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Hi and thanks for reading. My boy Merm was the only person to reply to anything I said in the last newsletter. Which is sick cos I love Merm, but really? No one else had shit to say about who first wrote a song called "ACAB?” Also, I understand the MALINHEADS shit is a bit obscure, but I really was hoping to get something on it. Oh well. Maybe it's cos I came off like too much of a poser with my lack of knowledge on German hardcore. Or maybe everyone is preoccupied by the complete shit state of the world. I find it hard to clear my head in general these days, so trying to clear my head and write about a record doesn't come so easily. I never thought I would live through a global pandemic, followed by a literal, blatant genocide. I never imagined after WWII that something like this could happen. I don't mean the ill-intentions of the State of Israel, of course imperialist nations always have bad intentions. What I mean is how not one single country has stepped in to stop this. In reality, all the other countries will look to places like the USA and UK, and for good reason. Well not really a good reason, but because we have pummeled the living shit out of every place on Earth and that is why we are a "super power" country or whatever the fuck politicians like to call it. You would think we would use our super power to stop Israel, or even just cut the funding of U.S. tax dollars to Israel, but I guess I am naive to expect anything less from the U.S. government. I'm sure everyone reading this is on the same page with me, and I feel so helpless most of the time. I don't want to take the time here to remind you of the current state of world though, so I will move onto records.
I can't remember if we had the new PUBLIC ACID record in stock when I was writing my staff pick last week, but I wanted to mention it this week. To me, it's obvious that everyone and their mother should buy this LP—and I am sure you all have. This is an excellent follow-up to their Condemnation EP, and the packaging is absolutely beautiful (as always). What really makes this LP special is it's the first record that Jeff appears on since he joined the band! Although I think he played on the Beat Sessions cassette that came out last year. I've been seeing this band (or a version of it) for about a decade now, so it's kind of easy for me to take them for granted. The band has evolved a ton since they first started. I talked about their evolution a bit when their Condemnation EP was released. I think I fuck up some details but it's like 95% accurate. And like I mentioned, the band has evolved past this when adding Jeff to the equation. Proud feels like a weird word to use, but I think that is how I feel about this band. This crew of people has been tirelessly putting all their effort forth for years with a number of great bands, and it feels like they are finally getting the recognition they deserve. I also wanted to mention this debut cassette from BLISTERING NOISE. This band is from Tokyo, and I knew nothing other than that and this tape was recorded at Noise Room. Naturally, I want to check out anything recorded at Noise Room, so I did. I had to listen to this physical cassette, cos there was no streaming online I could find. So I wanted to let anyone know who was on the fence about the cassette, it rips.
I had briefly mentioned this record last week, but I've finally had a chance to spend a good amount of time with the new NIGHTFEEDER 7". I find NIGHTFEEDER to be a particularly interesting band cos they always do something that tests my taste on each release, but their foundation is so damn solid that I am always eager to hear what's next. To be honest, I don't like it when bands challenge me as a listener. I know that's boring. However, I seriously appreciate it when a band challenges my ears, and then it grows on me, resulting in me looking forward to these parts I once questioned. I love that. I'm sure there are people who specifically seek this when checking out bands, but I just don't look for this experience when listening to music. So NIGHTFEEDER begins this EP with a "longer" mid-tempo song. The song itself is entitled Disgustor, like the EP. Over half of the song is slow and has a kinda droney sound or something. The last minute of the song they pick up the pace (just a bit), with some pulled-back DISCHARGE drumming accompanied by another dissonant, but slightly catchy riff. On the B-side you can find two certified rippers in true NIGHTFEEDER fashion that you want to play on repeat. I guess the A side of the record took me some time to digest. The riffs are not particularly memorable, and it's the only track featured on the A side. After talking with Daniel about the track, he explained his interpretation of the song. He said he didn't think the song was really about the riffs at all, but about the overall energy or atmosphere the band establishes. He explained how it all seemed to build into the chorus, where the lyrics are the real focus; "I am disgustor, hear my name." I probably didn't explain that very well, but after letting this soak in it really started to grow on me. It felt like the band was going for a more classic approach or something; 7" cut at 45rpm featuring one slower song on the A side that focuses on the chorus, followed by two bangers on the B side. The formula reminds me that of like a PARTISANS or DEMOB 7". NIGHTFEEDER really lays into the "horror" aspects of the band with this EP. While I think elements of horror can come off so cheesy, I think they still pull it off. I really like the artwork and packaging on this EP especially. They made a limited screen-printed version, but the artwork for the regular version is just as sick!! The spots of color and layout is excellent. It looks so cool that I would consider buying it without knowing who the band was. I think there are bands who are not very good, and rely on a gimmick of sorts to attract listeners. While NIGHTFEEDER has some artistic elements with their presentation, I don't think they rely on this to attract listeners cos their music actually rips. Alright then, I think that about sums it up for this week. Thanks for reading. Thank you to everyone for your support!