11/8/20
BODY COLLECTOR - THE MOST HOLY DEATH
BODY COLLECTOR is a project that I think doesn't get enough props. Khris was a beast in harsh mode, that can hardly be disputed, and with all the other heads having another go at harsh noise, I would love to see the old NURSE ETIQUETTE and current NOSTILEVO label boss and mind behind SCORPIO & GLASS and LIABLE FOR ABUSE have another go at unrelenting harsh noise. This CDr came out on BRISE-CUL RECORDS (which has also gone dormant over the last 5 years) in 2007 in an unknown edition.
FOUKE - FOUKE
I've been a huge cryptozoology nerd since I was a kid, glued to the morning airings of "In Search Of..." on A&E before school. Needless to say I was stoked as fuck to discover that RICHARD RAMIREZ does in fact have the topic of Sasquatch and related creatures covered win the realm of HNW with FOUKE. This CDr came out in 2009 on Small Doses in an edition of 49.
AN INNOCENT YOUNG THROAT-CUTTER - BAY OF BLOOD
"You thought I was goooooone?!" - What's up motherfuckers, I was busy making my own god damn noise and couldn't update the blog, but I got a few posts for today to share with you. Up first is AN INNOCENT YOUNG THROAT-CUTTER, one of the many collaboration projects of wall god RICHARD RAMIREZ, with "Bay Of Blood" which is a 5" lathe that came out on URASHIMA in 2010 in a first edition of 9 and a second edition of 27 in 2016. It is short and sweet and HARSH.
9/22/20
THE RITA - ESCORTING
And now we go from single-sided LPs to a triple LP box, because that's just as unhinged as anything The Rita ever does. This time around, he teams up with CONCERN, CALIGULA031, and MANIA for 2 side-long collaborations each. This was co-released by the godly URASHIMA and AT WAR WITH FALSE NOISE in 2013 in an edition of 199 hand-numbered copies.
TURN OFF THE RED LIGHT AND TURN UP THE STEREO
SICKNESS - FRAGMENTED MEMORY
Another single-sided LP, but this one is really special to me. I actually played the show this was recorded at on November 4 2010. It was Wyatt and I collaborating live for one of the first times. Aaron Dilloway, Failing Lights, and The Others (Andrew Kirschner and Moltar I think?) also played. Released on GODS OF TUNDRA in 2011, edition unknown.
I WAS PROBABLY THE ONLY SOBER PERSON THERE SO MY MEMORY'S NOT FRAGMENTED
TASKMASTER - SWAMP LURKER
I fucking love TASKMASTER. For starters, the name almost certainly comes from the wrestler KEVIN SULLIVAN from WCW fame. His 1980s promos as the Prince Of Darkness are unbelievable, but he got the name The Taskmaster during a run with a group The Dungeon Of Doom (see below). Much like the legendary grappler, Taskmaster grapples crunching walls into submission for our enjoyment. Okay back on track - this is another Troniks single-sided LP, this time in an edition of 106 copies.
OBSTACLE CORPSE - C'EST LA VIE
So the next few posts will be vinyl rips. Personally, I always stress out about the quality of vinyl rips, so I take some pride in making sure these aren't total garbage - that being said, its vinyl and noise so nobody's perfect. Also, I don't have a good scanner for LPs but at least I know my way around photoshop. First up is OBSTACLE CORPSE, who I originally discovered via CONTEMPORARY HARSH NOISE III. Obstacle Corpse is apparently guitar noise but you would never fucking know it, this is, unsurprisingly, harsh as fuck. A TRONIKS single-sided LP that was released in 2006 in an edition of 143 copies.
THERE WAS A METALCORE BAND IN CLEVELAND CALLED OBSTACLE CORPSE
9/14/20
VARIOUS ARTISTS - CONTEMPORARY HARSH NOISE VOL. II - DISCONNECTION
Coming back to the seminal CONTEMPORARY HARSH NOISE series, Skeleton Dust Recordings dropped Vol. II in early 2013, and is features A SNAKE IN THE GARDEN, COASTAL, ENDLESS SEA, and FISSURE. If anybody has any Coastal or Endless Sea tapes/releases they don't want, please hit me up. I managed to track down the Endless Sea LP but that's it, and I love this Coastal track.
SECTS / WRONG HOLE - SCHOOL FOR BOYS
Just this weekend I watched a livestream performance from SECTS at BLACK LACE in Providence. It was so great, and definitely helped with the loss of shows this year due to Covid-19. I'm genuinely concerned about the future of DIY spaces and culture post-pandemic, but this isn't the place to go on a rant about that. In 2014, Sects and Wrong Hole teamed up for this incredible split tape, presumably self-released - unless School For Boys is a label name? This is the fun in obscure noise releases, trying to figure out what everything is on the j-card.
WRONG HOLE - ESTHETIC SAVINGS
From around the same time in L.A., Nial Morgan's WRONG HOLE was also churning out releases on a manic schedule, and they're all incredible sampling of harsh noise. I caught Nial's newer project RACE TO THE BOTTOM at Summer Scum 2016 and it was one of the best sets of that weekend. This tape came out on the Italian label JOY DE VIVRE, edition unknown.
SISSISTERS - PR OUD FLE SH
... and in June 2013, Pat dropped another heater, this time making only 20 copies of what I think is one of the best Sissisters tapes. Recently, Receiving Vault dropped a new Sissisters tape for the first time in many years, and it doesn't skip a beat in terms of precision and quality. I hope its the first of many to come!
SISSISTERS - BRICK IN THE ARM
There was a period of time in the early/mid-2010s where it felt like the L.A. scene was pumping out incredible harsh noise on a fucking weekly basis. Don't get me wrong, that scene is STILL kicking ass, but Patrick Murch's SISSISTERS was firmly entrenched in that mix at the time, and with his CHRISTIAN POP RECORDS he put out this tape in an edition of 22.
PTM - UPSCALE CUM DEPOSITORY
PTM, often known as PYRRHIC THANATOLOGY MONGER, is one of the longest-running of the many projects of Jim Haras aka DETERGE. While Jim often contemptuously disregards subgenre limitations in favor of some kind of unhinged yet perfectly composed noise insanity, this tape sits pretty firmly in harsh noise territory. This came out on Wyatt Howland's SKSK label, which honestly has my favorite label aesthetic of all time, and only 30 of these were made which is a damn shame.
FERVEUR NOIRE - SIGHTLESS LEGION
Speaking of that 2013 return, Dillon put out this slammer of a cassette on his own REPENTANCE PRODUCTS. I'm not sure about the number made, but if that's under 100 then this is criminally overlooked.
FERVEUR NOIRE - BASK
2007 just seems like it was a really fucking tight year for harsh noise. I didn't enter the game for a couple more years, so I missed out on the initial run of Dillon Tulk's FERVEUR NOIRE. I was, however, enlightened upon seeing his performance at SUMMER SCUM 2013, and went on the hunt for tapes. This one came out on NURSE ETIQUETTE in an edition of 66.
CRASH AT EVERY SPEED - FORECAST
Of all the literally dozens of RICHARD RAMIREZ projects, I have a special fondness for the high-end torture that is known as CRASH AT EVERY SPEED. On "Forecast" we get a little more dynamics than we usually get from Richard, but it by no means takes away from the barrage of noise. This came out on PHAGE TAPES in 2007 in an edition of 63 copies.
THE RITA + NFW / CHRISTIAN NICOLAY - ATLANTIS
Took a little break but I'll make up for that today. The first post is a really underrated release: "Atlantis" finds THE RITA collaborating with NFW (who I am assuming is TASKMASTER given the initials) and also with CHRISTIAN NICOLAY for a unique concept: you're supposed to play both tapes at the same time. Well, your boy here ripped each tape separate and also combined them for a track, so you can get all the possible experiences you would want. I was super into Atlantis as a kid, like I believed in that shit... this release came out in 2011 on SATAN'S DIN in an edition of 100. You can still grip this on discogs for pretty cheap!
9/7/20
A.C. & SKIN GRAFT - DIRTY PUSSY
A disgusting name for the disgusting slab of wax from the aforementioned duo of Howland & Coltrane. I'm not entirely sure if each LP came with a different letter-sized picture for a cover or not, but I know this is one of the more tame covers. I'm really not a fan of ripping LPs but I'll be making crucial exceptions, and this was absolutely one of them. Another Hermitage Tapes ripper in an edition of 116.
SKIN GRAFT & A.C. - PATHOLOGY
In 2009-2010 Wyatt teamed up with ANDREW COLTRANE for a collab LP and this 2xC32 box was what was left on the cutting room floor for those sessions. But don't fool yourself, what are outtakes for those behemoths would be best-of collections for your average noiser. This box came out on Andrew's HERMITAGE TAPES in an edition of 10.
9/5/20
AHLZAGAILZEGUH + SKIN GRAFT - AHLZSKIN GRAFT
Maybe its just because of the insane fucking packaging that Jim provided for this FUSTY C*NT release, but I feel like I never hear anybody talk about just how incredible this collaboration between AHLZAGAILZEGUH and SKIN GRAFT is. Two modern titans! Its 50 minutes of violence. This came out last year in an edition of 100. I would love to hear any stories of shipping this in the mail!
9/4/20
BODY CARVE - GUTS IN RED PLASTIC
This guy is too humble to admit that he's sitting pretty much atop the throne of contemporary harsh noise with his BODY CARVE project, but I'm completely comfortable hyping him. This release would've been right at home on Self Abuse or Mother Savage in the 90s. A botched surgery in noise form. I kept trying to scan the art in but I didn't like my scans so these are stolen from discogs. Released on GUTTER BLOAT in 2018 in a special edition of 60 in VHS boxes, and a second edition with an undisclosed run.
TEN LITTLE PIGGIES - CARTE BLANCHE FOR FOOTSMELL
This seemingly one-off project (aside from a comp appearance on ANHEDONIA for FUSTY C*NT) sees Alex from CLIMAX DENIAL in full-in foot fetishist mode - everything to do with this release involves that obsession - the envelope has a real female footprint, the tape is wrapped in used nylon, and the inserts are clearly from some under-the-bed archive. For true freaks! Released in 2008 in an edition of 18 on Violent Whatever.
8/31/20
FORM HUNTER - DRIPPING CURVE
What do you get when you put two modern noise masters together in the same tucked-away college town in Western NY for awhile? You get FORM HUNTER via Stefan Aune (BREAKING THE WILL, KJOSTAD, NEW FORCES) and Weston Czerkies (SUNKEN CHEEK, THIN VISION), and this duo has very quickly established themselves as part of the vanguard of the recent harsh noise resurgence. This tape was released on Weston's own PRIME RUIN label in April 2019.
CONSTRAIN - S/T
Between 2012-2016, Kevin McEleny unleashed a barrage of releases as CONSTRAIN, employing a break-neck stop/go and cut-up style across a little over a dozen releases. I'm not sure what the circumstances are around his seeming dropping off, but for a time there between this project and his label HEAVY PSYCH there was a constant influx of incredible harsh noise. Not really captured here, but Kevin's visual art style is also among the best, and I highly suggest seeking out his zines like LIFE TRAP. I don't have too much background on this release, it appears to have been self-released for the PURE HARSH NOISE WORSHIP 2013 megashow that went down in Portland.
WORTH - NEANDERTHAL CAMERA
WORTH is another contemporary project that just consistently cranks out rippers. Will Van Gorder has been in the harsh noise game for quite some time, and Worth picks up where WEAK SISTERS left off. Much like the performances, the recordings always seem to be teetering on catastrophic collapse, surely due in part to the totally damaged gear style Will has, but he's a master and keeps things together and pushes them into sublime ascension. This release came out in 2018 on LEAD LOZENGES in an edition of 40.
8/29/20
BLIND DATE / JACKSON-PRATT - SPLIT TAPE
No, I didn't post the same tape twice. Tyler and Seany just decided to continue the blood red themes of the previous split on another release because if the harsh noise ain't broke don't fucking fix it. Self-released earlier this year, edition unknown. I believe this came out shortly before the boys launched RECEIVING VAULT but that is the place to support their work now. Also, this tape has one of my all time favorite track titles:
JACKSON-PRATT / BLIND DATE - SPLIT TAPE
If you were to ask 9 out of 10 harsh heads these days who the hottest new acts are, they will almost certainly say JACKSON-PRATT or BLIND DATE if not both. In the last few years they've burst onto the scene with amazing live performances and crushing recordings. This was a split released in 2019 on PSYCHIC LIBERATION in an edition of 50.
8/28/20
LAPSE - ADRENAL BATTERING
Full disclosure: the THOUSANDS OF DEAD GODS crew are my people. I have the label logo tattooed on my leg for a reason. Justin and Matt are two of my closest friends and most respected peers. Last year Justin (aka SHREDDED NERVE) burst out of his lab with a new project, LAPSE, and it is pure harsh noise worship at its finest. He put this 2xC8 release together for the first show, making 16 copies, which is fucking ridiculous because more people need to hear this. So without further adieu...
BEING - FOR EVALUATION
Closing out tonight's blast of BEING is For Evaluation, which was made for Luke's Spring 2017 Japan/Korea tour in an edition of 27 copies. I can't even remember how I ended up with one but it either involved harassing Luke or convincing Adam Jennings (WINTERS IN OSAKA), who lives in Japan, to grab one and mail it to me. I make no apologies for my obsessive collecting of Being material, and upon listening you'll see why...
BEING - BATTERY CAGES III
The third and so far last installment in the Battery Cages series is great because its obvious in the recording that Luke is fully confident in his execution and "coming into his own" for a lack of a better phrase. This is by far the most dynamic of the three, but that dynamism sacrifices none of the viciousness and blunt force of the earlier recordings. Released in 2012 on Skeleton Dust, I'm not entirely sure what the quantity was, but its long gone.
BEING - BATTERY CAGES II
I think Battery Cages II might have been the first Being tape I picked up directly from Luke, and I'm betting he wishes he'd never filled that fucking order because I have been punishing him ever since. But its hard not to, because Luke is a great dude, with a great label, a great store, and one of my favorite noise projects of all time. The second installment came in an edition of 50 on Skeleton Dust.
BEING - BATTERY CAGES I
When I was first getting into harsh noise, I asked Wyatt Howland what I should check out, and he hit me with a list of essentials and a list of contemporary acts to check out. He put a major emphasis on BEING and in particular this tape, which he jammed for me as it took a couple years for me to track a copy down. He wasn't wrong, the whole Battery Cages series is crucial, and its cool to hear Luke's style evolve across each tape. This first in a series, this was released in 2006 in an edition of 15.
THIS TRILOGY > STAR WARS TRILOGY
8/27/20
KAKERLAK / BEING - 2017 SPLIT
This tape was made available at the SEWER ELECTION show in NYC in March 2017, a show that also featured WHITE RHINO TAXIDERMY with some extra idiot. I remember that night that BEING had something going that just sounded like the earth's crust was being pulled up and ripped apart. This split between two diehards of the genre was self-released by them for that show in an edition of 100, yet it doesn't come up very often, which is good because it should be held onto and jammed loud.
KAKERLAK - RESEMBLING ACTUALITY
TEN FUCKING YEARS LATER DUDE IS STILL RIPPING. Its awesome to have some of the generation before mine still dominating and showing us how to harsh properly on the noisy path. This C30 came out in and edition of 75 in 2017 on TEAM BORO TAPES, a Swedish label that seems to have only lasted for 2-3 years but in that time put out some serious heaters.
KAKERLAK - THE GARDNER
Another release from 2007, this originally saw a tape edition, but I came into possession of the CDr version put out by LIFE IS EASY. More of Nolan doing what he does best, crushing it in live settings across 3 tracks.
KAKERLAK - UNTITLED 3"
Nolan Throop has been pumping out crushing harsh noise as KAKERLAK for over 15 years, and I haven't heard a bad release yet. Catching live sets in 2017 and 2018 were true treats for someone who missed the mid/late-00s scene. I tracked down this 3" that came out in 2017 on PITCHPHASE. Have I mentioned that I fucking love 3" CDrs? I think its the perfect format for noise freaks because you have to really be dedicated to make sure you have a way to play this format in 2020...
FRIGHTENED MOON - UNWELL
The follow up to the Wells, Unwell is full of blown-out samples and incredible harsh textures. I love the ongoing theme of The Invisible Man, I watched that movie as a kid with my sci-fi loving Grandma, who also got me into Godzilla and monster trucks, so maybe I should be throwing props to her for exposing me to the delightful sounds of buildings crumbling, glass breaking, and metal mangling. I hope Mike follows up with more from this project as it is truly a standout treat! This tape is also available via Solar Temple, so get on that shit before I just buy all the copies and force them on people...
FRIGHTENED MOON - WELLS
I want to spotlight some more contemporary harsh heads as well, and in terms of underrated and under the radar, few are as unappreciated as FRIGHTENED MOON. Mike has been around the Chicago noise scene forever and also performs as MAGIA NUDA and FUTURESLUM. With Frightened Moon we get some nasty analog destruction. While his 2017 collab with THE RITA that came with a pair of sunglasses is sold out from Fusty C*nt, this single-sided C20 tape is somehow still available through Mike's own SOLAR TEMPLE TAPES...
KAY LAWRENCE - CARRYING HER THIGHS, HER BACK
As of today Kay Lawrence has only produced the LP on Urashima and this cassette installment of thick harsh noise muck for the gillmen to rise from, released on PHAGE TAPES in an edition of 100.
KAY LAWRENCE - GILLS CUT INTO WOMEN
Can you pick up on the fact that I am combing through my "Rita and Co" section of my collection? Here we have Sam teaming up with Cristiano of ALO GIRL and the label URASHIMA, on which this LP came out in an edition of 99 copies in 2011.
WALL RIDERS - DOCUMENT III
WALL RIDERS is an absurdly underrated project that involved contributors such as THE RITA, TASKMASTER, RICHARD RAMIREZ, and others - although the actual lineups for each recording are purposefully obscured as the goal of the project per Sam was "deconstructing the audio AND any idea of personality behind projects." Just total ripping harsh noise wall for 40 minutes. This CDr came out on Trauma Tone in 2008 and you can seriously get this on discogs for like $2, wtf?!
8/26/20
ZENTA SUSTAINED - BREAKING THROUGH THE TERMINAL STASIS
The last entry in the catalog of this mega-powers collaboration, the A-side feels very McKinlay-heavy with that signature wild texture of his. This cassette was released in 2009 by Nurse Etiquette.
ZENTA SUSTAINED - ROOFTOP SNIPERS
Easily the most accessible of the Zenta Sustained released, as it was a CDr released in an edition of 100 copies on Life Is Easy in 2007. These inserts are a good reason to keep the adult content warning up on the blog.
ZENTA SUSTAINED - THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!
I spent so long tracking this release down there's no way I'm not sharing with all the homies. Bloomer and McKinlay return with a 2xCS released in 2006 by Trauma Tone Recordings in a criminally low edition of 15 copies.
BLACK TO COMM - ROBERT PAMPERIN
BLOOMER + THE RITA. Now that is a winning combination if ever there was one. This was the first release they did before changing their name to ZENTA SUSTAINED. Released on the god-tier TRAUMA TONE RECORDINGS in 2006.
BACHIR GEMAYEL - AL-NOUMOUR
Another excellent Bachir Gemayel release, and the last one we would see until 2017's "Walls Of War" on Housepig. This 2xCS release was meant to be played both individually and simultaneously, and you know your boy hooked you up with those AC/BD mixes for tracks. Released on Fusty C*nt in 2012 in an edition of 50.
BACHIR GEMAYEL - GUARDIANS OF THE CEDARS
Before he joined a TERROR CELL UNIT, and before KOUFAR was selling out releases in minutes, Mackenzie Chami was bringing the masses walls of war with BACHIR GEMAYEL. "Guardians of the Cedars" was the first release on his INSURGENT RECORDS in 2009 in a criminally limited edition of 25.
PARANOID TIME - PINCHED SACK
Speaking of Skeleton Dust and never having a bad release, Pat Yankee aka PARANOID TIME has never failed to unleash absolute harsh noise destruction upon us all. Live sets are completely unhinged and possibly the closest you can get to the energy of a Youth of Today show in harsh noise - stage dives, moshing, raised fists. "Pinched Sack" was released on Skeleton Dust in 2009.
VARIOUS ARTISTS - CONTEMPORARY HARSH NOISE VOL. I - WASTE
There is no such thing as a bad release on SKELETON DUST RECORDINGS, and since 2012 the CONTEMPORARY HARSH NOISE series has given a spotlight to the best of the best in the scene today. Volume I features BEING, BREAKING THE WILL, SKIN GRAFT, and WEAK SISTERS -all names you'll be seeing often here, so get used to it.