A389 2014 DIGITAL MIXTAPE: You and us, we listen to 55 songs!!! [Stream/Download]

It's been a sweet long time since we last broke down a A389 label sampler. It was in August 19, 2009 to be exact (here). I'm not gonna spend too many words on the label itself. The fact that 42 articles on this blog alone have something to do with the label tells you that, yes, we love A389 Records. It's one of those rare labels we follow for the simple and honest fact that we just don't wanna miss out on what's going on over there. When it's not a release from a well known, much loved and sometimes classic act, it's a lighting-in-a-bottle release from a band no one knew about. Sometimes we're left salivating after being beaten up by the genius found on a release, another time we're left perplexed and wondering what the hell it was we just herd. And that is a sign of truly great label. Visit the label's website now (here).

It was my great friend in music, Evan Coonly (Fetch The Pliers blog, Total VVar/Crush The Opposition blog), that approached me with this idea for an angle he'd like to explore in order to shed some light on this mixtape. I asked well worn and battle torn Icelandic metal veteran Hörður Halldórsson (Skurk the band) to join us, for a fresh perspective, seeing as he's been going through somewhat of a extreme music rejuvenation as of late. I'd never say this about anyone unless he or she was old as a sack of balls, ha!

But yeah, that approach: Each one of us tells you about the six track that hit us the hardest, in that sweet spot, before the rest did. Listen to the sampler and share with us your top six picks in the comment section, after the jump or here!

In addition (from A389 Records): "You can enjoy everything on our BANDCAMP PAGE as a FREE/Pay What You Want download (excludes releases where someone else is in charge of digital). Limited time offer, grab it while you can. All I ask in return is to please don’t take it and re-upload it. Send people to A389 to hear this stuff. Thanks."
Mind that Mr. Dom (label head) being his generous self, you'll find a lot of those tracks or not off of A389 exclusive releases.

Too good, eh?! You heard the man! Join the conversation at the bottom of this post, tell your friends to check out this insane mixtape but most importantly, YOU, you take your time with it and learn what these bands and label has to offer.
P.S. You'll find our honourable mentions in the comments.
Full disclosure: In those cases we picked the same tracks, we replaced them with unique ones.

EVAN'S PICKS:

#1. Every Tongue Shall Caress was an absolute savage album that to this day might be one of my favorite releases from A389's expansive discography. It's been a bit since the full-length came out so I was more than stoked to see that they've got new material in the works even if it's only a fifty second burst of raw energy. Whereas they used elements of sludge on tracks like "Swallow The Leader", "Fuck You Up And Get High" is a straight up ripper that wastes zero time. It's a frantic assault on the senses. Hopefully this means a new EP or something in the works.


#2. Less than eight months ago I saw Haymaker play an absolutely great set at the A389 Anniversary Bash - breaking my nose, chipping teeth and even spraining a wrist for good measure in the process - which included one of their newer tracks "Let Them Rot". The whole EP is killer and it's awesome to see them work on even more songs. I read that they might release a super limited record that comes only with a skate deck. Fucking so gnarly. This track packs so much vitriol and hostility into under a minute that it's just a constant barrage of chaos.


#3.This track just keeps building and building and almost seems like the introduction to a longer piece. It just kind of snakes it's way along never fully reaching a crescendo but never boring. Time flies by too quick and I wish it was longer than three minutes. Definitely going to keep up with Moloken.


#4. Everything that Ilsa has released has just sounded so heavy and filthy and this song is no exception. With lyrics inspired by cult horror films and a plethora of deranged topics, the band uses notorious serial killer Fred West this time to create an uneasy and mammoth sound. Ilsa despite some member changes doesn't lose that crazed feel that ran rampant on Intoxicantations and it makes me stoked to hear their new full-length.


#5. Gotta support the homies in Countress. Their debut LP was a monster that flew under the radar for a lot of people. "Spirits" just is full of great riffs and energy. It's got that same rock and roll swagger that makes a band like Burning Love such a fun listen. And that solo is so good. Don't sleep on Countress and pick up Ov Sin.


#6. I love the absolute filthy sound this track has. The vocals sound so deranged and the whole thing reminds me in some ways of a more lo fi Destino Final. I remember the tape being released by Grim Winds, who has ties to the always rad Cape Ov Bats, so it wasn't too much of a surprise to hear that Castle Freak was just as angry and grotesque. And bonus points for having an ECW shirt on the cover of the EP.
HÖRÐUR'S PICKS
#1. A track on a upcoming album Circle of Death on A389. This has it all .Good uuhhhhhhrg vocal in the beginning, overdrive bass, chuggah chuggah old school via Napalm Death + grind … And what can I say, I’m a sucker for all those things. Throw in massive mosh hard riff (yeah I said mosh hard, like they did in the last century), and the hook is in this just can’t fail. Can’t wait for the release guys !!!


#2. From their 16th release since 1991 Hammer of the Witch. The intensity is still crazy and the music is made and released for the music's sake alone! Important I would say. But the hook for me is the crazy and angry voice of James "Human Furnace" Bulloch.


#3. This song is from their debut album The Tyranny of Will to be released 12th of september, but the members aren’t some punk rockers picking up instruments and hammering on it with no directional fury (or pointless fury). They arrive from small time bands such as Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse and Darkest Hour (to name some of the least famous) and give Iron Reagan the filthy supergroup label. But in my case, I had no idea of this band existing when I was sweeping through the A389 digital mix tape. On the first beat I was in. Fantastic drummer, open sound and the vocals are so much in your face with undisputed attitude :) I think Hanneman would like this song.
I also like the fact that their EP has 13 songs.  I did an EP with six songs and thought that would confuse many on what indeed constitutes EP and an LP. I’ve listened to three songs from The Tyranny of Will: "Eyeball Gore" (check out the video), "Spoiled Identity" and "Miserable Failure," and it’s all thumbs up. Here you can stream two songs from their upcoming album. it is so much worth of your worthless time...maggot!


#4. 45 second song, four seconds of guitar intro, 15 seconds brutal grind, easy groove intermission for 10 seconds, finish with double kick mayhem to the end. Case closed!!!! This song isn’t new though, this is a bonus track from the Japanese release of 2005's Miasma album, but nevertheless awesome song.


#5. Fast and furious. That's why… So short I checked out the album the song is from. And the whole album is less the ten minutes with 10 tracks………… I love it! And the album is awesome! Once available on Bad Teeth Recording but for know it is SOLD OUT. But via Youtube you can listen to the album here. It only takes about ten minutes of you soulless life!,  but impacts your whole day. Just try not to act on your random primitive urge for violence walking through the supermarket after listening to this insane record!! I love it.


#6. Manpig have been around for 20 years or so and the album was recorded 1992, but the recordings were lost in the studio. So almost twenty years later (2005) they went back in to record seventeen tracks of powerviolence again and Deep Six Records finally released it 2012. That caught my attention is the overload and fury in the music and the sound and it just so happens that I love intense sound and violence in music so Manpig gets my vote!


BIRKIR'S PICKS:
#1. Territory is all over the place on this one, echoing the days of old "evil core" but channeling it through nice metal sensitive all the while remaining intense, raw and somewhat insane. The track threatens to fly over the handle and kinda does, but not entirely, resulting in a very inspiring explosion of violence.


#2. This is just filthy in its Motörhead-charge ways. Nothing fancy here folks, just unbridled scum metal with memorable riffage to spill your beers and fall through a glass window and land on the sidewalk below to.


#3. How you've eluded me for long time. But here I find you in your jittery noise rock glory. This is just fat and dirty and fucking cool. Come to me and listen to my Karp and Barkmarket albums!


#4. What a barrage of controlled noise this in. But peel some of the layers off and find carefully constructed tower of death that barrels forth in a cloud of doom and destruction. Perfect welding of plodding "slowness" and more rapid beating of drums to go with some vile tremola picking.


#5. Doom that has a floaty feel too it that I gravitate to without any resistance. The fuzzed out almost blueasy guitars lends the heaviness some of the soul that sorely lacks in many bands of a similar ilk. Also worth noting is loaded production here, guitars howls over everything else and the singer cuts through like a person under a thick layer of snow would (if it was possible).


#6. It was little over a year ago, or something like that, Throatruiner Records sent me a promo for Primitive Man's Scorn album. Right there and then I knew that soon this band would become a buzz to be reckoned with. I think that is happening now. And for a good reason. This is some grimey ass death doom with that de-tuned metallic hardcore/noise feel to it. So long that when you think it's getting played out something new and pummelling and sludgey comes your way. Pretty hard to resist. Very heavy. Go for it.


Listen/download to the mixtape in its entirety below

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