After listening to and liking the Rugburn / Jeberrekenelle split, I sought out more music by both bands. And through the power of hard work I succeeded. Both contain materials that stand well alongside the songs I’d already heard. The disks came to me from mp3.com, back in 1998 or so. Basically, burned disks with printed covers, and that’s it. I will emphasize how this was a most agreeable service, simple and plain as it was, as I don’t believe that these days a person could so easily purchase CDs from these bands. But, fortunately, Jeberrekenelle’s stuff can be found and downloaded from Mr. Dwab‘s site. And now here’s Rugburn.

That’s really the cover. It must have been the cover of a later release. It’s nowhere near as cool as their cover on the split. As you can read on their myspace page, they were around from 1992 to 1995. They started in Santa Barbara, and halfway through moved to San Francisco. The move to SF also signaled a change in moniker. I’m guessing they did this because another band already had Rugburn, or something like that. Or maybe they just felt like kicking off their life in the new city under a slightly different identify. At any rate, nothing much changed music-wise (to which I say, thank you!). I don’t know when within this discog that the band switches names. Perhaps it’s when things go live! To me, those audience members sound like prototypical San Franciscans (I think you’ll find that you agree).

I can’t very well describe the same band differently twice, so: “At any rate, their music is very good: driving guitar, great drumming, some rocking, forward elements, somewhat reminiscent of Iconoclast, [and maybe some kirsch stuff… oops, this means I’ve officially described it differently], vocals kind of reminding me of 1.6 Band.” So give it a listen. Sometimes I wish I could put more meaningful things down in descriptions – some great phrases that really capture the sound and feel of the band, rather than mostly trite and general terms that I just fling out in order to fill space. But other times I don’t care, and I find satisfaction in knowing that the band can very well speak for itself. This band shreds and rolls, and I’m really into them. The live recording on this sounds great. I love hearing live versions of songs that can’t be found on other recordings.

The only part about this discography that I don’t like so much is in the first song when the singer repeats, “No!” I just don’t understand why he says it. And, in general, I’m not into when singers sing No!, or, for that matter, Woah!, or MmHmm. And so forth. I don’t agree that they need to fill in the space with such drabble. Just leave it blank. This is all to say that that’s my only complaint, and as it sucks as a complaint, I’m left mostly with strongly positive feelings toward these songs. 15 songs total. What a treat!

Rugburn – Iijima

Like most of you, I’m sure, I only knew Pogrom from their one song on the XXX comp – the repetitive, trudging, double-bass robo-drummed, slow-motion vocaled song about “laughing at the world.” I was both intrigued and entranced by the song – and by the concept: a one-person straight edge metal band – and I wanted to hear more. So, back in 1997, when I saw an ad in Heartattack for a Pogrom album called “Diarium,” I carefully concealed my money and sent it off to him asap. Would “Diarium” feature more slooooow vocals, more languid, plodding riffage?

No! It’s a total metal attack: super-technical programmed drumming, major riffs and licks and shredding solos, and operatic, carrying vocals. Lyric-wise, this can only be labeled as personal metal. Songs cover such topics as shitty housemates, being a scientist, grandparents growing old, and really loving metal. The songs have explanations, and he’s also included some journal entries in the booklet.

As a solo metal project, it took him years to put this all together. I can only imagine how much work went into the drum patterns alone. So, the vocal styles vary a little from song to song (and, though it’s pretty consistent, you can tell this didn’t emerge out of one recording session). To get a clearer idea of the contents and ideas behind it, here’s the prologue in the author, Jason Green’s, own words:

Pogrom has always been about one thing: making and recording metal. Everything on this CD was recorded in apartments, houses, garages, schools rehearsal rooms – anywhere I could find to get the songs onto tape. For the past five years, since 1992, I’ve been saving drums patterns and writing lyrics, putting out little demos here and there. At this time, there have been twenty-one songs completed, most of them done on 4-track decks. A handful have been upgraded with better equipment and compiled to form this representative collection.This won’t sound like a real CD to me, it will sound fake. It shouldn’t rest on the same shelf as the incredible 80’s metal bands. But I don’t want these songs to fade away, because if they do, then so will I, for this is my everything. I love heavy metal, and I love making it. I just hope there are people out there that still like to hear it.

I figure that many people that listen to this will say that it sounds like some idiot trying to do something he wasn’t cut out to do. All I can provide for these people is honesty. These songs might as well be my skin, my hair – they are me, ugly and embarrassing. I will always wonder if I did the right thing by making this available to so many people, most of them strangers.

This booklet is essentially a diary. Most of the lyrics came from a hand-written journal. Other writings have been included here as well, some that relate to the songs, and others that are meant to stand on their own.

For a brief stint, I called this project Cephalon, but it didn’t seem right after the fact. There’s no political statement in calling this Pogrom. I chose the name because it sounded metallic. And it quickly grew catchy, to the point where *Pogrom* became synonmous with myself.

It’s good to be back.

I’ve been big into this CD from the day I got it. It’s different. It’s pretty epic. If you truly like metal, then you’ll probably appreciate it. Research has uncovered pretty much zero ‘net presence (I found some false information on one site, and that’s it). So I’m guessing not a lot of people have heard this. That’s a shame, but, well, here you go. I wonder what Jason Green’s been up to since this?

Pogrom

(My superdrive on my macbook pro sucks, so I have to thank world cup soccer pinball grand champ SSW, author of the Degrassi Digest, for ripping this for me. Thanks.)

Named after Boba Fett’s unique starship, Slave One originated in the far-reaches of Fort Worth, Texas, and played piercing, crushing metal-fueled hardcore from 1996-1999. This post contains their 7″ (on Highwater 1997, I think), the split lp with Meadowlark (split release on Make a Difference and Sixgunlover, 1998), and their lp (Redwood, 1998).

As you’ll notice, the 7″ contains two songs that are later re-recorded and released on the lp. You’ll also notice that the vocals on this are different than on the later records. Personally, I’m more into these vocals – they seem to reveal a bit more emotion, and it’s a little easier to discern the lyrics. Later on, they became harsher and more brutal, a la His Hero Is Gone.

One of my favorite things about this band is how well they build up and then slice into the fast parts. They also, while not being a total metal band, certainly put in a few Slayer-esque (a la South of Heaven) riffs. At least, that’s how I see it.

The split with Meadowlark contains two songs by Slave One, and three by Meadowlark (included here, of course). A friend taped the Meadowlark 7″ for me, and I liked it. I don’t have that tape anymore. I think I’m more into the 7″ than their side on this record. Even today, each time it looks like rain, I like to say outloud to whomever’s next to me, “A storm is coming. Our storm. And when it arrives it will shake the universe.” The Slave One songs on this split are great!

Finally, the lp is solid. Bits of chaos, great drumming, plenty of crushing metal (as mentioned in the first sentence), slick riffs, songs about love and loss. Enjoy!

Slave One

People liked the other Tem Eyos Ki stuff I posted, and Ricardo requested this split, so here you go: the Tem Eyos Ki and Hundred Years War split seven inch.

Harlan Records put this out, in 2000. Both bands feature members of all kinds of Little Rock bands. Hundred Years War is sort of ex-William Martyr 17. I’m not sure what else they put out, but it says they were together from 1996-1999, so I imagine this isn’t their entire output. This song on here is heavy and brooding, with vocals similar to Incurable Complaint.

Tem Eyos Ki is, as usual, fast and thrashy and metallic and epic. It looks like these songs were recorded around the same time as the tour CD I previously posted. There isn’t a gap between the two songs, so I kept them as one file.

Both bands cover the topics of identity and eating disorders. Lyrics and explanations are included in the insert (which is in the zip).

Tem Eyos Ki / Hundred Years War – split ep

(p.s. I just moved, and my records were boxed, and so posting was slowed down for a bit. But now I hope to get a few things up per week.)

I don’t know why, but this seven inch isn’t listed on the Jihad discography.

So I suppose I should make sure everyone has it. This is, actually, the only Jihad record I have (except for the HaC #10 comp). I really can’t believe I don’t have more, because they rule.

Jihad was from Kalamazoo, Michigan. They were around from 1994-1997, and this seven inch was recorded in early 1995, and I’m guessing it came out that year, too. I think one of the members ran Makoto Records (can anyone verify?). Makoto released, among other things, the Crush Kill Destroy CD. I had wanted to post that CD next, but it turns out my rip has a few glitches. And a few missing songs. So next time I visit my parents I’ll rip it again. It’s a good CD.

Anyway! I remember buying this record, flipping through the booklet and seeing this Emo Geek photo of the singer, and thinking, oh jeez wot did I just bye? Turns out I was an ignorant fudge; at the time I had only the slightest idea of what constituted emo. This booklet, by the way, comes with lyrics, photos, and thoughts written by the band members. And it’s included in the zip.

The most obvious descriptor for this band is BASS (the instrument, not the fish). It is so freaking bass-heavy. Pummeling bass, chugging guitar, beastly drumming, brutal, hair-wrenching screams. I love this record. Enjoy.

Jihad – Gods Forsaken People…

I don’t listen to very much metal. Probably because I don’t have a lot of it. If I had more, I’d listen to it more often. But I often want to listen to the stuff that is metal. So I mine through my music, and I end up listening to Spaceboy‘s Getting Warm on the Trail of the Heat. I’m not saying you should all copy me all the time, because I’m only human and I often make lots of mistakes, but here’s this album for you so that you can try, if you’d like, to be a good person and do the correct thing and listen to this on a regular basis.

Spaceboy was from Santa Cruz, CA, mid to late 90s. The singer is Clifford from Bl’ast. Spaceboy is, in a way, stoner metal. The way that it’s stoner metal is that pretty much all the songs are about smoking pot and traveling through outer space. The first line of the first track (“Planet of Pot”): “40 million light years in space, to the planet of pot, destination seems so far when a roach is all we’ve got.” A moment after this line is crushed it will become apparent that this is the only way it’s stoner metal; the next moment erupts into a blistering, insane guitar solo. For the next 45 minutes it is big, staggering metal (mixed with ethereal breaks evoking Pink Floyd).

Clifford shrieks, howls, and occasionally YEOWS like David Lee Roth. The drumming is absolutely all over the place. It’s super technical, filled nonstop with little flairs and flourishes. I saw them a few months after getting this album, in 1998 or so. They played a daytime show at the Pickle Patch, to an audience of about 12 people. The drummer had about ten cymbals, many of which were teeny, and bell-like. It was, no doubt, some of the most amazing drumming I’ve ever witnessed. It was also a freaking really loud show. They came across like surfer hippies, sand in hair and between toes, and just super skilled at cranking together brutal, complex, pummeling metal.

MetroActive has a great show review.

Spaceboy crafted behemoth riffs at a furious pace, then sent everyone grabbing for something to hold on to with a glorious finish. NASA’s trying to steal the blueprints to Bill and John’s bookend guitar licks–their stuttered step progressions in “Planet of Pot” sent chills up my hunched back. “Stoner Fort” showcased more of the same seething guitar work–I swear I saw Cheech and Chong’s shadows passing the roach above the packed house.

Photo Kym A.

In case you’re thinking about not downloading this, the seventh track, “Emitic Translation Cathedral,” contains the lyrics, “When innocence is lost… We sing the battle song, drunken with revenge we stagger on. Dethrone the fucking tyrant.” So there you go.

Sorry, I don’t have the lyric sheet on me. I’ll get it next time I visit my parents.

Spaceboy

Oops, sorry. It’s been far too long since a post. Things just stopped going my way for a little bit there. And so now I’m compromising, and posting anyway. I meant to post this split along with the Face Down – War of Survival 7″, but I messed up last spring and mistakenly sold that record to a local record shop. I went there last week to see if they still had it (because I assumed they would), and they did, except the place was selling it for a totally bloated $18. Pre-Tragedy! yeah, whatever, man. So that really bummed me out (for the record, he offered me a discount for trying to buy back my own record, but it was still more than I had). So here’s just the split. And I’m sure it’s something whose mp3’s have circulated elsewhere, so this isn’t very exciting. Plus my record isn’t in EX++ condition, or whatever (note: the scratches at the beginning only last a few seconds).

If anyone has the Face Down 7″ on computer, please pass it on. I’d like to hear it again. I don’t remember the songs being as good as the two songs on this split, but it was still pretty good. Yes, I am an idiot for selling it. But I was totally broke, and making rash decisions.

This split came out on Perspective Records in 1993. Both bands were from Tennessee. Both are totally awesome. Both have members of His Hero Is Gone, etc. (and I’m sure there are other things to note, but I just don’t know how to do it.) Copout is better known, but darn it if I don’t have a certain strong affinity for the Face Down tracks. The second one, “Why,” is my favorite on the record. It sends shivers.

Copout is super fast, explosive, thrashy, and amazing. I’ve removed the ten second long gaps between each song – mostly because listening to them would only give you more time to consider the crackles on the transfer. Face Down is driving, fast, with some melody, and still a frantic nature similar to Copout. Kind of reminds me of Apeface from the Apeface/Lemming split.

As an easily-influenced youth, after listening to this I went about five years before even considering to listen to Fugazi.

My friend used this cover for an art project in high school, hence the pencil grid.

More posts soon (the other post I had in mind also had some mess-ups, but they are being rectified like right now).

Face Down / Copout

This was a random one that one sunny day landed flat on my giant mahogany desk at HaC HQ. Short story very short: it was a hit! As far as I can tell, neither of these bands got much attention. But in my opinion that inattention was undeserved, and so this post is my own measly way to provide some rectification. This is the Borehole / King Supa split CD, put out by Lying at Rack and Manger (Corvallis, Oregon), in 1997/98.

Borehole’s what first hooked me to this record. Maybe because they are the first band on it. I don’t remember what I wrote in the original review, but I’m sure it was better than whatever I’m about to put down. They’ve got the first twelve songs. They’re almost like Thumbnail mixed with some Manumission… or something. I don’t know, nor do I really care. There’s melody, brutality, technicality, repetition, fast, slow, soft, loud. It’s pretty relentless, and the songs flow from one to another really well. The last few are from a different recording. I remember “Collapsing Buildings” being my favorite, all for the build-up to the breakdown around 1:00. All in all, a pretty great band!

King Supa come out blasting fast. They almost seem sped up past the right speed. But this is from a CD, so that’s not possible. Still, that drummer’s like a turbo robot. They have an Assfactor 4 vibe going on. But also much more: there’s some surf rock, harmony, a lot of energy bursting in every direction. Short songs, persistently hyper-fast. It seems like they are having fun.

This CD has 33 songs total, and it’s a lot to take in.

Borehole / King Supa

Hello visitors and acquaintances, this post contains the recordings of two seven inches by Atlanta’s Thenceforward. Both of these came out ’bout 1995/6, via Phyte Records. I think this is everything they put out. But I could be wrong. One song from Winner was featured on a comp.

Of the two records, Winner is, in my opinion, the winner (pun definitely intended!… or wait, maybe that wasn’t a pun). In fact, I’ve hardly listened to the other one, From Within (which was recorded about half a year earlier). They cite a lot metal bands as influences, although I don’t consider them super-metally. And their band photo is actually a photo of the Bones Brigade, although I don’t consider them to be professional skaters. But they certainly are fast and good at heel-flipping down staircases. They remind me somewhat of Iconoclast, what with the great drumming and (roughly) verse/chorus format. The vocals are at times, well, I don’t want to say “rappy,” because that sounds awful, so I’ll just say they are sometimes something…

The first song on Winner, “Burn,” which is about burning the fucking flag, is my favorite of them all. I hope you enjoy.

Thenceforward

This post has something for everyone! As long as everyone loves really screamy, harsh, emotional, and chaotic hardcore.

Here’s a comp 7″, called From Stars Come Hearts, put out by Witching Hour in 1997. Limited to 500, or so I’ve heard. It features one song each by Makara, Khmer Rouge, Rinse, and Puritan.

As all the bands are brutal, muddy, chaotic, noisy, and screamy, I kind of consider this is as the predecessor to the Antipodes comp (wouldn’t you agree?). Clear yellow vinyl, and housed in such a way as to make it very difficult to keep clean; it’s held into the cover by a thronged pin, like the pin that seals a manila envelope. And there’s no doubt that pin’s rubbed up against the grooves. I had to play the Puritan song about ten times in order to get it to play through with a skip. But keep in mind there are some pops.

Feel free to read the insert and then make decisions to change the names I’ve chosen for these tracks. Some are ambiguous. Also, when you see the edges cut off on some of the insert pages, please remember that it’s because of a giant staple in the booklet that forces a half inch margin.

Rather than leave you all hanging with just one song by each band, and being that I am way into bonuses, I’m also throwing in the Makara 7″ (on Hymnal), Khmer Rouge 7″ (on Witching Hour), and Rinse 7″ (on Concurrent)! Sorry, I don’t have any more Puritan… but if anyone else does, please tell me.

Rinse. I came across this a few months ago while browsing the 7″ inch section at my local record store (which seems to be the only section I ever browse). At the time my mind wasn’t placing the band, but I knew it sounded familiar. So I slapped down the dollar and gave it a good home. Then I remembered where I’d heard Rinse! Way cool; I have such great instinct sometimes.

This seven inch is pretty dang good. And it comes with a great insert. Full lyrics, art, and a page by each member of the band. The lyrics are of an intensely personal nature. If I had to find a theme, I’d say it was lousy father. The last song features female guest vocals (and I’m guessing she sang for another band.. maybe someone can tell me which one. She actually sings – not screams – the backups). Pretty intense record, especially if you follow along with the words. Music-wise, they’re not breaking any new ground – many fast parts, some chugging, some Rorschach-y riffs, splintery, heaving guitars, and so on. But it’s totally good.

Khmer Rouge’s first song starts off with the same drum beat as their song on the comp! They’re pretty spastic, muddy, and brutal. And once in a while they bring in some Unruh-y riffs (Unruh from the Enewetak split seven inch, not the lp). And “Over and Out” is like if Constatine Sankathi went completely off the deep-end. Anyone else hearing that? Feel free to dispute my track titles. The little green insert confuses things. They have a song titled “Song 6”, but there definitely aren’t six songs on this record. So.

I got this record to review for Heartattack, and I remember not giving it the hottest review. Sorry. Now I like it more. Their name is still not the greatest, though. But at least they supply a little history note about the Khmer Rouge.

The Makara discography is still available. But here’s the seven inch anyway. They’re my favorite band of the bunch. In fact, they’re one of my favorite hardcore bands. I love how they have feedback running throughout the entire record. They bring such a sense of urgency. It’s like they’re possessed by an insane disease, with the result being this insatiable sound that emerges every time they come together. They can’t help it. I don’t know; that’s just the feeling I get from them. I split the sides into tracks. I did my best; there are no actual full breaks.

And there is no insert. They bit the Mohinder – The Mission 7″ cover style: their name and stuff screened on a random page from a fashion magazine. Of course, Makara had members of Mohinder, so we can excuse them! Plus we’re not the police, so who cares. If you want the lyrics, get the discography. And the discog is remastered, so it sounds a little better. Though I just compared them side by side, and the difference isn’t huge. Plus there were even some of the same snags in the recording (so it’s not just my vinyl… weird). After Makara, some members, most notably, went on to Ruhaeda. The Ruhaeda lp is very amazing (it was put out on CD, too, and I had both, but then I lent the CD out and never got it back… I might transfer the vinyl anyway, just so I can have it in my earphones).

Here it all is, in one beautiful package:

From Stars Come Hearts, et al