Reviews

Tennessee Cold Cuts

Bad Hippy Enthroned cassette

Fukkkk, this thing sounds ugly. Disgusting sonic filth from Tennessee, BAD HIPPY sounds like those four high school classmates who started a band because they were the only four mutants in town and they bonded. One liked primitive black metal, another grooved to DOWN or some shit like that, one fucked with CRAZY SPIRIT, and the singer was the little brother of one of the guys in ASSCHAPEL…or maybe his kid. They had a buddy with a Tascam four-track, they traded the session for a twelver of Busch they paid some bum $5 to steal for them, and the result was Enthroned. That’s my fukkn story and please don’t prove me wrong. The sound? Fucking raw-as-shit, demonic, low-end sinister sludge crust stoner punk churns—this is to some kid in 2025 Tennessee what BUZZOV•EN’s Wound was to me in 1992 (at least I hope it is).

The Skrewups Dial 9… cassette

This EP kicks off with a really fantastic instrumental surf track in the same vein as a sinister MAN… OR ASTRO-MAN? but quickly evolves into your run-of-the-mill MISFITS-worship, going as far as to cover “Hollywood Babylon.” The band is obviously quite talented, but do we really need more horror punk in the 21st century? It almost hurts to say this, as the vocalist has great range and sustainability, but I was more excited for the opening song than anything else on this slab.

Vampiric Baptism Vampiric Baptism cassette

One-man black metal action out of Tennessee. Really solid stuff, and very impressive that this is just one dude, sans the operatic vocals on “War Garden.” That’s only just a guess, though. It could potentially be the same guy! This is your standard black metal affair, but there are a couple tracks that reach outside of the genre, such as “Blood Sucker” which sounds like it came straight from the Matrix soundtrack. Great, bloodcurdling vocals; raw and natural without any additional effects, minus reverb. The album closes on a really lovely acoustic rendition of “War Garden.” Highly recommended for all fans of the grim and frostbitten

Weatherwise Demos cassette

The vocals remind me of one of the singers from the band ALL, and a different singer reminds me of one of the singers from the ARRIVALS. Musically, I feel like there is way too much going on in these songs for it to be interesting. Maybe I have to be driving in the wee hours of the morn blasting this for the two-hundredth time, knowing all the changes in the music and the yell parts and such. This is a complicated demo to talk about because it pulls from all the great punk, indie, emo, mosh, and metal things that are loved, but hovers an atom’s width under delivering something memorable. Maybe like a PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS kinda thing. I’m not familiar with this style of emo-pop, change-heavy, almost-exciting style. “Sticks & Stones May Break My Bones (But My Actions Will Haunt Me Forever)” is my favorite song on here, with the straightforward structure ringing in an AGAINST ME! and THIS BIKE IS A PIPE BOMB vibe. I’m interested to see how this band evolves.