Blood on the Winter Road

The snowy highway home...
Through the slopes and crags Of Wyoming; the Salt Flats of Utah.
 The Solstice has broken
And the sky throws sheets Of winter's ammunition
Against the road battered vehicle
And it's weary occupants.

As the ominous night
Absorbs the dreary day
Thoughts flit and flip
Through the dramatic episodes
Of the past two months.
A mind embattled with the struggle
To reposition one's role
Amongst the actors around you.
 To keep your skin intact.
To satisfy your unquenchable ego.

To keep your childhood wounds
Sutured taut enough
So that the blood doesn't seep
Out of your head
And blind your eyes
To the strange and glorious map
Unfolding before you.

...A steel and concrete encrusted rainforest
Blinks on in the distance
Through the starry curtain drop
Of the skeletal season's early repose.
Waiting for you to stare
Into the streets oily puddles
At your melting reflection
And unravel this existential knot
Growing in your gut.

Only the good die young

Especially when it comes to hardcore. Not just people, but bands as well. No band is more exemplified by this at times tragic axiom, than the band Burial Year. Burial Year were a force to be reckoned with. Rising from the ashes of San Franciso/Oakland's Takaru and A Light In The Attic (both of whom also were stricken by a premature "burial"; pun intended) Burial Year were cast in the cauldron of that region's underground which seems to be perpetually bubbling with talent.

One of my fondest show memories was witnessing this band handily destroy the tiny basement show space of my then residence: 1624 N. Harrison St. in Ft. Wayne, IN. This was made all the more impressive to me as it was the first time I had gotten to witness my friend and fellow Ft. Wayne brother-in-arms Josh Kuntz displaying his awe-inspiring musicianship in this band as then fill-in guitarist. I was proud to see a former denizen of the at times spirit crippling Fort Wayne vortex transposing his talents to not only another city, but to a great band.

Josh's duties moved quickly from mere fill-in guitarist of the BY to full time vocalist. And what an impressive move that was. Very few front men have posed to me in recent memory so intimidating a presence and vocal attack as he did. Seeing him scream away from the mike, tear at his clothes, and beat his head in anguished catharsis reminded me of a young Hank Rollins at times. Not only did his addition fortify BY's already iron gauntlet of a live delivery, but it also stepped up their recorded attack. Far and above a better offering than their first self-titled e.p., Burial Year's second, and final opus to the d.i.y underground "Pestilence" is a maelstrom of mathy, sludge-y, compacted and contorted metallic hardcore. Like a bit more visceral younger brother of Deadguy, with plenty of nods to Germany's brethren metallic hardcore stalwarts Acme, Systral, and Morser.

I originally was going to make this post about the Michigan grind/hardcore up-and-comers Cloud Rat, who's debut self-titled LP has had me enthralled as of late. However the fact that they themselves exude the style and spirit reminiscent to me of bands such as BY and their ilk, I decided this would be a good segue way to their review. That, coupled with the fact that I found this video I took of BY in Indy in 2006:



So, without further adieu, here is the final statement made by this undeniable wrecking ball of a band:

The Law of The Tooth and The Fang