Losses - (DEMO) red intent/untitled (2013)

Vancouver cats Losses have dropped  an atomic warhead of a demo track. You can practically see the teeth on this beast as you're listening. These guys had some incredibly well done demos in 2012 that find themselves in pretty heavy rotation in my life. This new pair of tracks offers a double dose of post hardcore riff racket experimental ambient total hardcore math rock twist. Please go engulf, its just that crazy golden.

RED INTENT/ UNTITLED

Ditch Tiger - Old Growth (2013)

Dang Boise Idaho!

You guys are really bringing it hard this month. First with Fox Alive and now we have Ditch Tiger. This has the familiar feel of a lot of your favorite groups that play that earnest throwback emo with the great mathy guitars and angsty vocals. BUT — there always has to be a but — this comes at you like a tumbling boulder, way faster than any of those other namby pambies. (Is there such a thing as a "pamby" that isn't namby? - meta) Not too mention those drums are nothing to be joking around about either. The band fancies themselves "hardcore punk" and I suppose I could see in that spirit but beyond that not too much. Extremely cohesive stuff for sure and one that I'm sure will resonate with a lot of people. I know this album has very much captured my attention these days.

Zeus! - Opera (2013)

The wait is over.

This has been on my anticipated list for awhile now and I must say "worth it" all the way. 

For those that are not familiar Zeus! is an Italian two piece that follows no guiding star. Math rock rhythms snuggle up to industrial hardcore sized riffs and screaming. But it'd be too easy to end it there but there are a lot of progressive rock elements scattered about as well. Some brutal stuff to be sure and maybe not everyones tea. Give it a shot there are some wonderful moments in this full length. Two pieces usually scare me off but these guys have locked it down so hard you can not deny their power.

opera (2013)

Bats - The Sleep of Reason (2012)

The last release on the Richter Collective label. Epic album from Dublin math-rock scientists!!

sorry for the lack of posts recently, hopefully this will make up for that!

DOWNLOAD
BANDCAMP
STREAM

Alta - Places (2012)

Like a clean crisp lemonade in the hot summer air, post-hardcore (emphasis on the hardcore here) seems to really hit me hard in these months. Alta is the band that has been lighting up my life recently, and this is why. The cocktail mixture here is mostly post-hardcore as mentioned above with that harder edge going on with the vox. Mathy elements are certainly all over this band but its as integrated as any of its other portions. Really well done musics with a true care for songwriting progression. Emotional and very hard hitting. Post-rock vibes? you feeling them bro? yea you bet your bottom. Awesome four piece from Milwaukee, WI doing it right where many fail.

bandcamp!

The James Cleaver Quintet - That was Then, This is Now (2011)

      I have been a patient man awaiting this album to come out. After hearing a track or two off some compilations my anticipation has been mounting. UK group James Cleaver Quintet have been carving out a name for themselves with some heavy touring and  a lot of energy.  This however doth not makith an excellent group and they have many favorable items in their corner.  The guitars like to flit between post-hardcore, straight punk and hardcore and yet with the harder edged genre's they still remain pretty poppy. That is of course helped by some extremely varied vocals.  There isn't anything DIRECTLY mathy about them but their bass and drum section loves the starts and stops, and interesting rhythmic patterns.  Its a grab bag really but with so much energy thrown in it just works so damn well. Think something akin to the "Big Scary Monsters Recording" roster but after being off their meds for awhile......I mean that in the best way possible.

That was Then This is Now (2011)

(props to "Me and Music Call It Insanity" for the link. They are super boss) 

37500 Yens - Astero (2007)

Bonjour! comment êtes-vous aujourd'hui spadassins? Er umm sorry cant help but slip into french when we have the excellent 37500 Yens from France gracing us with their brand of excellent math rock. Well I guess to be fair we have some other prevalent elements getting thrown in the lions den. You've got some clear love of hardcore as well as more low key ambient styles. The feeling is almost like an update to early 90's Louisville stalwarts when they are chilling out on a nice slow groove. Wordless and complex when they are in "hardcore" mode. You would think by the description that the guitar would be a titch forgettable but actually stays both rhythmic and melodically present throughout the duration of the album, a surprising achievement if you ask me. Unfortunately this is the extent of their releases a sad state of affairs. You need not be a francophone to dig into this dish.

Astero (2007)

Brainworms - II Swear to Me

Happy hardcore anyone? some nice guitar work while a bearded man screams about what ever the flip. Sign me up!

II Swear to Me

Rapider Than Horsepower - Stage Fright Stage Fright/ This is My Big Night EP

A band without proper peers. I like where this is going already. Now in actuality Rapider than Horsepower spend their day jobs in the sludgy spazz core punk group Racebannon (  Worth a very long listen as well)  Somehow it turns out that they are also masquerading as a spazz indie pop group. Pretty inventive guitar licks if you ask me that split their time between trying to sound cute (and failing in an awesome way) or some sort of junior hardcore that also lacks proper bite. Vocally its very nasally but so all over the place its incredible. Lyrical content finds time to jump from dating caterpillars, having ice cream or ode's to boom boxes.  Somehow though it proves to be emotional as well which is impressive. This is just one of those things that you really cant pin down till you've spent some time with it, but i promise its not something that anyone should miss. These two EP's are some of the best the group has released.

Stage Fright Stage Fright EP

This is My Big Night EP

Drumcorps - Grist (2006)

I can best describe this as a musical tightrope. At this level of cross polination between the two genre's of hardcore and electronic music there is very little that you can truly say both share. Aaron Spectre however does just this with  a forceful air of confidence and an ear for a great hardcore scream. If we are being honest though this is electronic music at its heart with the trimmings of a hardcore punk group guesting. Don't misunderstand me though there are portions that do rock boxes but the electronic elements added sometimes feel too tacked on. I highly suggest anyone who is a fan of either to check it out. Its good stuff and nothing stays for too long if you have a problem with a riff.

Grist (2006)

Natsumen

First off would like to thank Metaghost for getting me into these guys years ago. There are really only a couple things you need to realize about Natsumen. They describe themselves as a "Japanese Progressive HardCore JAZZ Aggressive Improvisation ROCK band" and really I'd be hard pressed to argue with such a tagging.  This stuff is gold with noisy abrasive guitars, intricate drumming and soaring horns. Maybe think Broken Social Scene with some balls minus vocals. Awesome Sauce

Natsumen