Reviews

Sewercide

Antibodies LP 2021 EP

Straight-up, no-frills hardcore from this Canadian band. Fast and instantly likeable, with simple riffs pounded down into the dirt and vocals that go from rabies to a sarcastic sing-song quality that sounds like DOLLHOUSE (especially on “No Pension”). Feedback creeps in around all the edges, making it sound like the whole thing will crash apart at any second, but it never does cuz it’s just so tight. Every song rips, but some standouts are “Neuro Crutch,” where the vocals turn into a near-blackened thrash attack, and “Rent-a-Cop,” which adds a saxophone for texture but never lets up the punk battering ram. Great record for those times when you just want to punch, punch, punch the air.

BOOJI BOYS Unknown Pleathers EP

You ever see a band at bookstore, and the PA is meant for poetry? So you can’t hear the vocals, and you still are jamming hard as fuck? That’s this shit right here. Like this vibe is so strong, I actually feel like I just finished a forty listening to this. Fuzzed the fuck out and slamming around. Sounds that make the body loose. The grooves are tight and keep driving shit forward, and the lead guitar and vocals throw in some spice to keep you guessing. Low fidelity, high quality punk right here, and it has nothing to do with JOY DIVISION.

Cell Deth Cell Deth demo cassette

The pissed-off punk clatter of Canada’s CELL DETH is pretty damn sharp. It’s old-school hardcore with an urgent and authentic feel, and the raw sound on this demo, with the intense vocals competing to be heard over the music, complements the style. My favorite moments here are the off-kilter stomp and cartoonish riffage of “Disposable Culture,” the blastbeat-laden “Climate Crisis,” and the furious closer, but the whole thing just rips on by and leaves a good taste.

Fragment Serial Mass Destruction EP

Maddening raw D-beat out of Nova Scotia that leans toward the ANTI CIMEX side of things. They take the Raped Ass sound, cut the guitar leads, and add blast beats, vocal echo, and even a breakdown into the mix. None of that, however, takes away from the crashing chaos that drives this record full speed ahead towards a sheer cliff with the brakes on fire. If you’re ready to take that ride, then give this a whirl.

Fragment Serial Mass Destruction EP

I recall giving this band’s 2017 12″ a fairly lukewarm review, an action that won’t be repeated today. Been hearing quite a few mediocre to bad “crasher crust” records lately—this is definitely not one of those! The noize is there, alongside the de rigeur vocal reverb and B&W DISCHARGE/DISCLOSE graphic design scheme but the songwriting elevates this record well past its contemporaries. These five tracks fly by at 45 RPM, with impressive use of dynamics and tempo changes, memorable riffs and choruses that stick with you long after the needle has left the vinyl. The shuffling stench-core derived breakdown that closes the EP is just fantastic. This is a keeper!

Heavenly Blue Heavenly Blue demo cassette

A heavy dose of ’70s rock influence went into the recipe of these five neat lo-fi garage numbers from Nova Scotia. HEAVENLY BLUE lets their freak flag fly on the upbeat rock jams on this tape-hiss-laden cassette, and I can picture these guys wearing headbands and shit. Too hippie for MRR? It’s definitely pushing it.

Heavenly Blue 4 Track EP

Four bong-loaders from the foggy shores of Nova Scotia. Bluesy, crunchy rockers with a generous helping of tambourine, with the stand-out track for me being the opener “Push On Through.” The EP doesn’t do a ton after that which holds on too much, and treads in murky stoner rock waters until the last cut. The EP is a bit of a different frequency for a MRR review, but slightly pleasurable nonetheless. This is the band from that aging hippie guy who owns the head shop down the street.

Misanthropic Minds Welcome to the Homeland, Greetings From the Wasteland EP

Holy shit, yes. Like a tornado of rusty razors, Nova Scotia’s MISANTHROPIC MINDS hit the ground ripping on this blazing EP. This particularly nasty strain of hardcore is fresh-sounding and severe, serving up a thorough and agile pummeling. The chainsaw guitar never stops screaming at the end of the first song, entering the second track as a wall of wailing distortion that just keeps riding the back beat. It’s a rad move that had me cracking up the first time I heard it. The relentless thrashing continues, and the brooding title(-ish) track “The Homeland” provides a nice breather before the closing track drags you back into the whirlwind for one more round. This is the kind of record that you blow on a little bit before you take it off the turntable, because you’re scared it might burn your hand.

Mutated Void Slash the Altar EP

Nova Scotia’s MUTATED VOID seemingly went full goblin mode last year by releasing two records—this 7″ EP on Sewercide Records and the Roses Forever LP on Iron Lung—a mere week apart from each other, an absolutely bonkers move (whether the word “bonkers” entails sheer genius or stupidity is entirely up to your own interpretation) that demands respect. But fuck if that matters, it’s all about the music…and this slays. Ripping hardcore thrash performed by two skate freakos! The production is harsh and ear-splitting, but if you only want to hear HC punk with super-polished production, you frankly should eat shit and die in my opinion. The band’s unofficial logo, a crude cut-and-paste job combining the UNITED MUTATION and VOID logos, should tell you just about all you need to know. Shove this and the Roses Forever LP down your tinnitus-ridden earholes immediately!

Ritual Warfare Poison Death Noise EP

You know, there really isn’t anything that stands out to me about this EP. It’s pretty cut-and-dry blackened death metal with some decent riffage, pummeling drums, and the typical themes ranging from gore to anti-religious iconography. However, it’s charming in its own way. There’s a palatable sort of passion that oozes from it. This is the kind of band I’d have a really great time seeing live, but probably wouldn’t listen to much in any other setting. I think it’s because there’s absolutely no low end on this recording. If there’s a bass player, then they absolutely buried them in the mix. Some metalheads dig that kind of thing, though. If that’s up your alley then this is worth a spin.

V/A Seaside Sickness EP

This is an excellent regional punk compilation that documents an under-reported scene, the East Coast of Canada. We can tell it is a small but highly active and creative scene. The 7″ includes exclusive tracks from the ferocious MISANTHROPIC MINDS, the KBD style of ANTIBODIES, the brutal chaos of FRAGMENT, the primitive fun of DARK DIAL, WARSH’s sharp blast of rage, BRAIN POLLUTION SYNDROME’s gutter noise abuse, and the unique genius of the BOOJI BOYS. Absolutely no filler.