Reviews

Dynastic Yellow Star

Demoralized Demoralized demo cassette

There’s no mincing words here, folks. This is some of the best grindcore I’ve heard in quite a while. DEMORALIZED’S demo is very true to the genre’s nature—raw as hell, unlike a lot of the overproduced, studio grind you get nowadays. Drums sound natural and range from fast to fastest. Feels as if they were all done in one take, I mean that as a compliment. Guitars are heavy as hell and the vocals go unwavering. I’m usually not a fan of heavy treble on the bass, but it fits the DIY aesthetic so well that I can’t be mad. I terrorized my neighborhood last weekend by blasting this while grilling in my backyard. You kids make me feel young again.

Ideation Blunt Instrument cassette

A blast of severe hardcore from Talahassee, this demo from IDEATION is full of bludgeoning USHC punk that’s so amped up that it crosses into raw punk territory, at times reaching a level of cacophony akin to DISCLOSE, etc. It’s a spirited effort for sure—the singer laces the tracks with battle cries of “let’s go!” and each time he says it, I’m down to ride.

Ordinance Ordinance demo cassette

Crushing raw punk done right. Hailing from the thriving hotbed of hardcore that is Richmond, Virginia, ORDINANCE plows through four songs in under seven minutes. Buzzsaw guitars blanket the entire production in a cocoon of harsh static, while the drummer pounds out pulsing D-beats. The slight delay on the shouted vocals allows for a touch of depth, tying it all together. This fits right in with fellow Richmond rockers FUTURE TERROR  and SPORE, with an injection of Swedish influence for good measure. I imagine ORDINANCE being raised on a steady diet of the SHITLICKERS, CRUDE S.S., and MOB 47, with Scandinavian jawbreakers served as dessert. My favorite track, “Hatestrung,” disrupts the formula with a tempo change that gets mean and stompy, but make no mistake, this demo is an ax-swinging ripper. Noise > music!

Protocol Bloodsport 12″

Ugly, blown-out primitive hardcore played with knuckles bloodied from both punching and being dragged on the ground. Hints of contemporaries like WARTHOG (the punchy, driving attack, the super-mean vocals) and URCHIN (the occasional massive, vicious breakdown) appear, though this is more raw than either band’s output recording-wise and it includes interesting ambient-ish electronica elements courtesy of the brilliantly-named INTERNET GF. The fadeout ending of the record-closing “Divinity” has a genuine creep factor that dovetails nicely with the opening synth drone, demonstrating the band’s adept incorporation of the electronic elements. Witty, nihilistic lyrics only amplify the band’s bleak presentation, as does the crude, thematically perfect artwork. Only 300 copies available on appropriately blood-colored vinyl, definitely recommended.