Afgrund - Svarta Dagar

Afgrund are a new comer in worlwide grindcore scene from Sweden that was formed in 2006. This "Svarta Dagar" Cd was their debut full length released under Lifestage Production, and by the time has been released by Emetic Records in 2008. Consist of 15 tracks which are reflects their deep roots in hardcore punk, death and other extreme styles. Unlike a lot of grind acts Afgrund’s music is not solely focused on the fast parts, but infuses these with vicious bouts of punkish bestial groove that enable this material to fully sink in rather than wash over. The professionalism and skill shown in musicianship and song craft is damn impressive though. All fifteen tracks are strong and offer the listener all the razor sharp riffs, blasting drums, and over the top speed they could ask for. Overall, this album was fullfilled with ultra violent discharge also a non stop blast-beat and makes you remember the good old days where Punk and Hardcore ruled the underground scene.
As i informed, Afgrund have officially signed with Willowtip Records. The label will release the band's second full-length, Vid Helvetets Grindar (At The Gates Of Hell), in 2009. Just wait.

Download Afgrund - Svarta Dagar full album

Suicidal Tendencies - Join The Army

This second full length by these Crossover leading act from Los Angeles-Suicidal Tendencies, was actually released by Carolne Records in 1987. Four years after their self titled debut and some new faces (except Muir of course) the sound is raw and heavier. One of the well known albums that had the crossover genre of punk and metal known as thrash. Mike Muir used different vocal ranges compared to the self-titled album (sometimes sounding similar to Lemmy from Motörhead). The best cut on the album is probably the most atypical Suicidal song there is, the anthemic title track. This sort of swaggering adrenaline pumper will give you swivel neck after the first bar. An instant heavy classic that ends with a manic thrash fest. Unfortunatelly, the sound is bit thicker than their self titled previous album. There could have been many reasons for this fiasco, but considering the renewed quality of the following year's How Will I Laugh Tomorrow, perhaps the most likely is that Join the Army was a transitional album in the transformation of the band's sound from hardcore punk to thrash metal.
Well, not much to say, this is a classics band with their well know and worth collected albums, what's more to expect?

Download Suicidal Tendencies - Join The Army full album

Bleeding Through - Declaration

This was the fifth studio album by these crucial Metalcore attackers - Bleeding Through released in 2008 by well known Trust Kill Records. It was also the first album for Bleeding Through worked with their new guitar player ; Jona Weinhofen ex-member of I Killed The Prom Queen after the departure of founding member Scott Danough. The album is a thinly veiled blast of hatred towards the powers that be channeled through 12 tracks of thunderous, beastly hardcore full of aggression, desperation and dissatisfaction. Chaotic drumming, backed by the intense guitars, they have songs that will remind you of their previous work but they have also incorporated more death and black metal influences into the mix this time. They've always had a gothic sound to them but the keyboards were never really fleshed out enough to show this.Bleeding Through is always at their best when they're playing fast and thrashy, with galloping riffs and angry lyrics. On the previous efforts, vocalist Brandan Schieppati’s shout was often distorted, but this time he comes through clean and clear. There’s also some singing that shows up in the chorus of the songs “Sister Chalatan”, “Death Anxiety” and in the ballad “The Loving Memory of England”, which is nothing but a clean guitar tone and Brandans lone voice.
All in all, after six years kicking around the scene, here it come, their latest effort which show people that you can be heavy and not sound like everyone else in Metalcore genre.

Download Bleeding Through - Declaration full album

Repulsion - Horrified

This was a re-released by Relapse records from the original 1986 full lenght of these Grindcore pioneer - Repulsion. Taking influence from such reknowned extreme metal bands like Possessed and Celtic Frost, as well as the hardcore of Discharge and Agnostic Front, and topping it off with a lyrical gangbang of blood, guts, zombies and gore, Repulsion turned all the knobs up to 11 and recorded an album of some of the fastest, most aggressive, blistering, face-melting music of all time. Repulsion were mentioned as the first band who played grindcore music together with S.O.B ( Japan) and Napalm Death. This was also an album that created the proto gore grind and the album that influenced the future generation of death metal bands. This is Repulsion’s Horrified. Back in 1986 these guys were probably the most extreme thing on the Earth and their previous demos were a complete innovation for malevolence, putridity and speed. Nobody played like them in that period. Carcass and Napalm Death were still punkish in their style, while the only band that was close to them were Terrorizer, but they were not so rotten. This entire album is in fact the soundtrack to the impending death of mankind. With excellent and erratic solos, which can only be found in 80's death/grind.What more needs to be said? It’s a grindcore album. This was what grindcore was meant to sound like. Gritty and raw as possible with short, sudden bursts of energy. If you already claim yourself as a grinder, then this one would be a must have for you.

Download Repulsion - Horrified full album 

Born Against - The Rebel Sound of Shit and Failure

This was the 2003 re-issue which the original was released in 1996 under Kill Rock Stars Record. "The Rebel Sound Of Shit And Failure" was a compilation contains 22 songs in 50 minutes, collects all remaining 7", 8" and compilation tracks from Born Against's 1989 - 1993 history. Born Against are on of the few bands who truly live the punk ideal (along with Crass, Conflict etc). Their aesthetic embodied the revolutionary ideal that punk stood for. It also adheres to the toungue in cheek sarcasm that punk has also idealised for so long. And this is an album containing possibly the most vicious hardcore punk ever put to disc. The music is fast and powerful. It's blistering, raw, in your face, intelligent and dripping with cynicism. While they had some of the slowness / heaviness that characterized 90s hc (and in some senses, soured it and turned it into slow, bland mosh metal ala Pantera) - they also maintained the great 80's-styled creative guitar work ala Black Flag or Articles of Faith.
If this world were everything that it claims to be, Born Against would have stuck around longer and gone down in history as one of those classic hardcore bands like Agnostic Front and the Circle Jerks. I think they deserve to be called as Legend.

Download Born Against - The Rebel Sound of Shit and Failure full album

Seein' Red - Workspiel

Originally, "Workspiel" from the legendary Hardcore Punk band from Netherland - Seein' Red was released in 1993 as Lp's which were distributed limited for 1000 copies and this record became a sought-after classic soon after it came out. By the time it was being re-released by Coalition records in 2005 in CD format. Seein' Red always find a healthy mix between fast and short style of raging punk thrash combined with left wing politics lyrics that tells alot about anti capitalism. As they always believe that the capitalist system breeds most, if not all, ills in this world. It seem that Seein Red wants to be part of something that stresses the importance of political thought and action in the punk/hardcore community. As they always state that punk/hardcore should be an political underground movement, independent from the mainstream music industry.
By the way, this "Workspiel" had become a rare worth colected record before, and thanks for Coalition Records for the Re-release.

Download Seein' Red - Workspiel full album

Indecision - Release The Cure

It was the final fourth full length studio album by these Brooklyn Hardcore legend - Indecision that was produced by well known Roger Miret and released under M.I.A. Records in 1999. This was also an album which Decision worked with the new vocalist : Artie Phillie. This was an extremely sociopolitical CD is that focused as it is intense. The music itself sounds quite angry -- Indecision's amelodic songs have a dense, claustrophobic quality, and even if you didn't understand a word of English, you'd get the impression that Indecision was full of anger. Indecision have always presented hardcore as an inspiring unity and an educational process to urban enlightenment. "Release The Cure" is no exception in it's message about the failures of a modern social-polotical landscape defined by monitary accomplishment and physical repression. Further, the pairing of Rachel Rose and Justin Brannan on guitar drives Indecision's pungent delivery with grooves and deadly breakdowns. Indecision are always good at melding a multitude of seemingly simple riffs into an intricate web of fury. Rhythm is the all-conquering factor here, with the vocals providing a near-percussive assault to match the bass and drums. All in all, this CD was angry hardcore that blown away with generally intelligent, thought and influenting way.

Download Indecision - Release The Cure full album