R.I.P. Rowland S. Howard

Sad news today: Rowland S. Howard, guitarist best known for his mangled, minimalist, brilliant guitar playing in the Nick Cave fronted The Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party died this morning after battling liver cancer. The Birhtday Party and Howard's guitar playing have been a huge inspiration to me, and alongside Black Sabbath, The Stooges, Swans, and Velvet Underground, they stand as one of my favorite bands. Eerily coincidental, I was considering posting this album later today....





"Mutiny" was BP's last will and testament to the world after which they collapsed into a heap from the stress of poverty, drug abuse, and general lack of artistic agreement, the respective members going on to form the Bad Seeds and These Immortal Souls. This little album is so beautiful, deranged, and distinct I could write a book about it if I tried. Along with Henryk Gorecki's 3rd Symphony, and the Cure's "Pornography", the song "Jennifer's Veil" stands as one of the most harrowing, heart wrenching pieces of music committed to earthly existence. The lyrics to "Mutiny In Heaven" as well as Nick Cave's maniacal rantings and phrasing are some of the best written, and I have committed them to memory for 15 years, periodically singing them out loud when they come to mind because I think they are so brilliant.

If I were afforded a "way back" machine, one of the first things I would do is teleport myself back to see a Birthday Party show circa '80-'82. Fortunately, I have seen the Bad Seed's twice, and even had the totally off chance of meeting Nick Cave (which is a story unto itself). It is too bad I never had the fortune of seeing Rowland in action before his untimely demise today. Hope there is a Mutiny in Heaven soon!

Like the Ground Plan of Hell!!!

Fuck the Kids

With the holidays, and my wrapping up of this semester at school, my posting has been delayed...Sorry for that. Here is the 2001 lp of Umea, Swedens skate thrash-meisters Demon System 13.

Killed By The Kids

Voluspa9's Digital Mix vol. 1

So, I post frequently on a bulletin board dedicated to the Indianapolis hardcore music scene. Periodically people post a current playlist of albums/bands they have been listening to. Well, I decided that I would make digital mixes of songs related to my playlists. Here is the first of hopefully a series of these. Below is a list of the songs I have assembled, with descriptions/notes attatched. Click the link below all that for the download. Hope you enjoy it, and give me some feedback.

1. Bathory- You Don't Move Me (I Don't Give a Fuck)

An old Bathory cut that was released when they were a full band and not just the solo project of Quorthon. This song displays a more obvious Motorhead influence than the later black metal releases. This particular version is from a demo I downloaded, but it is also on the best of anthology "Jubileum: Vol. 1"

2. Waste Management- Management Waste

I just checked this out because I have seen their name thrown around and heard about them from friends. I really don't know much about the band, but they definitely have the whole Infest vibe and sXe hardcore thing going on. I think they are from Boston. Aside from that, the 7" this comes from is pretty awesome

3. Death Strike- Pay To Die

Death Strike were a thrash/proto-death metal band from Chicago. It featured Paul Speckmann and Chris Mittleburn of Master fame. This track is from the 1985 demo "Fuckin' Death" and re-released by Nuclear Blast on the 1991 full-length of the same name.

4. Nuclear Crucifixion- Killers

NC were a thrash/crossover band from New Orleans that featured Brian Patton of Soilent Green and EyeHateGod (guitar), Donovan Punch who was also in Soilent Green (guitar), and Glenn Rambo, Soilent Green's original vocalist as well as contributor to the pre-EyeHateGod band Drip. The rip of this is pretty lo-fi, but you get the gist of it.

5.Sweet Cobra- Spider Scraper

As I was reminiscing about Mat Arluck recently, I repeatedly listened to this song. Great track from a great album and great band.

6. Craft- World of Plague

Craft are a band that seem to be a Indy HxCx favorite. Moreso it seems for their most recently release "Fuck the Universe" which is rightfully so because that album is no slouch. However, their first full-length "Total Soul Rape" has always been my favorite of their three releases. This is the opening track from that album, and it really goes for the throat. The snare fill and blood-curdling "heeeeaaaggghh" that kicks off this song is like nothing I have ever heard. Don't drop the soap in the shower while listening to this, cause your arse will be cruisin' for a bruisin'.

7. Cursed-Night Terrors

Canadian hardcore titan Chris Colohan fronted a beast of band in Cursed. I regret not catching these guys when they played in Bloomington with Coliseum/Breather Resist/Angelville, and was about brought to tears when I heard they couldn't play Dudefest a while back. This song is borderline black metal, and is pretty friggin scary...Hence the appropriate title.

8. D.S. 13- We're Hardcore, You're Not

And can you argue with that title. Furious skate thrash from Sweden, D.S. 13 have one of the most amazingly fucked up guitar tones ever, and the lyrics are spot on. Grind a curb to this one, cause it delivers.

9. Mott the Hoople- All the Young Dudes

Title anthem from the Bowie produced glam rock masterpiece. Many of you probably know it.

10. Digable Planets- Graffiti

Those of you into (or not, maybe) hip-hop know about DP's hit cut "Rebirth of the Slick (Cool Like Dat)" which I recently cringed at hearing on a refrigerator commercial (or something like dat). This is a track from their second and last full-length "Blowout Comb". DP broke up after this album and I guess the themes of black militancy on this album alienated many of their previous fans. They reformed again and did some tours recently.

11. Bruce Springsteen- Atlantic City

For years I had a secret love for some of the Boss's tunes, and never openly admitted to admiring the art of his music until I was introduced to the album "Nebraska" by my friend Derek. This album is a stark contrast to everything Springsteen had done up to this point. Brooding, lo-fi, and heartbreaking, the songs on the album are just Bruce, his guitar and voice recorded to 4 track in some old house. I guess some of the songs were originally intended to be demos for the E-Street band, but were left as is cause they were brilliant this way. This song is probably the best known of all of the songs on the album.

12. Leather Nun- No Rule

Leather Nun were a proto-industrial band from Sweden. This song is very garage rock in nature, but the pulsing rhythm lends to a visualization of a sequencer bleeping out a bass undertone. The band evolved into more of a dance/electronica group, and along the way lost the vicious charm that is apparent on this e.p.

13. Anal Cunt- Killing Yourself to Live/It's Allright/Sabbra Cadabra/Blow on a Jug

This is from the AxCx side of their contribution to the amazing "In These Black Days" Black Sabbath tribute series released by Hydrahead (Side A being EyeHateGod). A fucking hilarious medley, cynical in true AxCx fashion. The "Sabbra Cadabra" take is pure genius.

14. Patton Oswalt- Robert Evans

To continue with the comedy, the last track of this mix is taken from the standup comedy album "Feeling Kinda Patton" by Patton Oswalt (of Rattatouille fame). Oswalt is probably the best comedian of the decade, if you ask me, and this bit is amazing. His impression of movie producer Robert Evans will go down as legendary.

Voluspa9's Mix vol. 1

Corrupted!!!

You thought this would be about the kroosh Japanese doom band...PSYCHE!!! It is a re-upload of the tracks from the previously posted albums that were corrupt. Apparently the combination of my shitty slow computer and shitty slow internet connection is wreaking havoc on my album uploads. If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can prevent this from happening, get at me. This techno-squonkery is very annoying:

Cathedral-Fountain of Innocence

Pain Teens-Daughter of Chaos

Pain Teens-Bruised

Out Cold-Black Door

R.I.P. Mat Arluck

Mat Arluck of Sweet Cobra passed away a few days ago. I just wanted to post to pay tribute to a fallen fellow brother in metal. I was not as close to Mat as some of my friends, but I knew him well enough to say he was an awesome dude. Super out-going and friendly, I was introduced to him by my friend Carl Byers one night at the Melody Inn. We bonded over chatting about Bolt Thrower and Craft, and every time I saw him after that he always went out of the way to stop and talk to me; a rare bit of friendliness and genuineness you don't find often in the superficial world of scene-ism. He put up a tough fight against his condition, and like any true dude, you would still see him out playing and attending shows, when he could have just as well stayed at home to recuperate. I just saw him about a month ago at a show at Rippy's. It never crossed my mind that would be the last time I would see him. I will miss him...

Current listening: Sweet Cobra-"Forever"