PHARAOH - THIS HOUSE IS DOOMED

A couple years back, Pharaoh delivered an crushing 7" titled I Murderer I on A389. It had the perfect blend of heaviness and sludge that created this really uncomfortable - yet great - sound. After a period of silence - and the occasional show or two - they're back in full force with This House Is Doomed. The title track was featured on the 2012 A389 sampler so I had an idea of what was in store, but the total package still blew me away.

"This House Is Doomed" is a seven-minute epic, weaving together myriad sounds into a cohesive and at times ominous offering. The vocals sound vicious and malevolent with the accompanying doom. The pace isn't breakneck by any means... that said the track doesn't drag (For a somewhat apt comparison, think a little more experimental SSOS). "This House Is Doomed" builds and builds as the minutes go by, transforming into a suffocating feeling where you're trapped in a dark setting, not knowing where you are or why. The guitar's whine at around the six minute mark is so good because it just adds another layer into what was an already impressive track.

"Waste" follows up the title track and is just as good if not better at times. Pharaoh has the ability to create a haunting atmosphere which adds so much depth into the listening experience. This song is like being hit repeatedly until your body just can't take any more. And just when you reach that precipice of utter devastation, "Waste" fades away.

This House Is Doomed is a perfect continuation and maturation of Pharaoh's style of gnarliness. Don't be surprised to see this in a lot of reviewers' top ten lists at the end of the year. It is that good.

GEHENNA ANNOUNCE RARE EAST COAST PERFORMANCES & SPLIT 7" w/ INTEGRITY

West coast hardcore nomads GEHENNA have announced that they will be embarking
on a short tour of the US northeast coast this summer in support of their new split 7" with
INTEGRITY (Holy Terror Records). 



Armed with a new drummer (R.D. Davies of the legendary INFEST), GEHENNA promises
to devastate everything in it's path with their primitive and barbaric brand of raw metallic
hardcore.  Asides from their appearances at the A389 Anniversary Bash in Baltimore, this will mark the first time GEHENNA has played other shows on the east coast in over 15 years.

LISTEN HERE:

GEHENNA 'Disciple In My Own Image'
(Taken from the split 7" w/ BLIND TO FAITH on A389 Recordings)
http://soundcloud.com/a389recordings/gehenna

GEHENNA SUMMER 2012 TOUR DATES
08/09 Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class (w/ The Inmates)
08/10 Brooklyn, NY @ The Acheron (w/ YAITW, Ilsa, Psychic Limb)
08/11 Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head (w/ Ringworm, YAITW, Oathbreaker, ILSA, Eddie Brock)
08/12 Philadelphia, PA @ THIS IS HARDCORE FEST (w/ Negative Approach, Breakdown, War Hungry + tons more)

FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.facebook.com/theinfamousgehenna
www.holyterror.com
www.a389records.com

HOMEWRECKER - WORMS AND DIRT

Homewrecker's debut full-length Worms And Dirt is like watching that infamous Jon Moxley IPW promo meaning that you know what's about to come yet you're still shocked. The art-work exclaims malice (And may be one Szymon's best pieces) and the preview track demonstrated an unholy and abrasive fifty-seconds that sounded filthy in all the right ways.

The record starts off with a spoken word sample, allowing the music to swell and build up before Homewrecker launches into a bit of ultra-violence. The track is only forty-seconds or so after discounting the lengthy opening, but the pace and style is a nice transition into the second track "Worms And Dirt." The vocals sound menacing with just the right amount of distortion (Much like The Killer). This also introduces the listener into the maelstrom that awaits; Homewrecker sounds like the off-spring of early Integrity, the fast and hardcore sound such as Magrudergrind  - without coming off as grind - and Weekend Nachos. There's a blend of short brusque attacks as well as more paced metallic hardcore.

"Wreck", "Worms And Dirt", and "Baseborn" provide a crushing start, immutable without becoming lethargic; "Visions Of Terror" provides a brief respite in the form of an instrumental passage. The underlying viciousness from the opening simmers before erupting into one of the album's stand out numbers, "Chained Hanging Victim." You're immediately attacked, given a false moment of rest, and then beaten once again by scorching vocals and infallible breakdowns. It makes me want to destroy the room  and everything in it and then the solo comes in to close things out. "Chained Hanging Victim" displays a great sound that harkens back to the energy and malevolence of Those Who Fear Tomorrow.

"Pipe Dreams" has some killer guitar work that has nods to Ringworm and other early Clevo thrashers with a touch of NYHC. My favorite track is near the end, in the form of "Charlatan." Clocking in at over four-minutes, it is the longest song on Worms And Dirt but for me the most powerful. The ominous hatred that peppers the record boils over to create this sludgy, meandering beast that doesn't waste a single second.

Homewrecker provides a twenty plus minute soundtrack to chaos and disorder, one that will both surprise and shock listeners. Worms And Dirt has the solos and vitriol that metal-heads will dig and the fast 'fuck you, break shit' sound hardcore dudes like. This is a record that blind-sided me, but in a good way.

THE KILLER - OBEY NO ONE

My first exposure to Chicago's THE KILLER was in the form of a grainy Youtube video; “Pills” played as the soundtrack to a mass of chaotic human activity. I remember being so taken back that I immediately snagged Better Judged By Twelve Than Carried By Six. Obey No One, which was recently put out by one of my favourite labels Organized Crime, carries that same vibe but add in a healthy dose of metallic hardcore and fury that few can match. The record screams pissed off without gimmicks and bullshit.

An ominous instrumental section acts as "Youth Fast Forward"'s intro before a heavy metallic assault dominates. The barking vocals work really well because the lyrics are so poignant and important that a somewhat clean-style really drives them home. The song also makes me want to head-bang repeatedly, but I digress. There are brief moments where "Youth Fast Forward" drags in spots, but there's an awesome breakdown/solo that really saves it and injects new life. And really how can I hate a song that has this in one of the lyrics: "I am the fucking champion"?

The title track "Obey No One" immediately starts off with a sound that makes the heart race. Once again I go back to the lyrics because it paints a misanthropic picture without resorting to cliched lines as well as inserts a level of realism and honesty. That being said, there are still moments where I could certainly see a perfect sing-along in a live setting, especially with lines like "This is a toast / To those who hate life the most." The driving guitar also makes me want to punch the nearest wall because it's just so fucking heavy.

"Age Of The Swine" closes out the record. A lengthy instrumental part builds up the track and just when you've reached that breaking point, the vocals take over. A grim tale is spun, one that is complimented by the sheer insanity of the music accompanying it. As the song starts winding down, John Caution (Weekend Nachos) provides guest vocals - and just like on THE LOVE BELOW / HOMEWRECKER record it really adds to the song without seeming out of place or random. The drumming really takes it up a notch as well sounding crushing and relentless as the words "There is a price" are bellowed. It's really hard to pick "the best track" but I love the feel of this one.

This beast of a record also features the art and layout by Dwid, who has really outdone himself with this one. The grime and urban decay that screams out from the music is really captured in the muted greys and shadows that dominate the art. If you've seen the more recent Holy Terror covers/art with the chaotic photo-manipulation then you know what's in store.

THE KILLER continue to keep impressing with their style of metallic hardcore that fans who dig bands like Harm's Way, Weekend Nachos, and the like will really enjoy as well as the aforementioned Homewrecker.