Agathocles

Reviews

Agathocles / Yacöpsae Very Old Shit split LP

No false advertising here, this is indeed very old shit from both bands. The YACÖPSAE side is remarkably consistent in recording quality for a collection of 30-plus-year-old tracks, though you are going to get way more of a “mid-’80s German hardcore punk band in the practice room” feeling than you will their insane, speed-obsessed final form. There’s a couple songs that set foot into the blastbeat zone and scream of things yet to come, but overall, you get a lot more punky tupa-tupa than you see from the lads these days. Being firmly in the YACÖPSAE camp in terms of preference, I enjoyed their side way more. I found it interesting hearing them sound like they could have become an altogether different band from these recordings, an alternate universe version where YACÖPSAE went more straight-up hardcore punk. The AGATHOCLES side varies wildly in quality almost from track to track; you can tell these are from a lot of different recordings and they definitely dip below the “listenable enough” line a few times. You get very primitive-sounding mincecore, from probably one of the best documented bands in the history of the planet. The vibe on this side is more along the lines of a band working out their shit to become what we all know them to be, and that I just found less compelling. Overall, this is for the diehards, kind of inessential truth be told, but maybe something people interested in the history of the bands or with a love of that “we brought a boombox to record our band practice” sound will find value in.

Agathocles / Malicious Algorithm split EP

I know that I should know better by this point, but every time I see a new AGATHOCLES split, my first reaction is always “wow, another one?”— I’m sure I’m not alone here. And usually, right before I throw it on, I always assume that this EP will be the one where they start phoning it in; that their side of the slab will be a bit of a bore or lazy or unimaginative or what have you. However, once the record starts spinning, I wonder why I ever doubted them at all. AGATHOCLES always delivers, and such is the case with their new split with California’s MALICIOUS ALGORITHM. AGATHOCLES strays a bit from their classic mincecore styling, opting for a slower, sludgier sound. MALICIOUS ALGORITHM plays brutal, lightning-fast powerviolence, but also with a classic grind influence as the guitars and blastbeats pair exceptionally well together. Both bands sound different enough to make this a quality split.

Agathocles / Shitload split cassette

AGATHOCLES pumps out raw, unhinged mincecore sounding like it was recorded in a public toilet. Nasty, brutish, and short, each of their 25 tracks on this split is a punch to the face. Some tracks, like “Porcelain A,” fold some of that sweet D-beat into the mix. All of it has that trademark snare drum/cymbal overload and growling, political vocals you’d expect from these veterans. Then, taking a huge swerve into another dimension, SHITLOAD starts blasting straight-up migraine fuel. The second of their seven tracks of dissonance and shouting is entitled “Kazoos, Whistles, Feedback and Noise.” I appreciate when things are labeled precisely as what they are. I don’t even know what to compare this stuff to, but I do love their track titles. My favorite is “Brah, You Shoulda Seent Da Looks People Were Givin Me When I Wore My Mawbid Angel Shirt With Da Sleeves Cut Off In Rouse’s.”