City Of Caterpillar Reunion Shows and Record Repress

Perhaps one of the most exciting pieces of music news that I've heard in a while is that legendary screamo giants City Of Caterpillar are not only repressing their only and incredible self-titled LP, but that the band in its original lineup is getting back together for the first time in 13 years for a handful of live performances.

City of Caterpillar bridged the gap between hardcore, punk, and indie. Their influence can be seen in most modern hardcore and punk bands. In their short existence in the early 2000's the band managed to create something that still to this day seems fresh and which transcends genre's but also the constant changing musical landscape. This record is both beautiful and chaotic. It's progressive. It's an instant classic in so many tight knit circles. This is passion. This is beautiful.

Stream the record on bandcamp.
Order the repress through Repeater Records.

City of Caterpillar will play:
Friday, Jan 13, 2017 - Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter w/ Bermuda Triangles, Big No
Saturday, Jan 14, 2017 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas w/ HIRS, Pinkwash
Sunday, Jan 15, 2017 - Washington DC @ Black Cat Backstage w/ Pygmy Lush, Malady
Monday, Jan 16, 2017 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus w/ Big Hush, Ghastly City Sleep

Culture Abuse "Peach" Review

Culture Abuse merge together raw punk energy with sunny pop elements to birth out the catchy, riff heavy, live your own lifestyle theme filled Peach.

The record, in contrast to their earlier releases, takes on a brighter tone. There are elements of shoegaze and reggae weaved in and out of blistering punk anthems, leaving the record a diverse and original listen. Tracks like the opener "Chinatown" feature David Kelling's slacker vocals and hard hitting 90's style riffs, and "Dream On," a standout punk anthem, mirror earlier Culture Abuse and are an exciting contrast to some of the brighter songs on the record.

Songs like "Jealous" with its crooning opening and surf styled riffs followed by an upbeat chorus, constant thundering tom work, and "I'm just happy to be here" vocals match well with the very diverse "Turn It Off." The track opens with riff driven power chords and crashing cymbals only to fall into this reggae styled break in the middle that shows the bands ability to incorporate all sorts of influences into their sound. The best part is it fucking works. It works really well.

Peach is about doing what you want. Live the way you want to live, do what you want to do. Culture Abuse managed to create an album that both incorporates a warm, dream haze, and a raw, punk attitude that opens to flood gates for what is possible in punk music today, and shows what quitting you job, moving into your jam space, and doing what you love can accomplish.

"Let there be peace on Earth. Let love reign supreme."

Stream or buy the record on bandcamp.
Order the LP, CD, or cassette copy from 6131 Records or get a copy from the band on tour now!



04/05 Little Rock, AR @ Metroplex +
04/07 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground +
04/08 Quebec City, QC @ Salle Multi *
04/09 Montreal, QC @ Club Soda *
04/10 Toronto, ON @ Mod Club *
04/11 London, ON @ London Music Hall *
04/13 Des Moines, IA @ Woolys *
04/14 Winnipeg, MB @ Garrick Centre *
04/15 Regina, SK @ The Exchange *
04/16 Calgary, AB @ Marquee *
04/17 Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room *
04/18 Vancouver, BC @ Imperial *
04/19 Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory *
04/21 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory *
04/22 Reno, NV @ Jub Jub’s *
04/23 Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre *
06/05 Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair ‡
06/07 Toronto, ONT @ Lee’s Palace ‡
06/08 Detroit, MI @ El Club ‡
06/09 Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class ‡
06/10 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean ‡
06/11 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club ‡
06/12 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown ‡
06/14 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater ‡
06/15 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court ‡
06/16 Boise, ID @ Neurolux ‡
06/17 Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern ‡
06/19 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ‡
06/21 San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s ‡
06/22 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar ‡
06/23 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo ‡
06/24 Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room ‡
06/25 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar ‡
06/27 McAllen, TX @ Yerberia Cultura ‡
06/28 Austin, TX @ The Sidewinder ‡
07/02 St. Petersburg, FL @ Local 662 ‡
07/03 Orlando, FL @ Back Booth ‡
07/05 Durham, NC @ Motorco Amphitheater ~
07/06 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter ~
07/07 Washington DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel ~
07/08 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ~
07/09 New York City, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ~
# w/ Self Defense Family, Strange Wilds

+ w/ The Story So Far, Elder Brother
* w/ The Story So Far, Comeback Kid
‡ w/ Nothing, Wrong
~ w/ Nothing

Perennial "Early Sounds For Night Owls" Review

This is the second review request I have received. Again a humbling experience to have people dig whats going on over here.

Anyways,

Perennial are a post-hardcore, self described "art punk" band featuring members of early Topshelf Records bands Lion Cub and Aeroplane, 1929. I get a little hesitant when people use the term "art punk" because it's usually never what I want it to be. I love art. I love punk. The two go hand in hand a lot of the time, but... sometimes... not.

Perennial is not one of those art punk bands. In fact I get a really nice combination of Sinaloa and Daniel Striped Tiger. The fullness of Sinaloa's songs and the raw energy of Daniel Striped Tiger, especially Condition days and earlier, but with something new. While producing top notch post hardcore jams, the band adds the new element of keys and effects which really add something nice. What's refreshing is that the keys take an active role in the song and aren't just there to add filler parts.

We are introduced to the keys as soon as possible as the ep kicks in with the rocking groove of "La Fugue Pour Beton brut." Nothing like coming out of the gates swinging. Energetic, some cool time changes, and the keys and effects at the end add that arty-ness to the mix which is followed by the straight forward and soild "Massachusetts Scenic Byways."

The albums interlude type track, "Circle/Pivot/Circle" is really nice. I like when bands release an ep of a handful of songs where you get a good well rounded taste for what they are about and where they could go in the future with a full album. I;m really stoked on the fact that Perennial can do these interlude tracks that offer more than the normal interlude/noise/ambient track. Sometimes it gets annoying when a band does this interlude thing. I feel like it's an easy way to go when you want another tracks but the ideas just aren't flowing anymore. This is not the case. The track is deliberate and it sets the scene for the intro to the closer/title track, "Early Sounds For Night Owls." A short subtle quiet vocal part that leads into a great payoff when the tracks starts moving.

All around this is a great first effort. Very excited to see what the future holds for this band.

Grab the limited cassette off their bandcamp and listen to the ep over there.

You can see the band on 4/2 in Willimantic, CT and on 4/8 in Amherst, MA!

Plebeian Grandstand "False Highs, True Lows" Review

I can not be more stoked. I saw Plebeian Grandstand a few years ago when they toured the states with Reproacher. They happened to be touring the states at the same time as Hexis, and I was able to see both bands at once. Needless to say it was one of the most intense shows I have ever seen. But the reason I am so stoked is not only is this album amazing, but Throatruiner Records, the label putting this record out, contacted me directly asking if I would be interested in writing a review, and accompanied the request with a full download of the record. Throatruiner, thanks so much! It's pretty cool getting requests from labels you dig for bands you respect. Anyways, here it is:

The follow up to Lowgazers had to be nothing short of incredible. The bands 2014 full length release was one of the best records of the year, in my opinion, and took the wave of blackened hardcore releases to a new tier. The French four-piece has taken the genre and completely overhauled it. It's not as simple as flipping it on itself, but they have taken it and created a new limb. Dark, exhausting, and claustrophobic.

False Highs, True Lows, which will be released by Throatruiner Records on April 29, is yet another extension on the hybrid they are creating. Really, the category of blackened hardcore doesn't do the band or the record justice. It's too often thrown around to any form of aggressive music baring a black metal attitude. What Plebeian Grandstand is creating here is a not just an intense monumental record, but an entire experience.

The record is exhausting. It's like a freight train pummeling down the tracks towards your damsel in distress body tied up and waiting in full blown horror. Or a car crash from the inside as you flip over and over and every piece of metal and debris is flying in all directions along with your body.  From the opening haunting repetition of "Mal Du Siecle" setting the mood for the record, followed by the chaos of "Low Empire" with those signature piercing guitar riffs by Simon Chaubard, and then to the first taste of the record we got "Tributes And Oblivions," which boasts inhuman drumming and haunting vocals that both lay deep underneath the walls of sound and present themselves as an entirely new instrument, the record is itself a different environment in a different atmosphere.

The record slows down about half way through with "Mineral Tears" which lasts a whopping 58 seconds. The track is merely a noise filler, but instead of acting as a pause or breather break, it only really displays itself as anxious. It's creepy, sudden, and long enough to really evoke the feeling of claustrophobia that the rest of the album encompasses.

Quick time changes, arpeggios, constant, unrelenting drumming, and guttural screams and howls haunt the record from the first instant until the first breath you can hope is waiting for your dried lungs at the end of this record. Plebeian Grandstand have truly created a violent, shifting, whirlwind of a record. One that will undoubtedly be on the tops of everyone's "best of" list this year.

Listen to "Tributes And Oblivions" below.

Pre-order the record through Throatruiner or through Deathwish in the states.

Graf Orlock "Crimetraveler" Review

I was lucky enough to witness the brutality that is Graf Orlock twice live. Once in a small basement show just outside of Manchester, NH and the first time at Dude Fest in 2006 or 2007. I remember they had their first singer at the time and he was a smaller dude. He was in the air as the crowd held him up as he was blasting through songs when something happened and he fell. The band kept on blasting through and the singer let out this blood curdling scream and kept on going. it was both horrifying and amazing, much like the entirety of this bands existence.

Enter in the bands newest full length release, Crimetraveler, out on Vitriol today (Feb 5). The band is known for their use of cult movie, action, and sci-fi related themes and snippets in their songs and live shows, but this record takes that to a whole new level. This record is basically the soundtrack to their own movie. Yes, the band created a film starring themselves for which the record is written and inspired by.

 From the band:

The Crime Traveler film tells the story of a French-Canadian assassin who discovers a wormhole and travels back in time to kill American politicians so that Canada can attain superpower status in the future. As the samples selected for the album illustrate, our anti-hero zips through time and space on his mission - rubbing elbows with John Hinckley at the Reagan assassination, witnessing the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and more.

 The record is nothing short of intense and brutal. Graf Orlock brings their own hybrid of metal and hardcore punk like only they can. Sometimes overwhelming, sometimes catchy, always intense!

"Bad Cell Service On Connecticut Avenue" opens the record with a "Hey, fuckface" and blistering blast-beats and soaring guitars with some great back and forth gruff as fuck vocals. There's a great melodic riff around the middle of the track too and a really cool heavy groove at the end.

"600,000 Tons Of Explosive Ordnance" has up hitting a bong hard as fuck. Heavy, classic hardcore. I love the dual / group vocal contributions. This one is slower in pace early on with some great riffs and tom work on the drums. Enter in some techy drum and guitar work. Sweet! That little solo thing too! Shit!

"Afternoon Lunch At The Red Bacchus" is a literal kick in the balls right of the bat. The recording quality of so flipping good. The guitar tone too! Full, heavy, pummeling, and clean. What? Yes! Great groove part towards and into the end. Some sweet ride.

"A Decent Proposal In A Shitty Alley" is non-stop. This one moves. Swirling, mayhem. A montage of intensity, heavy and fast paced. A tornado of riffs, little single notes, and d-beat. I don't mean to overlook the bass either. It's the backbone to these tracks. It gives that girth and linger to these songs. Always present. Always a necessity.

"Regional Turf War Spills Blood On Vegas Strip" has some of the fastest chugs I have ever heard and then that melodic part. This song is one of my favorites on the record. It takes a few different turns, each lasting just long enough and it demands a second or third or... well you get it.

"Nursing A Hangover" is something we all experience, but how about nursing one while you spill a fuck ton of oil into the ocean. You shit-turd. This is the song where the crowd completely looses their minds. The circle pits, the stage dives, running on top of people heads as far as you can until diving into the masses. Guitar slides, jumping off the kick drum, microphone to the forehead, blood, spit, people are screaming, you're in it now.

"Our Infallible Cybernetic Future" wants to know if "you're on the list, fuckface." You're probably not. It's better off, probably. You can't handle it anyways. This song has this sweet twisty dizzy sounding riff. The vocals in these tracks are so good. This band has some of the best back and forths and they each have a great gruff voice. Sometimes you get a band that try to do this but one dude sounds like an idiot. This isn't the case.

"Summer Getaway , Mount Hermon" is drippy and painful. Laugh it up. "I got an itch on the boys." This is the shortest song on the record and another one of my favorite. It's catchy and a real headbanger. There's a little solo part in there that rules.

"Difficult Decisions In The Yutani Mess Hall" makes you want to re-think that decision... This one moves. The guitar is like a whirlwind. It's like swelling and I got wicked dizzy. It was weird. Like vertigo or something.

"Cheaper, Safer, And Better Than The Real Thing" closes the record. "This is the problem with Earth today." This is how you end a record. With a fucking bang. A heavy build up throughout to this creepy credits rolling piano piece. "Go back to Mars."

As if the record and the content isn't enough, the packaging sets the bar even higher. This record is packaged with a full color 12-page news paper based on the content of the film / record.

Exploration Of The Rift In The Space-Time Continuum

Get the record now!

Frameworks "Time Spent" Review

This record is so damn good. Frameworks blasts out two songs of the most kick ass post-hardcore, punk... whatever you want to call it. It's just insane. If you read the piece by The Fader you will also know the the songs are deep as hell too. So not only are they flipping' hard as fuck, but they are heavy as fuck, like meaningful!

"Worn Out" has this great intro part and it's almost like a heavy pop song when the band and vocals kick in. There are some great soaring guitars throughout. I love the tone of the guitar. It's clean and clear while staying hard. There is great tom work in this jam too. The end has some cool synth work going on. It's really intricate and there is this overwhelming feeling of urgency. Put this on repeat.

The title track, "Time Spent," goes so hard. It has such a sweet groove to it in the beginning. The guitars shred so hard and the drums are bombarding. The songs slows den for a bit and there's time to take a short breath of air and then jump back in the pit, kid. The end has this quick punk part and then some twinkly beautiful guitar work with some heavy synth flow.

Shit. I'm a mess. This one got me all wrecked.

Grab this record from the mighty Topshelf Records.
Stream it here.
See them on tour with Donovan Wolfington next month!

Loma Prieta "Love b/w Trilogy 0 (Debris)" Review

Loma Prieta. You already know. This Bay Area punk staple has been cranking out releases since 2005. They have taken a few different twists and turns but have continuously killed it, This new 7" being released by the giant Deathwish Inc. features two brand new tracks. "Love" will be featured on the bands forthcoming full length entitled Self Portrait, which will also be out on Deathwish and it's produced by Jack Shirley of Comadre fame. The second track "Trilogy 0 (Debris)" is only available on this record. Exclusively!

"Love" starts off kind of slow with this great melodic guitar part. This songs hangs back a bit, especially compared with some of their other work. It's less chaotic while still being full of emotion and rage. The vocals are really great on this song. Buried enough in the mix to make them part of the overall noise, but forward enough to really stand out. The drums are really nice too. This song makes me super excited for the full length.

"Trilogy 0 (Debris)" has really great vocals. They are toned back a bit and the screaming is replaced with quieter yells. This song is heavy as all hell too. The guitar is so beefy. I love that Loma guitar tone. It' always really full and mean. They get this great muddy tone but it's still clean and clear enough to pick out the riffs and specific parts, the same goes for the bass work. That great heavy underlying noise. The drums are really stand out here too. I love the tom fills. That guitar work at the end too. The high notes. Remember this song is only on this record.

Self Portrait will be out October 2.
Grab this 7" now from Deathwish.
Stream it here.

Loma is currently on tour with Dangers in the UK / Europe.

Jungbluth "Love Cult" Review

Jungbluth, for those who don't know, is an incredible, heavy, post-punk band from Munster, Germany with strong feelings of distaste towards any forms of oppression. They just self-released their second LP, Love Cult, and I think that alone speaks volumes for the band as a whole and the individuals who make up the band. It's refreshing to see a band with such a positive stand who also truly reflects and practices the DIY ethics that this community always encourages.

With this new record the band matured in both production and sound. The song direction rivals the sound of new Loma Prieta, in my opinion, and I love it. Everything about this record, and especially regarding the production quality, is deliberate. I can't get over the drums. I find that they take more of a standout role on this record. That snare drum is so incredible. It lacks that overly crisp pop sound that bands use too often, and replaces it with a deeper thud that works so well.

When Part Ache, Jungbluth's first LP, was released, I had it on heavy rotation and it was in my top albums of the year list. When a band makes an album like that it's always unnerving to hear what's next. Sometimes I feel that the pressure of releasing such a great album can get to a band and they get lost in trying to "one up" themselves. With Jungbluth this is not the case. Love Cult is a smack in the face to people like me who worry and become anxious about a follow up record to something that feels untouchable.

The record starts off with "Everytime Geradeaus" which is really straightforward and to the point. The drums stand out a lot on this track. We lead into the bass driven "King of the Hill." There is a great riff through the first minute and a half and then into this great groovy breakdown type part. The transition from this song into "Schrödinger’s Katze" is perfect. This is one of those songs where the lyrics fit so well with the music. It barrels through the issue with giving a relationship an actual name instead of leaving the tags out of it and enjoying it for what it is. The vocals chant, "Run twice as fast, get half as far. Until the day we gave it a name. Until the day everything stopped," and the music goes into this slow heavy ender. So good.

"Charades" slows the pace down a bit and we get a lot of great noisy guitar work and some drawn out parts that you can really get into. This is the point in the record where I'm like, wow. Everything moves so fluently. This is where the "deliberateness" comes to mind. 

"Untitled" hits right in the middle of the record and split is up nicely with a solid drum heavy instrumental track. This is one of my favorites. This is where a lot of what just happened sinks in. This is one of my favorite tracks.

"Sternstunden der Doppelmoral" is the shortest song on the record and it just goes. This song does not stop. There is no room for breathing. You did that during the previous song. Suck it up and you can breathe again during "Dead Keys" due to the slower pace. It has a really nice head bopping groove.

"Lokalkolorit" is the longest song on the record but by listening to the way Jungbluth goes hard into it you wouldn't think so. This song, in my opinion, is the anthem song for the record. "This Society. Your Society. I'm dying. You're dying. We're dying. They're dying." That slow part in there too with the single notes. Oh man. That's when you know. That's the spot right there where it's clear. You know what it is. Don't ask me. This is my favorite track.

"Overdose Us" has this great bass line that plays through a lot of the song and when the guitar starts hittng those high notes with that constant strumming it's wonderful. Then there's this great heavy part at the end. This song reminds me more of the stuff you hear on Part Ache.

Love Cult closes with the sludgy feedback filled "Empathy is not a Competition." A perfect way to end the record. It's heavy, constant pounding, steady and the ending is so abrupt I kept waiting for it to kick in again but it won't and it doesn't have to.

This. Is. Perfect.

"This record does not only deal with love, but it is also based around the ongoing capitalization of more and more areas of our everyday life. if we start to pay for our own emotions, if the relations to our own body and to the people around us become an optimized ideal of something we can buy, then can we call this love?" 

Stream the record here on bandcamp and make sure to pick one up from the band in their shop. US distribution via the mighty Halo Of Flies.


Jungbluth are on tour now. See them if you can and support the cause.