Reviews

Wild Mutation

Devastation Fucking Bastards demo cassette reissue

It is a joy getting to review this one. DEVASTATION was a crust punk hardcore band fromConnecticut  who recorded this back in the late ’90s, but I don’t think a lot of folks got to hear it then. It’s a shame, as this is pure slime-drenched blackened gold. There’s a lot of history here that you can search for online, as members went on to bands like MANKIND?, BLANKS 77, DESTROY, STATE OF FEAR, BEHIND ENEMY LINES, and tons more. With the latter band in that list, you can see there’s a Pittsburgh connection with AUS ROTTEN and CAUSTIC CHRIST, which made me really happy. The music is along the lines of the faster, crustier bands they would later go on to, as well as the token DISCHARGE worship, but this stands alone quite nicely. It sold out quickly, so I hope to score a copy somewhere. There’s also material from a split with the late, great DISTRAUGHT that never saw the light of day. Hope to see that out at some point, too. Kill!

Deformed Existence / Vitriolic Response split EP

Attention all followers of crustcore: the DEFORMED EXISTENCE / VITRIOLIC RESPONSE 7″ split is truly something special. DEFORMED EXISTENCE from Japan and VITRIOLIC RESPONSE from the UK both play a style of crust, but when presented in a split format, their unique spin on the subgenre is evident. DEFORMED EXISTENCE plays two songs on their side of the disc, with both tracks bringing deep bass rumble and a full-throttle delivery. VITRIOLIC RESPONSE recorded three songs for the split, with their style carrying a more frenetic, streetwise D-beat sound into the crust. Both bands serve noisy, breakneck metallic punk in a way that harkens back to an earlier time, while the lyrics deliver current and crucial messages. This split is presented in cooperation by a host of international punk labels, and with its double-sided, fold-out sleeve, it really is a complete living artifact of global punk expression.

The Dissidents / Vitrolic Response split EP

Cool split between bands from the US and England. The DISSIDENTS feature MISCHIEF BREW’S former bass player on drums and play your typical sloppy punk rock, but the vocalist is so intense and charismatic that it brings everything together. A true pissed-off poet, and the kind of singer I’m sure a lot of bands wished they had. Seriously great stuff. VITRIOLIC REPONSE plays classic UK hardcore and sound like a modern GBH with barking vocals, but also incorporates doom/black metal elements, like slowing the tempo and using sinister arpeggios. Both bands sound different enough that it creates a great dynamic.