Cleric-Gratum Inferno

Metal in Dallas for the most part is a bummer. Being the city where Pantera made their way into the lime-light has left the scene in this stunted growth where most of the bands around are bands that wish that they were Pantera in their prime. All the while this is happening there are bands making headway, Divine Eve, Giant of the Mountain, Steel Bearing Hand, Tyrannosorceress, Plunge, and Cleric. 

Cleric has been around in DFW for around 7 years now, in one form or another. The band was around as a four piece from 2007 and 2008 before shrinking to a trio and disappearing into the fog. In 2011 the band regrouped with the 2009 line-up plus a stand-alone frontman, Zac Christian, and began working at it again. Well a year ago the group brought this monstrosity of a record to life. If you're a fan of old Swedish Death metal with chainsaws replacing the guitars and dredgingly crushing doom moments this band is for you. 

This record is still available via the band and Tofu Carnage records (and oh my fucking god is that vinyl absolutely beautiful). Take a listen, buy the record and embrace the left hand path.

DOWNLOAD.

Best Fwends-EP3

Best Fwends is happiness and pure joy personified into musical form. 

I heard about these guys two years ago when they played the 1919 Hemphill 10th anniversary show, the one night of that weekend that I didn't go and I still regret it. Studio wise the band is only two people, Dustin Pilkington and Anthony Davis, live the band features members of Sin Motivo and Wiccans. 

So if you want to get stoked or make a shitty day better than there isn't much more beneficial than listening to this EP. DOWNLOAD.

Akkolyte-Clues in the Chaospile

Chances is if you're from Dallas, or North Texas in general, you've heard of Akkolyte. If not then, Akkolyte is a long standing duo from Oak Cliff, made up of two brothers, Aaron and Stefan Gonzalez. The band has been around since about 1999 and done countless splits, one of which was with Magrudergrind of all bands. This all accumulated in 2011 when Akkolyte put out their debut album, Clues in the Chaospile. 

The album is a monster of a record, Stefan and Aaron are two of the most talented musicians in the DFW area and unliked most albums under the banner of grindcore this album never gets boring, the two are always doing something and it rules so hard. 

This album has been out for a while, you can still buy it physically and digitally from Tofu Carnage. But for those who bought the record and realized that it had no download card, then here you go. 

DOWNLOAD.

Wiccans-Tour Tape

I have no clue how many of you actually read through this blog and gander through my posts, but if there are (or if you know me in the real world or through my social media platforms) you will know without a doubt Wiccans is one of my favorite bands. From the first time I saw them play in a smoke filled forest with a homeboy in a devo hat on acid firing roman candles at them to a few nights ago when they played during an arctic blast of a thunderstorm in Fort Worth I have never seen this band play a bad set.

Back in August I had thought that I had done the impossible and had a complete discography run of their material until Payton and Harpal both informed me I was missing two pieces of the puzzle; the 2012 Tour Tape and the tape edition of Field II. Both of which I was assured would be next to impossible to obtain. Fast forward to last friday, in my excitement to see Wiccans play a hometown set I had posted a song from Skullduggery (the dredging "Third Estate"). Former guitarist, Daniel Zeigler, now a crystal loving Buddhist Monk sent me the audio to the tour tape (with a winky emoji mind you). The tour tape is a hidden gem and something I am very grateful that Daniel sent me, for it contains three songs, two Field II demos and a song from the group that has never been released anywhere else. 

But a bit of history on the tape from the mouths of Harpal and Adam; released for an early 2012 tour before Field II was even properly mixed, the release was limited to 17 copies and spread through the midwest. The aforementioned exclusive song is entitled "Negative Space" and was intended for a compilation (what comp I do not remember.) but by the time Wiccans had sent in the track the comp was full. Plan B was to put the song on Field II but the group felt that "Negative Space" did not fit in with the rest of the record, therefore the song was confined to this tape. The other two songs are "Telepathy" and "Psychic Mirrors", demo versions recorded before the Field II sessions and played much faster than their album counterparts. 

Once more I would like to thank Daniel Zeigler for sending me this hidden gem. The tracks were one big lump when they were sent to me, for this DL I have separated them out. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD

Myrkur-S/t

I would love to thank the hellhole of a website known as tumblr for helping me to find out about this incredible band. Myrkur is a one woman Black Metal band from Denmark, blending the old second wave styles of Darkthrone and Ulver with classical and very natural sounding somber moments, similar to what some of the Cascadian Black Metal bands are coming up with. 

This LP just dropped, but it is very much worth your time to pick this up if you are at all into black metal, as it feels like a strong breath of fresh air. But decide for yourself and download here. 

Raspberry Bulbs-Nature Tries Again

Raspberry Bulbs were initially introduced to me through some internet research on Sexdrome, and I happened upon the anxiety ridden jangling masterpiece known as "Deformed Worship". Not long after when I was searching in a local record store, "Recycled" of Denton, I happened upon a bloodstained copy of this magnificent record.

Now when I say bloodstained, I mean that in a literal sense, the cover of this record had dried blood on it. Make of that what you will. 

That aside this record is phenomenal, written before the jangling punk mess of "Deformed Worship", "Nature Tries Again" is more on the Black Metal side of things for this band, low growls and moans with a more menacing approach of the raw black metal/blackened punk affair. 

DOWNLOAD.

Wiccans-Demo (2009)

At this point if you do not know of Wiccans, you are fucking up, leave this blog go find an MP3 for Field II and immerse yourself in the psychedelic hardcore madness. If you do then I present you with this gem. This is the first set of Wiccans recordings from back in 2009. Put out by British label "Eat a Book" I have been long scouring the web for these songs (I own the two separate versions of this tape myself but I wanted the world to hear this without having to hunt this bastard down). 

The tape for the most part is the Teenage Cults Mini-LP with some songs from Skullduggery sprinkled in, but all this raw, muddy fierceness. Interesting bit of trivia is that the song from this tape "Drop Out" would later mutate into the song "Ephemera" on 2011's Skullduggery.

But the point is, if you want to hear a bit of North Texas punk history then download now.  

And in better news, Wiccans is working on a third LP, get stoked.

SLAVE HOUSE - DEMO

Greetings and felicitations, malefactors! It has been a while and life has had its share of cramming shit into my face, what with Paranoid Anxieties, the tour with Common Ignorance and attempting to wade my way through the nearly 20 hours of footage on my computer life has been busy. In any case I have just returned from a trip to the northeast, a rather dull one in all honesty, but that time has given me a chance to sit down and listen to some new bands that I have crammed into an ipod for the journey. And the biggest obsession of this journey has been Slave House.

I have yet to drag my way through to web in an attempt to find any information about this band. But in the little studies I have done thus far I've found there is little information about this band out there which, truthfully, makes it all the more appealing to me, because, lets face it I have a big soft spot for mysterious guy music. 

As far as the music goes, super raw, blackened punk with a Bone Awl sort of vibe to it. The thing about the music here is the riffs on this are so goddamned catchy that they get stuck in your head and make you want to come back for it more and more. The third track,"Sacred Flesh" is the best in that it has a superb pogo, 1-2 beat to it.

I found out that this tape is out and copies are circulating around the net, but download it now and hunt yourself down a copy.

(I would also like to thank Kavon from Common Ignorance for letting me know about this band, thanks Princess!)

Nuke Cult - We Play Ugly Music, Fuck You! Tape

Nuke Cult are the truest dawgs and one of the coolest bands to catch live. While their first tape has been out making the blogspot circles for a year or two now, their second tape has been a bit harder to locate online. I know that this was released on it's own originally but has since been re-released twice as a split with the Dirty Work tour tape ( I have a copy from the second round which was dubbed over a Christian how to pray tape of some sort).

I definitely prefer this tape to the demo from 2011, which in it's own right was good, but this tape has some stronger material in my opinion. But decide for yourself and download here.

S.H.I.T.-Collective Unconsciousness 7"

It's S.H.I.T. And it's a new 7" by them. Don't be stupid and DL it now.