vinyl for days

[vinylfordays]

Faceless Burial - Demo 2015

Self-released, edition of 100

There is a bit of a resurgence of death metal going on here in Australia, perhaps several years too late to catch any particular 'waves' but nonetheless solid contributions to an ever increasing pool of Australian death. Faceless Burial out of Melbourne take the head-crushingly heavy style of early US acts, spewing chunky and catchy riffs across mid-paced tempos. Though I can't disagree with the opinion some may hold about this being 'nothing unique', I think that is entirely besides the point - the demo is remarkably well executed, it's over before you know it and it literally begs for repeated listens. Looking forward to what comes next from these guys.

[vinylfordays]

Shitgrinder - Life is Corrupted demo

Castigated Records, edition of 154

Devastating grind out of sunny Brisbane. Following the lineage of Insect Warfare and later bands like Cellgraft, Shitgrinder deliver breakneck ponx tunes interspersed with blasts and interchanging high/low vocals. Not one of the 15 tracks here surpasses the minute mark; the shortest goes for only 3 seconds. There are probably some more copies of this tape floating around - fans of grindcore in general would do right to seek it out.

[vinylfordays]

Lumpy and the Dumpers - s/t LP

Space Ritual, edition of 200

This LP compiles Lumpy and the Dumpers' minor releases from the last couple of years, including two 7"s and demo material. It's a collection of demented and dingy punk rock, brilliantly dumb lyrics and as many negative outsider vibes as you'll need for a Sunday afternoon picnic. Sloppy, garage-y messes like this record are pretty common now, and in that kind of climate it takes more than just a band of wastoids to create addictive negative vibes. Lumpy hits the spot for me though, and should for you too. Mention should be made of the cover art, which is notably fantastic. This was released concurrently with German label Erste Theke Tonträger with slightly different packaging in an edition of 300.

ALPHA BAT. TOXIC BITE. GONNA SPEW ON ME AND YOU.

[vinylfordays]

Black Panties - s/t 7" flexi

Lumpy Records, edition of ??

Three tracks of raw garage punk. It's probably not as mean as the cover will lead you to believe, but the songs are all great and being a one-sided flexi you can play them repeatedly with even less effort than normal. They don't overdo the scuzz at all, and I love the art. Cool little record, well worth owning.

[vinylfordays]

Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters (Extended Version) 12" Single

Arista Records, edition of lots

Having such a recognisable cover was the second reason I randomly bought this record, the first being the dub version on the B-side. The movie's theme song is great, no questions, but of course this record for me is purely a novelty. Nonetheless whenever I flip through some records and spot this, chances are I'll put it on. Just the B-side though.

[vinylfordays]

Ancestors - II 7”

Youth Attack, edition of 333

Ancestors’ ‘III’ LP, released in 2012, was a defining point in black metal. A lot can be said about ‘Youth Attack bands’ and the style/reputation that accompanies the term, but the intensity and cohesive amalgamation of styles on that record really clicked with me. I don’t believe there are many other records that so easily blend hardcore elements into black metal, and this is one of the few that does it with some degree of finesse.

The band’s previous two releases, ‘I’ and ‘II’, can now in hindsight be seen as less complete renditions of what was achieved on the LP. ‘I’, released on cassette and later reissued as a 12”, gets lost in its own mix, but with ‘II’ Ancestors properly opened up and found the right balance between raw and aggressive. This was also initially released on cassette, and I have the 7” reissue. While I certainly enjoy this record as a precursor to ‘III’, the 5 untitled tracks here create their own chaotic universe, one that’s no less inviting than on the band’s next installment.

As a YA release, of course the packaging is fantastic. It doesn’t quite match the fold-out sleeves we saw on YA’s Hoax releases (among others), but it does come with some extra inserts, presumably of McCoy’s photography. A good little gem that will most likely not be remembered in a decade, perhaps only by fanboys like me. 

[vinylfordays]

Split Teeth - s/t 7"

Tenzenmen, edition of ??

Melbourne's Split Teeth offer 9 rabid, grinding tracks on this 7", their style peppered with elements of powerviolence. Having seen the band some time before I heard this record, I feel confident in saying the intensity the band creates translates well onto wax. While not groundbreaking, this EP is a good example of the level of quality Australian grindcore can reach. Look out for their upcoming split with Perth's Holy Measure.

[vinylfordays]

The Logjammers - s/t 7"

No Patience Records, edition of 300

Scuzzy up-beat punk with sneering vocals and invariably basic song structures. Each of the three 'hits' on this 7" tries to spin the term mongo in different ways, and though having reasonable success, 'Hit 1' (taking up the whole A side) is the only track which begs repeated listens. While I like this record, I feel it doesn't quite live up to what it wishes it could be. I read once in a review that this was 'stupid enough to be brilliant a la Brainbombs' - don't agree at all with the comparison (this is both tame and spastic; Brainbombs is not), and I would amend the quote to just say 'stupid enough' and leave it at that. Very minimal design, but it works. I particularly like the plastic centre piece.

[vinylfordays]

Crossed Out - Fuck Grindcore 10"

Unoffical release, edition of 800 on black, 200 on white/red splatter

Total hatred in audio form. Crossed Out remains one of the most pivotal forces in hardcore today, and every single powerviolence band to have existed in the last two decades owes them in one way or another. This bootleg 10" compiles the majority of the band's output, including their outstanding first 7" and their tracks from splits with Man is the Bastard and Drop Dead. The B-side has compilation and live tracks, as well as some unreleased material. No further description necessary.

[vinylfordays]

Stillborn Fawn - Abature

Bleak Environment, edition of ??

Well executed, driving black metal with a desolate atmosphere. This came out in a BE update early in 2012 and as far as I remember went by somewhat unnoticed, though it probably sold out super quick and became a fleeting image in someone's discogs cart. Abature is one of the few BM tapes I've consistently come back to since 2012, probably as much as the Cornigr LP. Each of the four songs on this record are excellent, expertly bringing slower passages together with faster tempos. The songwriting is actually really impressive, each of the tracks burying themselves into your subsconsious. There is a nice juxtaposition between both sides of the tape - the A-side holds mostly true to traditional black metal without any clear punk influences, but the flip immediately bursts into a rager, with that track and the succeeding one combining the band's distinct style with stomping riffs. Abature will age very well. Do yourself a favour and hear it one way or another.

[vinylfordays]

Black Church - Heaven's Temple Fails to Rise

Bleak Environment, edition of 100

This will go down as one of 2012's darker and more oppressive releases. From the outset this looks like just another black metal tape but it's actually far from it. The thematic characteristics of BM are here, but this is based more so in creating atmosphere than adhering to any particular style or sub-genre. Hypnotic rhythms slowly rise and fall, buried vocals drawl beneath fuzz, and the composition toys with tension in a nuanced manner. It's hard to really focus on anything when listening to Heaven's Temple..., as its repetitive nature does well to draw you in. I don't think I need to praise this much further considering it was released on Bleak Environment.

[vinylfordays]

Venus Receiver - Madame Violet Continuing Mission CS

Strange Rules, edition of 29

Seething feedback, layered noise and squealing junk spews out of this C11, unrelenting despite the occasional mindless hesitation. Tortured roars and groans pulsate from beneath the deep rumble, indecipherable but still commanding. You can hear the crash of cymbals imbued within the dense noise that's presented here, and it's obvious that thought and dedication has gone into this display of perversity. FULL ANALOG, NO GRATIFICATION.

[vinylfordays]

Helta Skelta - Asbestos 7" 

Helta Skelta Records, blue limited to 60 (I think?), larger pressing on black

Following the success of their LP and after some line-up changes, Helta Skelta have jumped back into the limelight with this new EP. A lot has changed since 2011 and the band have opted to downplay a lot of their hardcore influence. While the punk structures are still there, the 'garage' sound that the LP hinted at has been fully embraced. What sets this record apart however is that it doesn't sound anything like other Australian bands that would normally be described as 'garage' punk. That surfy twang is still evident, and the weird, alienating vibe that the gruff vocals created on the debut has been expanded on, coming together with good songwriting and a 'warm' recording aesthetic. The EP was recorded in the same place as the LP, and while the recording process may have been improved I'd say that it's still quite similar. Probably will end up being one of my favourite 7"s of the year.

[vinylfordays]

Rations - How Much Land Does a Man Need? 7"

Various, 1000 copies

Punk from New York. I'm probably not qualified at all to make any comparisons, but Rations play light-hearted and well constructed pop-punk that takes its title from Tolstoy's fantastic short story. Ten different labels had a hand in putting this out, 100 copies going to each label. I got mine from Perth's Jerk Store. The A-side puts forward 3 melodic and catchy tracks with just the right amount of introspection. However, the B-side takes it even further, with 'No Answer's' anthemic chorus leading into the self-titled track, which is the highlight of the record. Opening with wistful lead break the song settles into a mid-tempo rhythm and keeps building the song up to a pleasant end. This is a comfortable record, a 'feel-good' record, with well-written songs and a warm, DIY aesthetic. I'm usually not partial to this style of music but I feel fortunate to own this, it stays fresh and enjoyable with every spin. This is still available from Jerk Store.

[babylonianbuffalo]

Japanese ‘ethereal drone pop’ duo Sarry playing at Dada Records in Perth, Western Australia.

This was an amazing performance to see live, nearly the entire audience was seated on the ground, hypnotised and in awe. Few bands have made an impression on me like these guys did.

[vinylfordays]

polka beat

[vinylfordays]

Astral Travel - Bodymelt / Povo's

Vertex Records, limited to way more copies than will be sold

Astral Travel has been around for a number of years, and much like a lot of other really great Perth bands, was not able to release any definitive recordings. After a little publicised and quick-to-vanish first 7", the band was then supposedly releasing a split with another shortlived Perth band called Wind Waker. This split never eventuated, and the tracks were made available online. Unfortunately Astral Travel recently called it quits but as a parting gift released two previously recorded tracks as a 45, both songs being perhaps the best representation of the band's style. As far as I can ascertain, the songs were selected from the recording sessions for the Wind Waker split. Astral Travel is comprised of members of several Perth bands, most notably Golden Staph. The two bands actually share a lot of similarities, though Astral Travel has a markedly darker and somewhat more post-punk influenced sound. I'm not sure who is selling copies of this. I picked one up at the launch which happened a month or two ago, and Vertex Records has yet to update its online store with the record (I'm not even sure if the website is checked regularly). This unwillingness to make their music readily available has plagued Astral Travel for years, and while it may not necessarily be their intention, a lot more could have been done to get their name out. To summarise however, this is a must-own single for me, mainly due to the inclusion of 'Bodymelt'. This track is one of the best songs to have come out of this state and begs to be replayed. If you can find yourself a copy of this and are interested in garage-y, surf-y, post-punky or simply Perth released music, pick it up immediately.