Anti You - Eli's Mile High Club, Oakland, CA January 24th, 2014

Anti You (Italy), Zero Progress, DHC, Reckless, Volatile Substance

at Eli's Mile High Club, Oakland, CA

January 24th, 2014

21+

Coke Bust - Hazmat, Oakland, CA - October 8th 2011

Coke Bust, Permanent Ruin (ex-In Disgust), Migraine, Zero Progress

Hazmat, Oakland, CA

October 8th, 2011

All Ages

General Surgery - The Big Room, Olympia WA May 14th

General Surgery, Midnight, Engorged, Funerot

at The Big Room, Olympia, WA

All Ages

Oi Polloi - The Highline, Seattle WA April 17 2014

Oi Polloi, Wartorn, Deathraid, Vindictive

at The Highline, Seattle, WA

17 April 2014

21 +

Rand Paul And Chumbawamba

I originally heard this on The Daily Show.  The beginning of this clip is concrete proof of the ignorance that permeates political candidates.  Was Tubthumper chosen for it's chorus?  I doubt Mr Paul knows what the song is really about.  I also bet Mr Paul knows nothing about the band and their political views, nor how Chumbawamba expresses those views through their music.  I hope Chumbawamba got some money for the use of their song, and that they promptly gave that money to some worthwhile causes.

Armour - 2013 - Death Threat / No Heaven 7"

Every so often Nuclear War Now! surprises me with one of their releases.  In the midst of more vinyl reissues and slabs of black/death comes this new single from Finland's Armour.  This is pure heavy metal, but modernized with more speed and bigger metal balls.  Armour's sound fits somewhere amongst  Mötley Crüe, W.A.S.P., and Accept.  Armour takes those inspirations and deliver two tracks of fast, snarling heavy metal.  Both songs sound crisp and modern, but can still take me back to being a teenager and blasting the first W.A.S.P. album from my Honda Civic.  Even though Vince Venom is also known as Werwolf from Satanic Warmaster, their sound is light years apart.  In the world of retro-metal, these guys are the real deal.  I am eagerly awaiting a new LP.

Perisynti - 2007 - Turmeltuneen Ihmisen Luonto 7"

Extremely raw Finnish black metal.  As an instrument of war, the distorted guitar on this 7" cuts through my speakers and stabs into my brain.  The sound is full and uncompromising.  Thoughout both tracks, the rhythm section lays down a very solid foundation, enabling the guitar and vocals to persecute their blitzkreig assault.  Where Turmeltuneen Ihmisen Luonto is fast and, especially towards the end, repetitive, the b-side is noticeably slower and has a languid synth melody lurking behind the guitar and vocals.  At times the synth sounds like icy feedback.  The vocals are buried in the mix underneath the guitar, but that just adds to their mystery and vitriol.
I am really glad I picked this up.  If you like harsh black metal, this is a release you should track down.