The weather is here to stay and ohh how it’s changing things. Transitioning from April to May was a blur, and 2 weeks in, things are speeding. I’ve been reluctant to put a cap on any of it because the flow wont stop, in turn unable to sit myself down to write any of it out, or bother to reflect. Nevertheless, here’s a vague window, the spring edition you could call it, to the happenings of the monthlong New York springtime, complimented by reviews and an exclusive interview with up and coming Rhode Island grease rockers Improper Dosage. Lastly, a big shout out to film man extraordinaire Frank Huang for capturing everything worth seeing and the Bayonne Crew for being stoked!
-RSD 2015-
Record Store Day was more fun than it’s been in recent years. The weather and the cream sodas were choice, two awesome bands played, and as security I did nothing but host. It was a “Gimme your weed so I can smoke it” kind of vibe. Brooklyn sleaze rockers MAMMAL lit it up, giving the strangely assorted Record Store Day crowd the sights and sounds to behold. Then Brooklyn-based black thrashers IRON FORCE hit the riser and delivered the goods. Basic for basic sake, everything always goes back to Slayer and Celtic Frost. Somehow the sound was better than in previous years and the crowd eventually built up solely of friends, eventually moving into the back cave offices for a good hang. Thanks to the MTA for its lack of L train, keeping the masses of goons at bay! Rather than your cool guys coming over from Rough Trade to see the Bouncing Souls, different types of cool guys came out to get dirty. For such a low-key RSD 2015, it was a wild party at the Generation Records.
See our spotlight on Generation Records in last month’s Vinyl Lives!
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Live Rounds
-Repulsion-
While the bill for Washington DC version of Repulsion’s 2015 East Coast excursion was stacked with the likes of Pig Destroyer, Ilsa, Noisem and Left Cross, the New York version recruited its own locals in Skullshitter, Lucid Terror and Dehumanized, and just about all of them completely killed! The chaos started within seconds of deathgrind duo Lucid Terror hitting the stage. Without giving the crowd a chance to dry off and get refilled, Skullshitter then blew through a relentlessly abusive set, grinding into oblivion! Then a heavily triggered Dehumanized banished all the punks from the room for 45 minutes. This afforded me a good chance to go change my diaper before Repulsion so I took advantage and checked out the merch table, manned by SERENITY NOW TAPES and ELECTRIC ASSAULT RECORDS. Then it was time to catch a glimpse of the inception of deathgrind thrown into a time capsule for 30 years. Repulsion has caught a lot of flack for riding their one and only full length, but there’s something to be said for that. They didn’t sound like they had been thrown into a time capsule, they sounded like raw juveniles. There was even your perfect pre-set equipment meltdown. Perseverance though on the part of Saint Vitus’s golden sound boy as well as Repulsion led to a set that tore off of every roof in Greenpoint. A proper party through and through.
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-Impressive Natives-
Toxicology: Jersey’s premier grind is all about Bayonne! If you’re reading this, do not sleep on Toxicology. The 4-piece isn’t specifically committed to biting anything except pure filth. This isn’t to say that there isn’t a brewing substance at work, they just exist in place where frills don’t. All the right elements are present and they keep their own creative nuances in close reach, balancing them with a sound that doesn’t need to prove itself. Their most recent demo, Paid by the Kill, is a 4-song EP filled with fat, feral grooves and pummeling tones, topped with a 3 man vocal delivery that holds its tastefully tough range throughout. Get on it!
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Bleach Eater: Thankfully Bleach Eater got thrown on the same Lucky 13 show as Toxicology, and they blew it away, making everyone feel like a bunch of quire boys. As a three piece, they sound exactly how grind should; stripped down and savage. It’s old but fresh sounding in its own seamlessly intricate ways. Grade A songwriting, primitive vocals, crisp guitar/bass tones and shifty and shuffling drumming is how you’d begin to sum it up. And they aren’t a new outfit, having released a full length in 2013 called “Night Work”, an occult-ish, almost pulp themed death gore-grind debut that keeps growing. I don’t need to take is as far as making big comparisons but Bleach Eater has the aura of some of the most prolific bands in the genre, so stay tuned to whatever comes next for the Suffolk based trio.
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Stinger: Our bud threw this on at the RSD cave party and it was immediately praised by everyone in the room. We’re big fans of black thrash, especially when it’s infused with more rowdy elements of punk and d-beat. Then – seeing them a couple weeks later at the Acheron – Stinger lived up to be even heavier than their tape sounds. With a live show like this, I could see the punks loosing their shit and metalheads being casually impressed as always. There’s something to be said for the aesthetic; an appropriately blackened and in your face style of thrashing that won’t let up. Check out the “I” demo from this blistering 3 piece from Jersey.
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Two Cents and a Dime Bag
Poison Idea – Confuse and Conquer
Nearly a decade after the great Tom “Pig Champion” Roberts’ demise, the world is still being subjected to the Poison Idea. The newest full-length is a showcase of a solid band still poised with sick amounts of style. Some of the intensity of the group has subsided, of course in the absence of Pig, Tense or Dean Johnson, but this near hour long LP delivers a good slab of PI flavor, to which it seems the aforementioned are here more than just in spirit. I’m sure you’ll give it more than a shake. A-
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Noisem – Blossoming Decay
Cool guy’s finally here. Understanding the hype around Baltimore’s Noisem, it’s overwhelming stuff as far as the density and playing ability. However, there’s too much general schlock in this HC vein that tarnishes the sound. Like I said, the talent isn’t up for debate and they deserve the hype, but I’ve heard this before. Maybe Noisem shouldn’t be gauged without seeing them live, as that is usually how this music translates. Now I’m checking videos, trying to be constructive, and holy shit they CAN play. Still though, there’s something -or- maybe not enough missing. Or maybe I’m not apt to review records like this anymore. All that being said, I’m going to give it a constructive B.
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Want more filthy musings from the Deviant? Check out previous installments HERE!
