Violent Restitution- S/T LP (Black Banana, 2012)
Vegan animal liberation activists turned grindcore assault squad Violent Restitution from Vancouver, BC released a LP this past year that is definitely worth checking out if you're into Phobia, Excruciating Terror, and saving whales. As faster bands are concerned it is fairly standard, but what sets these cats apart from their peers is their creative and ferocious female vocalist and a fairly gnarly guitar tone that reminds me of early death metal acts. Sludgy and droney tones are also in abundance on this record which gets the head banging and is a welcomed change of pace from a rather speed-induced assault. Not good enough to make me put the veal down, but worth a spin or two.
Gets Worse- S/T LP
Powerviolence has reached Leeds my friends, and if you think they are merely copying what they've heard from California you are dead wrong. Gets Worse's LP ironically gets better every time you listen to it with its bombastic blasts, Lack of Interest / Insult vocal attack, and terrifyingly heavy guitars. Sprinkle in some gang vocals and enough 80s hardcore riffs to keep the circle pit alive and kicking and you pretty much have a recipe for a beautiful disaster. I'm looking forward to these guys being around for a while.
Weekend Nachos- "Watch You Suffer" (A389 Recordings, 2013)
Two new tracks from Chicago's masters of all things ugly and putrid. Still the heaviest, still ahead of the pack, still miserably pissed, and still the humblest kids playing instruments, the Nach deliver two tracks on this 7" EP. Picking up where "Worthless" left off, the band once again demonstrates how riffs can make post-adolescent males kick each other in the face on a regular basis. I like to think of this as a teaser rather than a single since it only makes me that much more excited for a new LP from these dudes. Defeat the Christian right.
Manpig- "The Grand Negative" (Deep Six, 2012)
Recorded in the glory days of 1992, Manpig's LP "The Grand Negative" has finally seen the light of day thanks to the fine folks at Deep Six Records. Expect what you love about Infest, LOI, Neanderthal, and the other bands that you love from the west coast. With clear production and quality song writing, it's surprising that this band's release has avoided the spotlight for so long. It may not have been the trendy thing in 1992, but it's great that this album has a second chance at appreciation.
- Joe