Hello and welcome to Unlistenable Racket. A new monthly feature where I, Gav Russell, tell you, dear reader , about a bunch of new music that you really should be listening to. For the last 4 years I ran Tight To The Nail; a metal, punk and hardcore webzine that no-one asked for but one that I gave people anyway. But don’t let that put you off. So, let’s begin…
Category Archives: Record Review
Breaking Point – Set To Burn review
Nice shoes Dan.
I think at one time or another almost every Straight Edge dude in the South East has done a tour of duty in Breaking Point. Such is the mercurial nature of the straight edge hardcore band, members come and go, edges crumble whilst others remain resolute. Over the course of the last five years Breaking Point have steadily churned out workmanlike metallic hardcore. And though I cannot say I have ever been blown away by any of their previous recordings, as a live band they are A+. Always entertaining, energetic and inclusive enough to serve well as an accessible gateway band for young moshers and edgemen alike stumbling down into the underbelly of UKHC . And really that’s the point is it not? Continue reading
Insist – Manchester Straight Edge
Insist Pic by Nat Wood (cheers!)
Back in the mid to late 90’s Manchester was one of the key locations in the upsurge of grass roots UKHC activity. The scene, largely centered around local Salford band Area Effect and their immediate circle of friends the MYC who started churning out zines (Five Deadly Venoms, One Face etc), booking regular hardcore shows at the Star & Garter and running the No Holds Barred distro that (in those metal saturated times) made available the classic sounding hardcore that was experiencing a rebirth. Boardy is responsible for putting the Floorpunch 7” in my hand along with the infamous issue of Tension Building zine that our crew obsessed over.
Whilst Area Effect were never the most original or even competent band, the aesthetic and ethical impact they had on the local scene cannot be overstated. Hardcore shows prior to their arrival had devolved into tectonically dull affairs, lacking energy or participation beyond polite applause and a gentle swaying at the knees. it was fucking lame. Area Effect encouraged stage dives and pile on’s, head walks and sing alongs, the type of positive energy that can bring a room of strangers together in glorious celebration of simply being young, angry and out of step. Much as I hate to quote Chain Of Bullshit ‘man, those were special times, those were our times’ Continue reading
All Creation Undone- Why Wayfarer?
Wayfarer/Rot In Hell Split cover by Glyn Smith
Every so often amongst various groups of friends who are primarily into hardcore, or indeed any other harder/heavier genre of music, a common topic surfaces, best UK band. Now it would be really easy to think of other incredibly good current and defunct UK bands you could bring up at this point. Especially given that I only started going to hardcore shows in about ‘06/’07 twinned with the much more extensive years of experience in Corehammer Crew let alone the wider scene. I’m sure there’s hundreds of incredible relic demos stored in plastic storage boxes in attics across the country that would be incontestable contenders the title. Part of me toys with giving it to the soul swallowing Electric Wizard, the belligerent horror of Bradford’s Ironside or maybe the frenetic onslaught of Closure. But on this subject I always say that for me it’s got to be Wayfarer. This whole article maybe taken as some sycophantic super fan girls perfume stained love letter to any of the members of Wayfarer, or indeed anyone, that might read this and for that I apologise and also thank you for being that band. I’d think enough of my mates would know of my utter hatred for brown nosing.
Show Me How The Gods Chill – New Cold World Record full stream
Along with Down To Nothing, Cold World are probably responsible for one of the highest injury counts amongst the whole of the Corehammer Crew (and taking up an inordinate amount of OC’s wardrobe space). Furthermore, Dan Mills dreams of one day having a Space Marine army that is all black, with just red eyes. Vice have got a grip of their new record and are streaming it in full over on their site.
When ‘Dedicated To Babies Who Came Feet First’ was released, I grabbed it pretty quick. A weird, kind of trippy record with nods to a whole host of music and roots placed firmly in the nineties, all underpinned with some of the hardest mosh parts you will hear. This record carries on from that and pushes the boundaries even further (including an appearance from the legend that is Kool G. Rap on Hell’s Direction). When it comes to hardcore, I tend to like where the boundaries are: sound like Side By Side or fuck off. Cold World are one of the few exceptions. This record rips. It’s hard, it’s well thought out, it makes me want to stomp around in power armour. Check it out on the link above.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9-OU4XnEX8]
Game Changers: Stone Roses
So its September 1989. I ‘m a white kid from Salford, who thinks he’s a black kid from New York. On my walkman is “Three Feet High and Rising” by De La Soul. On my feet are Cobra Troop. Around my neck are African Nation and CND leather badges on shoe laces. I look like a white Mooky from Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing”. I have never understood modern guitar music. I like The Who and early Rolling Stones because my Dad was into ’em. He had played trumpet in a soul band from Salford called “Michael’s Angel’s” in the mid ’60’s, so he always listened to a lot of Motown era music, and hip hop had seemed to make sense to this white boy. I went round to my mate Andy Stanley’s house one night after school. He had an older brother who he shared a room with. We would read his “magazines” and we would listen to his records when he was out. So this one night, Andy goes “Hey listen to this, our kid has been playing it non stop and its fucking mint”. I’m thinking “Sweet! New TRIBE Called Quest maybe??”
Three Unforgivable Curses: Beroth, Outrage, Ithaca
Once again we’ve been slacking on the Core coverage so I figured we should do a bit of housekeeping and do a two part round up of the stuff we’ve kindly been sent for review. Most of us have been somewhat preoccupied of late, getting armies ready for Dark Throne (full report coming soon), working on the forthcoming CH fanzine and numerous other projects. Anyway enough excuses , lets get down to business.
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Blistered – Soul Erosion EP
I’ll be the first to admit we’ve been really slack on the music coverage this year and frankly there’s not been much that’s really inspired me enough to commit opinion to page. That all changed however when Blistered’s new Soul Erosion EP on 6131 records unexpectedly landed in my inbox and proceded to kick my back doors in. Continue reading
Ruins of Beverast – Blood Vaults – The Blazing Gospel Of Heinrich Kramer
The Sound of Warhammer 40k
I know a lot of the members of Corehammer like to listen to stuff while they paint, I usually paint in silence though for some reason, my lack of being able to multi task may play a part in that but who knows.
Unholy Majesty Interview – Part II
Only The Righteous Survive
Here’s the concluding part of our interview with Margate’s prophets of doom Unholy Majesty. Many thanks to Duggan for taking the time to answer my stupid questions that I already knew the answers to. Look out for the new LP on A389 records soon.
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