Castle Freak/2013 Demo Review

  Castle  Freak  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  metal,  grindcore  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2012  demo.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  raw  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  brutal  blast  beats  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  then  the  music  starts  adding  in  more  elements  of  grindcore  and  the  band  also  has  a  very  old  school  feeling  to  their  musical  sound  along  with  all  of  the  songs  being  very  short  in  length.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  the  music  also  brings  in  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  into  their  musical  sound  and  they  also  bring  in  a  few  seconds  of  guitar  leads  on  one  of  the  tracks.

  Castle  Freak  creates  a  very  raw  and  brutal  sound  with  their  mixture  of  old  school  death  metal,  grindcore  and  punk  and  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  off  easily  been  recorded  in  the  mid  80's  or  early  90's,  the  production  sounds  very  raw,  old  school  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Castle  Freak  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  mixture  of  old  school  death  metal,  grindcore  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Toxic  Winds"  and  "Rats  In  The  Morgue".  8  out  of  10.      

The Earth Dies Screaming/Self Titled/2014 EP Review

  The  Earth  Dies  Screaming  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grind,  hardcore,  punk  and  screamo  with  some  black  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2014  ep.

  Clean  playing  and  drone  sounds  start  off  the  ep  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  shouting  style  vocals  start  coming  in   and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  clean  and  heavy  parts  which  also  use  a  great  amount  of  distortion.

  There  is  a  great  amount  of  post  hardcore  elements  in  the  bands  musical  sound  and  they  also  display  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  as  musicians  along  with  their  faster  material  showing  a  black  metal  influence  and  after  awhile  growls  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  high  pitched  grindcore  screams.

  The  Earth  Dies  Screaming  creates  a  very  original  sound  with  their  musical  style  taking  the  aggression  of  grindcore  and  black  metal  and  mixing  it  in  with  post  hardcore,  screamo  and  punk,  the  production  has  a  very  raw  and  heavy  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  and  pissed  off  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Earth  Dies  Screaming  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  grind,  hardcore,  punk  and  screamo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "No  Way  Punk"  and  "PAth  of  Annihilation".  8  out  of  10    
  

Boddicker Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Nothing out of the norm other than expanding our drug dealing and gun running operations from the Midwest to the Starbucks capital of the nation, Seattle.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is present on the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the  past?

The newest offering, 'Crime Upheaval', is the most violent music we can create with the grind/crust/powerviolence umbrella we've used since our inception. However, making violent music doesn't mean forsaking songwriting capabilities. At the end of the day, we're a good time rock 'n' roll band. This isn't too different from our past material other than being more confident and comfortable in the songwriting process.

3.Some of the band members have a history playing in some well known black metal acts in Indiana, what was the decision behind going  for a more crust/grind direction with this band?

Because Boddicker is for hardened criminals. The black metal dudes OCP knows of wouldn't even steal a pencil from Wal-Mart, let alone risk hijacking tanks from the US Army.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Copout answer, but it's in the eye of the beholder. The lyrics are readily available on the bandcamp, and up to the reader/listener to get what they want through their own interpretations. The general theme is crime, anarchy, and contempt for the status quo.

5.I know that the band name came from Clarence Boddicker of the Robocop film, what was the decision behind using it as a band name?

Boddicker works for me, Dick Jones. OCP runs Boddicker.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Recently we played with Eyehategod, and that was a huge honor. EHG is a big influence on Boddicker. Besides that, Milwaukee and Minneapolis both rule and have taken good care of us. Houston, TX was a great show, and Buffalo, NY was a very pleasant surprise. Our performance is a sordid crime spree taking place in front of you.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We just wrapped up a month long tour of the eastern hemisphere of the US. A west coast tour is in the works for the fall, and a full European tour is being planned for spring/summer 2015.

8.Over the years the band has participated on many splits, out off all the bands that you have worked on with on all of these albums which one where you the most honored to work with?

It was an honor to work with all the bands, we can't possibly narrow it down to one.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of crust and grindcore?

Well, we have yet to hear anything negative, so that's good! I'm sure if we get more recognition, the basement dwellers will be more vocal about their disdain for us. So be it. We get plenty of downloads, but hardly anyone pays for it, so I guess that's good too?

10.What is going on with some of the other musical projects these days that some of the band members are involved with?

They're too busy selling crack to kids to worry about anything else other than Boddicker.

11.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Hard to say. Possibly start writing and recording next year. 

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We're influenced by 80's UK crust/grind, old school death metal, Slap-a-Ham era powerviolence, NY, Japanese, and Scandinavian hardcore/punk. OCP will also take the time to say that philistines can compare us to Nails, Enabler, All Pigs Must Die, all they want because we use the same cool guitar pedal, but it's really fucking lazy. No offense to those bands, but we don't really listen to them.

Here's what spinning at OCP's office:

D-Clone

Black Flag

Destruction

Melvins

Obituary

Corrosion of Conformity
GG Allin

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Guns, robbing old people, guns, shooting heroin with Chris Holmes, guns, drunk driving with Vince Neil, guns, chillin' at the club with Aaron Hernandez, and guns.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Crime pays!

Boddicker/Crime Upheaval/2014 EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  ep  from  Boddicker  which  shows  the  band  continuing  their  mixture  of  grindcore,  death  metal,  crust,  d  beat  and  power  violence  with  the  ep  being  self  released  in  2014  and  called  "Crime  Upheaval".

  Powerful  sounding  bass  and  rhythm  guitars  start  off  the  ep  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melody  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  screams,  growls  and  a  mixture  of  blast  and  d  beats  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of    old  school grindcore  elements  and  brutality  being  added  into  their  musical  sound.

  There  is  a  great  amount  of  crustcore  style  vocals  and  the  songs  are  all  very  short  with  the  longest  one  being  2  minutes  and  the  band  sticks  to  mostly  a  mid  80's  to  early  90's  style  of  crust/grind  which  they  also  mix  in  with  the  rawer  side  of  Swedish  death  metal  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts..

  Boddicker  remain  true  to t heir  aggressive  crust/grindcore  direction  on  this  ep  and  sound  even  more  brutal  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes.

   In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Boddicker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  grindcore,  death  metal,  crust,  d  beat  and  power  violence,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Halo  Of  Bullets"  "Vigilante"  "Social  Control"  and  "Energy  Blackmail".  8  out  of  10.  

    

Boddicker/Mitch Is The Bastard/2012 EP Review

  Boddicker  are  a  band  from  Indiana  that plays  a  mixture  of  crust,  d-beat,  death  metal,  grindcore  and  power  violence  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2012  ep  "Mitch  Is  The  Bastard".

  A  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  being  going  into  a  more  fast  crust  direction  along  with  a  mixture  of  growls,  screams  and  shouts  along  with  a  great  amount  of  d-beats  and  the  rawness  of  Swedish  death  metal  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  There  are  a  great  amount  of  raw  grindcore  elements  being  displayed  on  the  songs  of  the  ep  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  with  the  longest  one  being  over  3  minutes  and  they  also  bring  in  a  good  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.

  Boddikcker  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  raw  aggression,  heaviness  and  brutality  with  their  old  school  crust/grindcore  musical  direction,  the  production  has  a  very  raw  and  heavy  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  humorous  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Boddicker  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   crust,  d-beat,  death  metal,  grindcore  and  power  violence  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gun  Powder  Bong  Hits"  and  "Capital  Cirrhosis".  8  out  of  10.  

Wvrm Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We're from Greenville, SC. We play Grindcore and the band was formed from the ashes of an old Death Metal band we used to play in.

2.So far you have released 2 albums, how would you describe the musical sound that is present on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

For both we wanted to go for a raw stripped down sound. I think we achieved that with both albums with Where All Light Dies being of somewhat higher quality production wise. 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The lyrics are mainly cathartic. A lot of it comes from personal experience and they're all written to cope with certain things.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Wvrm'/

We just wanted something that was one word and had a certain connotation. A Worm is one of the lowest life forms on the planet, a bottom feeder. It's dirty. And that's what we wanted. The spelling is from a Magic The Gathering card. 

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

I'll just say that all the shows we've played have been the best. We try to make our performance fast and energetic. Sort of trying to invoke the spirit of the music. We just kind of do whatever comes out.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We mainly have small runs here and there. We have a few shows coming up that are posted on our Facebook. One with Oathbreaker and Cult Leader on  July 29th, which will be really great.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We've talked to a label or two in the past. We're actually about to start recording a new album. We'll put it out in the ether, if a label wants to pick it up, that's great. If not, that's fine too. 

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of grindcore?

It's been great. Way more than I ever expected.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

You can expect a new record later this year. Our music is only going to get faster, heavier, and more frantic. You can count on that.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Just about anything can be an influence, but some of the bands would definitely be Rotten Sound, CTTTOAFF, Converge, Nails, Nasum, and a slew of others. I can say we're listening to all those bands on a regular basis and a lot of stuff that isn't heavy at all. I love Old School Country music actually.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

It really depends. We all have things we do outside the band. We all have jobs. I personally enjoy spending time with my dogs, watching dope anime, and working out. 

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

FUCK THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Beg/Self Titled/SuperFi Records/2014 EP Review

  Beg  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that plays  an  aggressive  mixture  of  grindcore,  crust  and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2014  ep  which  was  released  by  SuperFi  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  along  with  blast  beats  and  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  a  good  amount  of  crust,  hardcore  and  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  sound.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  with  the  longest  one  being  a  little  over  a  minute  and  as  the  ep  progresses  you  can  also  hear  some  melody  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  aggressive  hardcore  style  vocals  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  sees  the  band  adding  in  a  few  seconds  of  doom  and  black  metal  before  returning  back  to  an  aggressive  grindcore  direction  and  the  spoken  word  samples  also  make  a  return  in  some  of  the  later  tracks

  Beg  plays  a  very  brutal  style  of  grindcore  that  is  very  hyper,  raw  and  aggressive  along  with  a  great  sense  of  humor,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  and  brutal  sounding  while  the  lyrics  cover  humorous  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Beg  are  a  very  great  sounding  fast  and  brutal  mixture  of  grindcore,  crust,  and  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beg  To  Exist"  "Chicken  And  Chips  Black  Metal"  "Goat  Bless"  and  "Douglas".  8  out  of  10.