Faultline

I'll have you know that, whenever this winds up getting posted, it was actually finished EARLY.

Still on vacation so not gonna bother with much in the way of a preamble, just a real quick mention that when I walk down the street or go into a store and see people wearing COVID masks but pulled down around their chin it makes me want to fucking scream.

What the fuck? It's like taking the time to wear pants but hiking them down so your ass and crotch are flapping in the breeze. Like at that point what's the fucking plan? There's zero benefit and and probably significant discomfort. You're literally getting the worst of both worlds.

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Federation X - I can't tell you much about this band, just that I was sent three of their albums as freebies with some other stuff I ordered years ago and that they sorta reminded me of a punky version of big dumb American Rawk 'n' Roll ala ZZ Top which is something I tend to dig when I'm working or working out. Feels like the kind of band you'd see at a late 90's house show in like Tacoma WA... Buncha hairy dudes in flannel and trucker hats hanging out, getting wasted on cheap beer.

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Wizard Rifle - Thunderous punky prog, sorta like Karp/ Godheadsilo meets Yes/ Rush. I kinda feel bad for these guys because I'm probably the only person on earth that combo actually appeals to... Like them a lot. Especially this particular album.

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Eight Bells - Heavy psych/ doom with female vox from PDX. I think Eight bells was Subarachnoid Space but changed their name when there were no original Subarachnoid members left? Something like that anyway. This album makes me wanna take a long drive.

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Ides of Gemini - Ides of Gemini never clicked for me until they did, but then they clicked SUPER hard. Music reminds me of recent-ish Earth fuzzed out through a Proco Rat with vocals that remind me of the chick from Heart.

Primitiv - Sludgy DM from India. Most of the riffs here sound more like Crowbar, CoC, or Down than they do any sort of "standard" death metal but the whole thing is surprisingly energetic and fun. This is another album I got as a freebie with some order and wound up really digging.

Actually, now that I think of it you know what a bunch of these riffs remind me of? A Sabbathed-up reimagining of Morbid Angel's "Where the Slime Live."

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The Dead - These guys are one of those weird bands that I absolutely fucking love that no one else on earth seems to have ever heard of... And try as I might I can never seem to get anyone interested. Monstrous Aussie death-sludge with swirling psychedelic overtones. Think Coffins meets Cattlepress with wounded-polar-bear vocals that remind me of Corrupted. KILLER.

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Bongzilla - I don't smoke weed but do I like massive riffs so I can hang.

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Nightstick - MA's finest earthquake inducing metal-punk-sludge-noise-improv unit. I grew up two towns over from these guys and somehow only managed to see them live one time. Blew the only other chance I ever got 'cos I was busy helping some chick my buddy was "sorta-dating" move. What the fuck is wrong with me? Twenty plus years later and I still kick myself daily. Oh well, at least I got free pizza outta helping that chick move.

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Altar of Betelgeuze - Stoner death/doom from Finland. Sounds like early Anathema/ Paradise Lost meets Soundgarden which is kind of a crazy sounding combo in theory but man, it works really, really, well in practice.

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Silverchair - Straight up, I love the first Silverchair album. When they get heavy they remind me of "Home is a Strange Place" era Paw and the track "Faultline" is pretty much untouchable.

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Bounty Killer - Dancehall/ Reggae/ Rap. This is a mood I get in sometimes too. Cant hang? Don't.

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Artery Eruption - Ridiculously brutal gore-slam from CA... Stupid. Heavy. Sounds like absolute shit. Has at least one Ren & Stimpy Sample. So basically: Perfect.

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Cradle of Filth - Been on a wicked Cradle of Filth kick lately. Especially the first four albums. Not gonna waste your time or mine writing about them again 'cos at this point in I figure you're either onboard or you're not, and if you're not I'm probably not gonna be the guy who finally wins you over.

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MDK - Spastic Brazilian goregrind that is so flipped out and crazily played that it actually winds up sounding pretty fucking cool. Almost like listening to Nuclear Death and that one AxCx EP with 5000+ "songs" at the same time. Cover is crudely drawn but still totally NSFW, don't get yourself shit-canned.

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