Alright friends! It's that thing again. That thing were old bastards listen to stuff both new and aged, blindfolded and unsuspecting. It's electrifying stuff they tell me. Not familiar with it? No? Yes? Read and listen to the first two (here and there) - I guarantee the jams will surprise the fuck out of you. If no song makes you grin or feel that satisfying rush of "I can't believe I never heard this before," you'll get your money back. And a sandwich. There.
Rules and workings:
Andrew and Birkir send choice cuts to one another via untitled mp3 files eschewing any information. They are not to know what they are listening to, give each song a few listens and then, pass judgement. Said judgements then get sent to each scribe and then, they'll reveal to one another what they just listened to. The Mystery Grab Bag is the result.
AVERSIONLINE'S TRACKS
Track 1
Birkir: Jesus, I would've fallen all over this, hurt myself and bled with a smile on my face listening to this as a young, amped up, emotional man. No way this came out after the turn of the century. Always when I hear this kinda emotional metal tinged hardcore that goes straight for the throat with boom, crash, and bangs, I think New Jersey or Pennsylvania. This sounds like Endeavor covering Unbroken with the singer of Disembodied singing. How much does that rule in thought? No, that was too wild of an analogy, I'm sure I could have come up with a better one, but in the spirit of the Grab Bag I don't wanna dwell on it. Moshier than the first two bands mentioned, though. I'm not gonna play the guessing game here. That said, I listened to so much stuff in this vein, with no name to put on this it doesn't stand out much. Typically, this is a foundation band that influenced others at the time, and I'll look like a dweeb for writing this. All these years reading your blog and through the Mystery Grab Bag, I have a feeling that this is an unsung and overlooked band you wish people noticed back in the day. No doubt.
Artist: Dive
Title: Functional Starvation
Album: Force Five (1993)
Hear It (direct link)
Andrew: You nailed it at the very end there with the "unsung and overlooked" comment. This is Dive, from Boston. So "unsung and overlooked", in fact, that I didn't get into them until well after they had already disbanded. This is a 10/10 perfect track on every level. Starts out like a basic hardcore song and then kicks over into nothing but vicious, slammin' grooves all over the place. I totally lose it at, "The hate grows stronger every time you hit the floor, the strength to continue is not in you anymore..." God damn. Amazing. I really want this band to somehow end up with a discography CD, but I doubt it'll ever happen. Highly recommended, though. You can download this entire 7" from the label's website (here).
Track 2
Birkir: I’m going for the bass sound and snare drum to surmise this is “older”. But I was wrong by a similar account in the first Grab Bag when you played me Daylight (here). Female vocals, heavy riffs… This is like Cripple And Casino if they liked Snapcase and Guilt a whole lot. This song gets more interesting as it drags into the later half. I’m not crazy about this introduction to the band, but I’d certainly try more songs by them on for size. I picture you being surprised that I’m not head over heels here, because the ingredients that I like are all there, but the final product is lacking somehow.
Artist: Gentle Veincut
Title: Why
Album: s/t (2005)
Hear It (direct link)
Andrew: 2005, so probably not as old as you thought, but I understand your reasoning (they actually have some much older albums from the mid- to late-90's that I've never been able to track down). This is German act Gentle Veincut, and I did select this for you specifically because Cripple and Casino came up last month (here), so I thought/hoped you might enjoy this band as well. I'm a big fan. This is an interesting and obscure group that I never would've heard of had they not sent me a couple of CD's to review years back. I think this track is awesome. The production really accents the pulsing rhythms, and I love the way the vocals shift over the dark, winding riffs at that, "Watch me shout, watch me crawl..." part towards the end. If you don't dig this tune maybe you won’t be into 'em, but I think it'd still be worth exploring, since - as you pointed out - the ingredients are definitely there.
Track 3
Birkir: True story: After listening to track 2 my iTunes started playing Helios and I quickly wrote down that track 3 sounded an awful lot like Helios’ Eingya. Shit. But back to the task at hand. New wave goth punk brilliance here. This sounds iconic and idiosyncratic and will probably make me look like a total doofus for not coming up with a correct name. Either this is a true vintage or a new band going the distance in aping a sound of the past. No this has got to be from the past. The drums give it away. I digress. As far as the genre or “sound” goes, I’ve never dug deep into it. Which is funny ‘cause rarely do I not like what I hear. And that's the case here as well. I really really like this. The bass haunts me and the guitars have that pining menace and sorrow to them.This is unfair, man. I wanna strangle you through the monitor. I claim ignorance. Yeah, I’m not even going to go down the list of classic goth rock and dark wave bands and hope I nail the right one. You got me here, you bastard! Next time I’ll pitch you conventional sounding youth crew hardcore and see what happens!
Artist: Play Dead
Title: Pleasureland
Album: From the Promised Land (1984)
Hear It (direct link)
Andrew: We're in the same boat here. I never dug deep with this style, but more often than not I really enjoy what I hear, so I'd like to explore more. That being said, I'm not well-informed on the history, but it seems Play Dead is probably highly regarded but certainly much, much farther under the radar than they should be compared to obvious names like Joy Division or Sisters of Mercy, etc. I heard this song on a mix a few years ago and the driving basslines hooked me right off the bat, so I bought just about their entire discography within two weeks of my initial exposure to this piece. It's outstanding material, too. I can't believe Play Dead isn't more widely discussed out there. I'll never understand what does and doesn't "catch on" to a wider audience for whatever reason(s). There's a fansite out there that has the original mix of this LP available for download as well (link).
I'll look forward to very likely failing to recognize your "conventional sounding youth crew hardcore" selection next month, ha, ha!
Track 4
Birkir: Oh, this is totally different. A sharp left-turn here. Abrasive and obtrusive. Like a band of deranged loonies covering “Welcome To The Jungle.” Well, that’s where my mind took me a few seconds in. This is bloody brilliant. There’s a slap-bass (that could be played on a keyboard) in the forefront of the mix and I hear the singer going, “In on the bass - in a strange place.” I bet I got that line wrong but I want this to be what he sang. This is terrible - has got to be a goof band. Come on. The crazy keyboards give this a “band in space” feel. Clicky kick drums… What the hell is this? Am I on drugs? “How much more do you think I can take?” asks the singer. I ask myself the same. I cannot take much more of this turd. The Faith No More-ish chorus tries to redeem the song, but it comes off sounding like Mr. Big trying to sound heavy. Dear God.
EDIT: I’m getting back to this track two days later and all I can do is laugh. I laugh even more heartily when picturing dudes that think this is the hottest shit ever. To be fair, I can see the appeal kinda. It’s not as horrible as it is funny. The vocals are strong, in a Kerrang! kinda way. This came out in 1994. I said it.
Artist: Living Coloür
Title: Ausländer
Album: Stain (1993)
Hear It (direct link)
Andrew: So close! 1993! You said it was "bloody brilliant" and I got all excited, only to realize you were being sarcastic once you revealed your true feelings with the "turd" comment, damnit. Oh well. I knew this would be a stretch, what with the funky bass runs and wacky panning of faux-industrial textures. I always loved this song, though. Admittedly, it has some issues, but that chorus is fuckin' flawless, and has really stuck with me ever since I was about 16 years old. Living Coloür was hugely successful in the late-'80s, but this album was heavier and weirder (this track likely being the pinnacle of their fuckedupness), so they started to lose their shine for the mainstream around this time. I know I'm in the minority, but I still listen to their first three albums fairly often.
Track 5
Birkir: Metal. Ah, the second time you get me full-blown metal played by super capable and rehearsed guys. First thought: Too hard to be Walls Of Jericho. Quickly things got much more metal. Is this new The Black Dahlia Murder? How could I know? I so rarely listen to them. No, can’t be them, because these vocals are way more manic and thus more interesting.The fury of old thrash metal violence instilled into a modern sounding concoction. There’s a lot going on. This is extremely meticulous and well put together. These guys solo like Forbidden! And they are responsible for some of the best solos in metal - period! Sounds American. Why am I playing a guessing game in my mind? Am I turning the Bag into a quiz show? Fuck me. This is absolutely relentless. Pretty much all the riffs are memorable and not just written to fill up a riff quota. I wanted to come out as the old metal guy and scoff at how ridiculously precise and layered this is, but there’s no denying the song’s power. Also, the vocals are refreshing for such a hyper assault. I’m down with this, whatever it is. Probably too much for the realest death metallers that will certainly be turned off by all the parts that go into this, and the “clean” vocal parts that they - in their insecurity - will equate to “metalcore”.
Artist: Darkane
Title: Convicted
Album: Rusted Angel (1999)
Hear It (direct link)
Andrew: It's Darkane, from Sweden, off their first (and best) record from '99. I'm a massive fan of this album, though I must confess the band has never really recaptured this feeling for me. While they have released some fairly strong material since, the debut still just smokes everything (very possibly due to the change in vocalists prior to its follow-up). I've been recognising that a lot of your selections have had super intense vocalists with an unexpectedly higher-end range, so I thought this would be the perfect pick for you. Plus, the drummer, Peter Wildoer, is a fucking madman, so I thought you might appreciate that as well. I was a big fan of his around this time - like the vocals, his playing leans towards the hyper and crazy side of things, but without getting to be "too much". If you've not heard this album you should check it out immediately. Sweden was really kicking some major ass in the late-'90s, and "Rusted Angel" is right up there with the best of 'em.
HALIFAX COLLECT'S TRACKS
Track 1
Andrew: The phrase "angular surge" pops into my head early on and sticks with me as an adequate description of the general vibe here. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call this "chaotic", but it's definitely got a bite to it. The vocals (under a little bit of hazy distortion) sway from half-spoken to scathing shouts with vague hints of "singing" on rare occasion. I have no clue who this is, but would guess it's something from within the last decade given the production style. Probably European? I dig the quick tinges of dark melody. It's like noise rock performed by a metalcore band. Given a rawer, more spacious/Steve Albini-styled recording the overall feel might be very different, which is interesting to ponder. Initially this didn't do much for me, despite some strong moments (that one passage with the "singing" from 2:49 - 3:01 is great), but it's starting to grow on me. I don't know if I'd be compelled to seek out more, but... not bad. Repeated listens definitely brought more to the surface with this one.
Artist: Vilipend
Title: Cutting Heart Strings [Erosion]
Album: Inamorata (2012)
Hear It (direct link)
Birkir: Around two years ago I pitched this album to you for a guest review on Halifax Collect. At the time you were just too burnt out on writing to get jiggy with the idea. But it is obvious why I wanted you on board, because I’ve always thought you have the “correct” sensibility and insight into what a band like Vilipend is going for. All the elements herein scream Aversionline, from the frantic and discordant guitar, the sludge metal meets “evil core” of the 90s, the muddy rumbling bass, violent second voice, the faintly mathy qualities to the desperate and uneasy vocals. The minute I got this album I thought of you, and that’s why I think we started to email one another. So, Vilipend is partly responsible for the Mystery Grab Bag. Anyway, these guys had the right idea, but I think all the obscure sub-genre ingredients they used for their cake of misery went over people’s heads. They broke up before being able to push and follow this album up the way it deserved. I hope this post will have more people checking out an unheralded Toronto band.
Track 2
Andrew: Aesthetically this starts off sounding like it could be very similar to the first track, but a little muddier. It's taking forever to get going with the atmospheric feedback and snare rolls, though. Oh, weird... I didn't expect those guttural vocals at all, now I'm really confused. The group vocals that kick in during the "chorus" seem much more appropriate. That guttural vocal style just feels overly strained in this context. I don't really care for this. The songwriting is haphazard and never really kicks into full gear, and to my ears the mix is unbalanced so some of the textural details seem to be getting lost. Sorry, this just isn't my thing. I'm curious to know who it is, though. I'm not sure I'm getting a clear understanding of what they're going for from this particular composition.
Artist: Jumalhämärä
Title: Haul
Album: Resignaatio (2010)
Hear It (direct link)
Birkir: It’s amazing how differently this song affects us. Resignaatio is one of if not my favourite metal album of the last three years. And I say metal with hesitance, because this unbridled, raw and expressive affair tests the borders of metal. There’s so much feel and lawlessness in this song (starts at 7:32) and the album as a whole. It sounds like a ritual, a forbidden orgy even, tribal and troubling. The link I provided with this post includes “The Storm Is Coming”, which probably is the only track on Resignaatio that can ground and console the listener (echoes of Neurosis and Amebix) after what he or she has subjected themselves to prior and what is about to come.
Back to “Haul.” The twangy single-string riff and the hollow body ringy chords backed with that rolling snare gets me so amped up and barbarous. And when the manic tom and floor drums kick in with that shrieky trebly guitar, you’ll find me grinding my teeth with a demonic look in my eyes. This “face” makes way to the pure bliss that follows when things get a bit more “orderly” (I say that with hesitation), and the guys are yelling and howling as the main riff soars like a soundtrack for men running into fire and painful death. It’s beautiful. It’s wild. It’s primordial. I’m totally moved by this album in its entirety. It is deliciously unique.
Track 3
Andrew: Much better, thank you! Solid, no frills death metal. Sounds like it's from the early-'90s, but there's a chance it could be a bit more recent. I honestly don't listen to a ton of death metal past the mid- to late-'90s. I probably have this. I'm not 100% sure, I can't quite pinpoint who it is. Oh, wait, wait... okay, that breakdown at 1:42 is fucking impeccable, holy shit! I do have this. Is it Gorefest? I think it's Gorefest. I really only started digging back into them about a year ago. I had one of their early albums on cassette as a kid (it's still in a box around here somewhere) and re-bought "Mindloss" and "False" digitally sometime last year. Not a mind-blowing band for me, just good ol' death metal done right. That breakdown riff in this track might be my favorite thing they ever did, ha. This song rules.
Artist: Gorefest
Title: The Glorious Dead
Album: False (1992)
Hear It (direct link)
Birkir: I cannot even begin to describe how important this album is to me, and how many topic-threads I could tie in with even putting down a pen regarding False. It is, simply put, one of the top 10 death metal albums of the 90s, and subsequently, one of the best death metal albums of all time. As such, it is so criminally underrated that all the conspiracies that go through my head as to why this album isn’t universally heralded and understood are too many to mention here, some very plausible in my opinion. We could elaborate on that in the comment section. I invite anyone to that dance. Everything here is PERFECT. Here we have one of the best drummers ever to enter the ring. And I don’t just mean technically. The production on this album was unusually monstrous for the time. Name me a bigger sounding death metal album around the year this one came out. You can’t. The drum tone, Jesus fucking Christ. And from this point on in the bands discography, Jan-Chris de Koeijer vocals would be instantly recognisable, even when he fiddled around with his deliver when the band went rock 'n' roll on everybody later in their carrier. False is diverse and rich in depth yet never does it trail too far off. It’s an amazing accomplishment really, so cohesive and impactful. Like an impeccably planned war strategy against societal ignorance, and to a more specific extent, against the caricature of what death metal was becoming. Which is one element of my case as to why the never blew up with this album. Maybe their persona was too smart, the lyrics too real and the music too thoughtful. Every second on this album is hard as fuck, the hardness never dwindles, not even during the catchy and/or groovier numbers. Instantly likable yet piercing as all hell. Just listen to those gigantic bass slide rumbles. Only His Hero Is Gone could do that later. You nailed it here brother, and I’m fucking happy that you are a False man. Hail!
Track 4
Andrew: Alright, you're easing up with this one, something on the softer side. What's the feeling here? Somber? I don't think I'd go so far as to say that it's "dark", but it's certainly not a "happy" tune. Non-English (Icelandic?) female singing. It's a little sparse for my tastes so far, but I still like it. Oh, wow, yeah... it livens up a bit during the chorus and starts to remind me of the Cocteau Twins, despite the absence of swirling reverb all over the place. The chorus is awesome. Cool production, too. Spacious, with plenty of breathing room and well-defined tones. Compositionally I don't really feel like it needs to be almost six minutes long, they could probably shave off a minute easily, but I'd check out more from this band. I could see them winning me over. This is interesting.
Artist: Mammút
Title: Salt
Album: Komdu til mín svarta systir (2013)
Hear It (direct link)
Birkir: It is probably becoming obvious to you when I throw in a track with an odd sounding language it is an Icelandic band. Mammút is a loved Icelandic band. They are media darlings without trying it, and the foreigners love them to pieces. Their debut full length, Karkari, showed a lot of promise, and included the perfect “Rauðilækur.” But as a whole piece, it was lacking in places. It would have made for a perfect 10/10 EP had I picked the songs. Anyway! This was in 2008 and a lot of time has passed for Komdu til mín svarta systir to come out. The change in direction isn’t as big as I had expected, what with all the years, touring and such, but as a whole it is a very strong album, laden with hits and memorable movements on every turn. The production is much better this time around, vocal arrangements are flawless, and it is just a more focused effort. Ah shit, this is sounding like an album review. Anyway, I just wanted to see how you’d react to one of the most talked about songs of the year in Iceland rock.
Track 5
Andrew: This is what I would call "industrial", but my experience in this realm is quite limited, so those "in the know" may disagree or have more specific genre delineations. Most of what I deal with from this corner of music at some point tended to be metal-leaning, like Ministry or Pitchshifter, etc. I do have an interest in exploring this genre more, it's just been tough for me to find the groups that hit me the right way. The closest thing I have to this is probably Final Cut. Musically this is solid. I dig the lightly distorted pulse of the piece. It's more stripped down than what I'm used to, so maybe it could stand for a little more oomph or layering here and there, but it's sinister and well-executed. The lead vocals don't do it for me, though. There's no real feeling there. I don't mind that they're basically "spoken in key" or whatever, but there's not enough there: No aggression, no sense of emotion. I'd be able to get past it if that delivery was one element from a larger palette, but that's it, there's no variation. The female singing that comes in as an accent is effective and fits the tonality of the song, though. Overall this is not quite there for me, but it definitely has merits. There's a lot of potential here. I'd like to hear more to get a feel for what else the project has to offer as a whole.
Artist: ∆AIMON
Title: Seraphim
Album: ∆AIMON (2013)
Hear It (direct link)
Birkir: The first thing I caught in your reaction was the “no real feeling”. I think that is a common thing to say when people are first introduced to bands like ∆AIMON or any artist that gets associated with music that leans this far into the electronic field of cold rock. It’s like scaled down industrial with dark pop on top, cleaned up and thus a much colder prospect as a result. And when you say “stripped down”, for me this is so stripped down it makes me a bit uncomfortable. And that’s a cool reaction to get from music.
My reason for picking this track was to move away from the more organic, lively and even primordial music that came before this one. The mechanical, dark, gothy and airless quality of ∆AIMON seemed like the ideal antidote to the rest of the Bag without me resorting to something disgustingly brutal and extreme. “Seraphim” is taken from the band’s most recent, self-titled, album out on Artoffact Records. It definitely calls for my being in a certain mood when listening. I need to be alone, play it real loud, do nothing but listen, and soon I feel like I’m drifting in dark space, floating to my impending, cold and lonely doom. I won’t say I’m a great fan of this album, but I thought it would yield interesting feedback from you, which it did.
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Halifax Collect logo by Ben Lyon (Flickr / email).
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