RASPBERRY BULBS - LIVE AT 285 KENT

Raspberry Bulbs, the Ildjarn-esque side project of He Who Crushes Teeth (drummer for Bone Awl) plays head bobbing, garagy punk wrapped in a black metal skin. Live, RB's basement four-track aesthetic is served by faithful and discerning players. Among the lineup is Nick Forté of Rorschach and Radio to Saturn. I wasn't present at this show. It was recorded informally by my friend Janusz (thanks). The sound quality is pretty decent. The vocals are a bit quiet compared to their official releases. Regardless, the band sounds great here. Hopefully these guys will record together soon. Until then... Live bursts!

SHITFIT/HUMAN GREED - SPLIT

Along with Immoral Squad, Inertia Kills, Dahmer, General Fools and Seized, Human Greed and Shitfit were heavyweights from Quebec's early 90's scene. I caught Human Greed live in '94 with Ulcer, Dropdead and Immoral Squad. They were incredible! Hovering somewhere between Scum era Napalm Death and early Discharge, they offered a crushing brand of low-tech grindcore delivered with superb desperation. The thirteen songs on their side of this split feature multiple vocals retching amidst raw and driving instrumentation. An onslaught apparently fueled by the band's vegan politics. Sadly, I never got to see Shitfit live. Fronted, by Max Of Tomorrow (hilarious!) who's throaty gargle sounds like a hybrid between Choke (from Slapshot) and a didgeridoo. The band plays mostly heavy, palm muted, crusty HC with a slight NYHC vibe thrown in now and then. Nothing new for the time, but totally awesome. The perfect platform for Max's helicopter yodel. I listened to this fucking thing enough to wear it out. Luckily, I finally found another copy. QCHC!

CRAZY SPIRIT - S/T LP

As if you don't already know, Crazy Spirit are the cream of the crop when it comes to punky HC. Imagine Dick Dale imitating Greg Ginn, backed up by Honor Role and fronted by a miniature Blane Fart... but faster. (I know, shut up!) On their recent S/T Lp, gleefully inventive, Spy Vs. Spy guitar riffs dangle from pepped up punk drums and winding bass like spittle off a small dog's tongue. Congested, ghoulish vocals toss among this memorable mess like a peanut trapped in a bubble bounce. This music is F. U. N! Not an ounce of your daddy's tough-guy shit from '89. More like what grandma listened to back in '81. CS manage to pull it off in a way that seems totally fresh and all their own. Can't stress enough, I absolutely need everything they put out. You do too! Because... CS = fun! :)

INQUISITION - OMINOUS DOCTRINES OF THE PERPETUAL MYSTICAL MACROCOSM

Though I love their early pursuits, the vision that Inquisition has cultivated over the course of their twenty five year career has grown absolutely astounding. Ominous Doctrines Of The Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm is the eighth full length release in their discography. It's easily among the best sounding of their recordings and some of their best song writing as well. Dagon and Incubus have expanded on their brand of grinding black metal to achieve a level of sophistication and sheer perfection that few can boast. Eternally unaffected by the limitations of a two piece line up, they offer yet another slab rife with all the aggressive energy and melodic abrasion we've come to expect. Dagon's voice is completely mesmerizing this time around; even transcendent. These songs numb your digits, tear your spine from it's ornamental blob and warp you to an inner space that dwarfs the known universe. If you only bought one BM record in 2010, this should have been it. Ominous!

DOOM - THE GREATEST INVENTION

Got this when it came out in '93. I used to hate the production on it. It starts off with a spongy techno intro, the drums have more reverb than a Neil Diamond record and at times excessive use of chorus washes the guitar out completely. I recently dug it out after sitting quiet in my collection for almost twenty years. I gotta admit, I totally screwed the pooch on this one. The rave-cave production is actually kinda awesome. I can't think of many HC records that sound this expansive. Not even other Doom records. Beneath the atmosphere, Doom's Napalm Death-ish approach to crusty D-beat HC reveals why they are one of the most influential bands in the genre. Relentless low end, Jump 'n' jack guitar riffs and unmistakably british gut-throat vocals set the bar for everyone from Dropdead to Martyrdöd. All of their releases are worth having, but The Greatest Invention has become, by far my favorite. The techno intro is like crack to my ears now. At times I consider dubbing an endless loop of it to make love to. Am I Doomed?

HOAX - 3RD 7"

This western Mass born quartet's most recent effort marks the third release in what's shaping up to be an impressive discography. Following the tenets established on their first two 7s", Hoax serves up four more brutally executed examples of some of the best striped down, mid-paced hardcore five bucks can buy. Relative to their previous releases, you can feel the band settling into themselves here. Infectious riffs, concise, full drums and feral vocal anthems seem to come naturally to these dudes. Topped off with excellent lyrics that don't ask you to forgo adulthood. Seriously one of the best of 2012! Yoga!

MORTUARY DRAPE - ALL THE WITCHES DANCE

Peel back the drape to reveal one of the coolest BM bands to ever walk the earth. These necro obsessed weirdos take their perverse brand of pageantry to the extreme. Imagine an updated Merciful Fate complete with shiny hooded robes and a buxom, guttural apache on vocals. All The Witches Dance twists a wide range of high and low metal arts into a confounding and furious whirlwind. Even with familiarity, there's a persistent and illusive surprise element to this record. As you fall prey to the wild chants of these axe wielding muppets, one senses infinitely more sinister forces galloping in from the outer realms. The ground becomes liquid. You're drawn down with inexplicable speed. Horrific trumpets announce a soul crushing pain of loss. At last you rest, a mere silhouette at the gates of hell. Necomania!