Featured Releases: September 1, 2022

Rashōmon: Nin-Gen 12” (Iron Lung Records) It’s been four years since Rashōmon graced us with their last record, and I’m glad to have them back. Rashōmon has always taken obvious cues from classic Japanese hardcore, but they’ve developed their own take on the sound, combining the brute force pummeling of bands like Warhead and Nightmare with Death Side’s musicality. I’m always skeptical when people say something sounds like Death Side, because usually what they mean is there is epic, Iron Maiden-esque lead guitar all over it, but not so with Rashōmon. While they have occasional leads, they’re quirkier and more interesting than your typical heavy metal flash. See, for instance, the creepy, chromatic-sounding guitar lead near the beginning of the second track. More than Death Side, though, Rashōmon reminds me of the lesser-appreciated band Warhead, particularly in their sneering vocal style and the dense technicality of their songwriting and arrangements. As with Warhead, Rashōmon can sound overwhelming at first, but closer listens reveal each song is rich with interesting musical detail. And since this brisk EP only clocks in at around 10 minutes, there’s plenty of time in your day to give it the multiple spins it deserves.

Self-Inflict: S/T 7” (Not for the Weak Records) Virginia’s Not for the Weak Records brings us another blast of powerful hardcore from their healthy in-house stable of bands based in the Norfolk / Virginia Beach area. Four of these songs from Self-Inflict came out on a tape back in 2020, but when NFTW decided the vinyl treatment was in order, the band went back into the studio and recorded two additional tracks. I wish more bands and labels were so thoughtful when reissuing previously released material! If you’re hip to Not for the Weak, Self-Inflict will be just as essential as other bands on the label like Reckoning Force and Lethal Means, though Self-Inflict has their own identity. Clearly taking inspiration from Out Cold’s no-nonsense style, these songs also remind me of more early 80s-influenced bands from the post-youth crew east coast hardcore scene, particularly Striking Distance. It would be a strong meat and potatoes meal, but the virtuoso drumming gives Self-Inflict a distinctive flavor, squeezing an impressive array of catchy fills and change-ups into the tiny crevices between the relentless jackhammering of the kick and snare. Check out the first few seconds of “Get In Line” (one of the two new tracks and the best one on the EP) for a taste of what I’m talking about. Fans of no-frills hardcore punk, don’t let this one slip past you.

Phantasia: Ghost Stories 12” (Beach Impediment Records) Beach Impediment brings us the debut from this New York City band. I had no idea what to expect from Phantasia going in, and they caught my ear right away with their big melodies and unique atmosphere. Ghost Stories sounds to me like something out of the UK in the early 80s, its unstable mix of gloom and vivid color recalling early records by the Smiths, Modern English, and the most pop moments of the Cure. As with those bands, Phantasia is soaked in post-industrial soot and grime, but you can feel the 60s explosion of color deep below the surface, giving an optimistic armature to songs like “All the Flowers” and the instantly memorable closing track, “Leftoveryou.” I love when dourness is spiked with color and energy, and tracks like “Fate of the Martyr” hit that note perfectly, the upbeat, Motown-inflected rhythms propelling the murk similarly to early Smiths songs like “This Charming Man” and “Handsome Devil.” While you’ll see people throw around genre tags like “post-punk” and “death rock” in relation to Phantasia, I think there’s something a lot more interesting and unique going on with Ghost Stories.

Black Dog: demo cassette (Roach Leg Records) Roach Leg Records brings us the demo cassette from this band out of Halifax, Canada that features players from other notable bands from that region like Zygome and Fragment. Like a lot of bands Roach Leg has put out, Black Dog worships at Disclose’s no-fi altar, building their songs on the same template of bastardized Discharge riffs, drumbeats, and… well, everything. As with most bands of this ilk, the standard format puts the focus on what’s original, and for me that’s Black Dog’s bizarre guitar sound. It’s low and evil, not recalling any other guitarist’s sound so much as the noise Windows 95 would make when it would lock up from running too many programs. It’s a fitting tone for a band seeking to evoke horror, dread, and helplessness in their music. Black Dog’s demo isn’t for the d-beat dabblers, but as with everything on Roach Leg, there’s something compelling here for those with an ear for it.

Tetanus: II cassette (Judgement Tapes) You may remember Charlotte, North Carolina’s Tetanus from their demo tape on Sorry State. When I heard there were teenage kids in my state covering the Mentally Ill, I knew I had to get in on the action, but with II, Tetanus is strikes out on their own, releasing it on guitarist Todd’s Judgement Tapes label. While their demo was bathed in sheets of noise, II is more refined, with a clearer recording that better captures the band’s unique rhythms and strong use of noisy textures, without losing the unhinged energy that comes across in their live show and on that first tape. Everything is there on the first track, “Falling,” an artsy flail that brings to mind early Tar Babies or Meat Puppets. “Borderline” is the only letup, a classic hardcore dirge (with a fast part in the middle) that cakes its nightmare riff in feedback and fuzz. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their hardcore fast, loose, and wild.

 Crna Žuč: S/T cassette (Doom Town Records) Crna Žuč is a solo project from Dragana, vocalist of the Belgrade hardcore band Apsurd. I am a huge fan of Apsurd’s 12” on Doom Town Records, which captured some of the unique mixture of gloom and grit that defined Yugoslavian punk in the 80s. While Crna Žuč is less hardcore-oriented than Apsurd, those elements that make Apsurd stand out are still present, even amplified in many respects. I’d describe Crna Žuč’s sound as gloomy punk or death rock, but what I’m pulled in by isn’t the style but the execution. Dragana writes these serpentine guitar riffs that teeter on the edge of dissonance, full of unexpected notes that sound weird at first, but make perfect sense within the context of the songs. The drums and bass play it cool, building hypnotic rhythms while the vocals pull everything together into dynamic songs that crest and fall. Fans of Tožibabe are encouraged to check out Crna Žuč, particularly if your tastes also lean toward the ethereal and hypnotic end of the underground music spectrum. A unique and addictive release.