Do we like the sound of desperate hardcore? Numero Group just issued "Everysong" by The Hated, which isn't too far removed from the Hüsker-branded throat-tearing and raw emotional investment the Mould/Grant/Norton combo could generate. The track is audibly honest. Speed pushes the sincerity of the harsh instrumentation forward, but the vocal almost smothers everything beneath. The recording sounds like it was handled live. If Numero Group is planning to reissue this track in a physical format, I hope the mastering doesn't clean up the audio.  Track costs a buck at Bandcamp.  Everysong by The Hated Notes from the Bandcamp page: After the departure of original Hated rhythm section Colin Meeder and Mike Bonner, a new version of the group cropped up in former Spastic Rats drummer Kenny Hill’s basement in late ’86. The Hated had been on ice for a year with Dan Littleton expelled from school and Erik Fisher in college, but returned to Annapolis in with a youthful politic...

Pelagic Records will be releasing a suitably expansive box set in tribute to dark electronics maestro, Lustmord (a.k.a. Brian Williams). The set is called The Other , an encompassing title that includes Lustmord's 2008 LP [O T H E R] , two remix albums, and  The Others [Lustmord Deconstructed] , which is a 3-LP set of Lustmord covers carried out by an impressive roster of artists: Ulver, Enslaved, Godflesh, Zola Jesus, Steve Von Till, Ihsahn, Jaye Jayle, Jo Quail, Spotlights, and Mono to name a few. For the past day or so, I've wallowed in the darkness of Bohren & Der Club Of Gore's rendition of "Plateau", originally featured on Lustmord's 2009 LP, Beyond .  Not the most uplifting thing to be sonically enveloped by on a winter's day morning, but the chill is appropriate. Bohren & Der Club Of Gore essentially convert Lustmord's dense and Vantablack -level aural cavern into an uncomfortably dark and ominous lounge, incorporating their signature m...

Side A — Assembled 1/17-2/4 (Written Sunday, 1/30) It's almost 9PM on the final Sunday of the month of January. Sheltered from the outside chill, my headphones are strapped on and I'm reviewing some new singles for this week's mixtape while mentally preparing myself for a demanding and high-pressure stretch of the days till next Friday. Won't be long before the dog needs a walk and we're both stomping through the elements, the crunch of salt and snow our soundtrack.  Apparently, I'd forgotten I'd already purchased Boris's new LP, W , from Bandcamp and I foolishly bought another variant directly from Sacred Bones . So, now I have the "sea blue" and the "baby blue w/ white starburst" variants, the latter of which I'll probably keep sealed. I'm also still waiting on my copy of Sunn O)))'s  Metta, Benevolence. BBC 6Music: Live on the Invitation of Mary Anne Hobbs . I'm supposed to get that this week. It's available ...

VoidCeremony At The Periphery Of Human Realms  20 Buck Spin (Cassette Release) Released: 1/6/22 When the PR notification arrived for VoidCeremony's At The Periphery of Human Realms , a YouTube link to preview the full album was made available and I wanted to survey the comments following my first listen. Evidently perturbed at the fact that the album is only available on cassette via 20 Buck Spin , a commenter asked that Death Metal (addressing the whole genre, apparently),  "… get away from these shitty cassettes?! Please?" The label's response was simply (and wisely), "A: No."  VoidCeremony —  guitarist/vocalist Garrett Johnson, guitarist Phil Tougas (Atramentus, Chthe'ilist, First Fragment), bassist Damon Good (Mournful Congregation, Stargazer), drummer Charlie Koryn (Ascended Dead, Incantation) — have followed their 2020 debut LP,  Entropic Reflections Continuum: Dimensional Unravel with what is essentially a demo tape. Clocking in at less than ten...

Two cuts from Le Butcherettes and Death Valley Girls: "The Universe" and "When I'm Free" is a solid combo: 3 minutes of sugar-fueled  Nugget -pop backed with a harmonized array of multi-tracked vocal arrangements.  Tragically, the Suicide Squeeze-released split 7" is sold out ahead of the physical release date of 2/11. That said it's available to own digitally. https://deathvalleygirls.bandcamp.com/album/the-universe-b-w-when-i-m-free  Via Stereo Sanctity: Speaking about the release, Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes said "I'm such a huge admirer of Death Valley Girls, so I was touched and surprised when they came up with the idea of doing a split vinyl together. Immediately I knew I wanted to cover one of my favorite songs of theirs, "The Universe," in support of their brilliant new single, "When I'm Free." A true honor to be a part of their EP!" Bonnie Bloomgarden of Death Valley Girls also commented ...

Side B — Assembled 1/10-1/14 Still working through the month's offerings.  Enjoy…  ______________________________________________________________________ Allegra Krieger : "Taking It In" (via Clandestine PR) Official Website —  https://www.allegrakrieger.com Bandcamp —  https://allegrakrieger.bandcamp.com/album/precious-thing Northern Spy — (Pre-order)  https://northernspyrecs.com/product/precious-thing/ Precious Thing  releases 3/4/22 ______________________________________________________________________ Die! Die! Die! : "Losing Sight, Keep On Kicking" (via Us-Them Group) Bandcamp —  https://diediedie.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-not-an-island-anymore This Is Not An Island Anymore  releases 2/18/22 This Is Not An Island Anymore by Die! Die! Die! ______________________________________________________________________ God Is God : "The Song Part II" (via mutante-inc.) Bandcamp —  https://godisgod.bandcamp.com/album/metamorphoses ...

Side A — Assembled 1/3-1/7 Following the turbulence of the Holidays and the excessive work schedules leading up to them, music continues to be my long sought-after balm for stress and the monotony of corporate drone'dom. Side A for the first week of January is light and loud, meditative or necessarily aggro. I'm happily excited about some of the records and singles I've had the opportunity to sample so far. Is it naive to assume this trend will continue well into 2023? Probably, but I'm content for now.  Enjoy…  ______________________________________________________________________ Tomato Flower : "Red Machine" (via Ramp Local) Bandcamp — https://tomatoflower.bandcamp.com/album/gold-arc Ramp Local — https://ramplocal.com Gold Arc releases 2/11/22 ______________________________________________________________________ Sea Change : "Is There Anybody There" (via Stereo Sanctity) Twitter — https://twitter.com/SeaChangeartist Shapes Recordings — https...