a great job of capturing that hard 80s industrial drum sound with a harsh electronic snare that wouldn't sound out of place on Pretty Hate Machine. Give it a listen here.

You can buy a copy here.

All in Deeper Shit.

I spoke about AIDS in an earlier post. Was stoked to score this on Ebay a few months ago as it is pretty hard to come by. That said I have seen it pop up a few times. Definitely happy to have this as I really like the way they pull off their brand of fast hardcore.

The 'Fuckface' CDR put out by the now defunct (or at least very very quiet) Fuckface Records in 2003. My copy is part of the machine stitched red fabric sleeve with hand stamped face edition of 100. Another 25 exist in yellow envelopes and the material here was also pressed to flexi in 2004 and limited to 40 copies. I have missed out on the flexi version a couple of times on Ebay as it tends to blow up way outside what I am  willing to pay. Unsurprisingly the songs here are very similar in style and structure to the material on the Infection CS (recorded a year earlier). Extremely fast hardcore. One major difference is the vocals are shared between members on this release due to the departure of the former singer and as such vary depending which member is emptying their lungs. You can read more about this release at the bassist Rohan's blog here.

From tombs of scorn cadavers rise.

Kind of an obvious post this one. First press of Morbid Angel's 1991 classic 'Blessed are the Sick'. Very happy to add this to my collection. I have a massive amount of love for early death metal and the early Earache Records roster is pretty much untouchable. A lot of people have had a lot to say about him and his business practices but one thing cannot be denied: Digby sure had an eye for great bands.

This record almost defines the "classical 90s death metal" sound. Ticks in all boxes: mid paced riffing (still blinding in skill and dexterity) lower and more guttural vocals and muddy production. If you even have a passing interest in extreme metal and don't own this record in any form you are doing yourself a disservice.

Burning Chrome

This is a test press of Chrome Dome's 'Negative Vibes' 7" released by EXSS records in 1999 and limited to 150 copies. Picked this up from DX (of Distort zine fame) online when he was selling some records. Nothing fancy here just the record in a plain sleeve. Chrome Dome are a band I waver between really liking and finding incredibly annoying. Obviously i like them enough to pick up this test press.

Starting in 2009 and playing minimal synth with a heavy goth influence, Chrome Dome bring to mind the damaged synth of Primitive Calculators and the whole post punk "Small Band" scene they helped create. They strike me as a band that could only have formed in the art friendly incubator of Melbourne. Which is not to say this brand of synth punk couldn't be peddled in other Cities, I just find their whole approach to be for want of better words "very Melbourne". A friend of mine puts the classic battle between this way "Like assholes? move to Sydney, wankers more your style? Melbourne's your place". 

My small collection is pictured below. (From Left to right clockwise: Cut Ties 7" - Nihilistic Orbs - 2011, Self Titled 7" - NoPatience Records - 2010,  Self Titled Cassette - Psychotic Reaction - 2010).
 

Their self titled cassette and only full length (to my knowledge) wavers between slinky synth punk numbers ("Life is a Party") and tracks like "I Can't See Her" an annoying dirge featuring obnoxious vocals that sound like two people lost in a nightclub yelling at each other trying to indicate where one of their lost friends are over a cobbled together synth line. Despite their flaws I remain intrigued enough to steadily pick up their releases.

Vile.

Picked this up alongside another tape pretty cheap. Vile Gash - Leech cassingle put out by Life-Rot in 2009.

Call me a total neophyte but this was my first exposure to Vile Gash. I'd heard the name thrown around a bit and when I saw this alongside the other tape i was buying i figured 'why not' so picked it up too. The recording on this tape is absolutely distorted as hell, i imagine the needles were buried heavily in the red. To be honest this worked for me. I think my exposure to a lot of black metal recorded underwater with dictaphones helped though.

What you get here is 3 tracks (Side B repeats) of blitzkrieg hardcore that are apparently not representative of the band, but having not heard their other stuff who am I to judge. My only criticism is that it is all over before you really begin to get a feel for the songs as the only track that clocks in longer then 50 seconds is the third track, a cover. From this tape I wouldn't say I was entirely sold on the band, but I certainly didn't hate it.

Condensed Flesh

This, monoxide inhalers, is The Flesh Police rehearsal tape. Had this posted to me by the guitarist (and all round legendary bloke). Feat. ex and current members of a bunch of notable and upcoming Perth bands (Grandmother & Suffer to name two) and limited to around 20 copies send out to friends, affiliates and total assholes around the country. To put it simply this tape RAGES.

Flesh Police play that special brand of hateful hardcore with dirgey slow parts that tickles my fancy. With catchy, hooky riffs and an absolute rabid dog vocalist (Berkay of Slays4Days fame. Buy his excellent zine here) I think their own description of West Coast Grind Violence does the job nicely of summing them up. When they lock into a groove you can feel the sweat of a pit closing in. More obvious reference points are Crossed Out, SQRM and the new crop of Australian powerviolence influenced hardcore (you know who they are).

Rumour has it of a split 7" due 2013. Really keen to hear what these cats do next. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.

UPDATE: The CS is also available to pay your filthstained dollars for HERE.

Check out a recent set here:

G-Beat?

So i am sure i am not the only one to have noticed that so many rawpvnx have been crossing over into peacepunk/goth (why do we have so many sub-sub-sub-subgenres?) recently. I read an excellent article that dubs this newish "wave" Gbeat HERE.

On this note i picked up the Belgrado 12" from NoPatience recently. I described this record as female fronted non-angular (it rolls instead of stop-starting) post punk. This might make my top 10 the ammount i have been playing it of late. For fans of Killing Joke, Joy Division, 45 Grave.

Check out this track:

Then Buy the damn thing from Lewis NoPatience.