TRIAC

   One day I might actually get around to making a post that isn't a grind band... but until then you can enjoy the smooth sounds of TRIAC! By smooth I mean crushing , and by sounds I mean pain. This four piece band out of Baltimore Maryland isn't fucking around when it comes to their music, and the title for this EP is aptly named cause their music actually sounds like they are trying to hurt you with it. Relentless blast beats, finger blistering riffs and (my personal favorite) screeched vocals help give TRIAC a very aggressive sound, and isn't that what this music is all about? Check them out on their myspace and after you've regained conciosness, order the 7" or get'cha digital download.

TRIAC Myspace

Buy TRIAC 7"/Digital Download

SUFFERINFUCK

     They have grindcore in Scotland? The answer is yes, and it is fucking awesome. I'm in a hurry so I'll keep this brief, and if you're into grindcore, I'm sure you're into brief. The band is SUFFERINFUCK, the ep is In Boredom and you can go snag it for free off their blog. Go download it and get fucked.

SUFFERINFUCK Blog

Magrudergrind - Crusher

   Grindcore heavyweights Magrudergrind are teaming up with To Live A Lie to release Crusher on vinyl around March. Crusher was originally released for free through Scion and I'm pretty sure you can still find a digital download of the album for free, but why not go ahead and get your hands on a physical copy and help support both an awesome band and DIY label in one fell swoop?

    In case you live under a rock and don't know of Magrudergrind or To Live A Lie, here are some links you desperately need to check out.

Magrudergrind Myspace

To Live A Lie Records

+HIRS+

     Alright! After a long break and what has turned out to be a super slow start I'll be posting much more often now, and no better way to start 2012 than with my favorite discovery of 2011, +HIRS+! These people make some of the sickest grind I have ever heard, and are just plain great at cranking out jams that make you feel like you've just been repeatedly kicked in the head. There is really no way to describe this band and do it the justice it deserves, so just go check out their Band Camp and order everything they have from their website. On top of creating great music, the members in the band seem to sincerely have a love for what they are doing and the message behind it (they give their music away for free, and just check out the energy in their live shows). I contacted +HIRS+ and they found some time in their busy schedule to answer a few questions for me via e-mail:

How long have you been together as a band? I know your website is fairly new and your facebook doesn't go back very far.

I started fucking around and writing a few songs in February 2011 and then showed them to SM, my best friend, and we decided to turn this into a real band and played out first show in June 2011.

You've made a point to give your entire discography away for free download, what's the ideology/thoughts/reasoning behind this decision?

Basically we don't give a shit about making money and only make this music because it's what we love. The fact that some people are into is more than enough reason for them to have it for free online and if someone is into it enough to buy our records then that's awesome too.

What comes first, the sound byte or the song, and how do you go about finding your sound bytes?

The music comes first, then most times the sound byte and then the lyrics. I watch a lot of fucked up movies or just movies dealing with the same topics that I'm writing lyrics about, so that's pretty easy.

I know quite a few people who are interested in drum programming, who does the programming and what program/device do you use?

I do all the drum programming and I use Toontrack's Drumkit From Hell along with Garageband.

Was having an actual person do the drumming/bass ever a thought or did you know from the start that you would use a drum machine?

We had been trying to do a fast thrashy band for a while with a full lineup before +HIRS+ was even an idea but things tended to always fall apart. Then one day I started writing "WORSHIP" just for fun and we realized we had the band we had been trying to start. So yeah, we always knew it was gonna be just us with programmed drums.

I've noticed in the two videos I was able to find of you playing live, the singer/screamer/crazy person (Greg?) was wearing the same shiny floral print tank top and white spandex shorts. This makes me laugh, is it an every show thing or was this just a coincidence?

It is a usual thing but sometimes I don't have the time to get all pretty like I want before a show. I sometimes wear that stuff because 1. I really like to. Not just for +HIRS+, but whenever and 2. because I like destroying the idea of gender mostly because i dont subscribe to one. we also like to stray from looking like or being the tradition hardcore "tuff guys" or whatever. and if dressing the way we want to and singing about the things we want and using weird samples can make someone else question things, then that's pretty cool too. and if it makes people laugh, that's awesome, laughing rules!

Are there any plans to get a tour going that will take +HIRS+ outside of Philly so the rest of us can get a chance to experience the madness? 

We hope so. We're currently working on that stuff right now!


Generic question time, how did you come up with the name +HIRS+? What's the meaning behind it, and what are the significances of the +'s?

It's a gender neutral term that can be used instead of he/she and the +'s are meant to be upside down crosses and who doesn't like those?!

Who is the Dark Lord Dog, and how can we better serve him?

The Dark Lord Dog is better known as Sophie on the days she isn't drinking the blood of first borns. She loves peanut butter kongs and eating cops.

Anything else you would like to add?

no gods / no cops

      Thanks a lot to these guys for taking the time to do this and here's hoping for tons of more stuff from +HIRS+ this year! Go buy their shit now, or at least sacrifice a small animal to the Dark Lord Dog in their honor!

+HIRS+ Official Site
+HIRS+ Band Camp
+HIRS+ Facebook

Cowabunga Records

    

      Well the blog has gotten of to a slow start but hopefully this won't be a trend. I have been super busy and the next band I am posting about has been too so it will be a little bit before I get their post up, but in the mean time I thought I would make a post about Cowabunga Records. I have made two orders from this place so far, and as soon as my wallet allows I will be making a third. This guy has a lot of awesome records and tapes for sale and pretty much everything is a little bit cheaper than I could find anywhere else. Orders came in fast and in great condition, so check it out and help support this awesome independent label!

Cowabunga Records

Cloud Rat

      Cloud Rat is a three piece grindcore band from from Michigan. They play a very unique style of grindcore that mixes breakneck speed grind with some mid tempo, heavy-as-fuck riffs, topped off with some clean/soft guitar parts. All the while their singer, Madison, is belting out some of the most sincere and intense screams I have heard since I first listened to Pig Destroyer. It comes out being some of the heaviest/rawest sounding music I have ever encountered, it keeps you guessing and keeps your head bangin. You can't help but notice how much feeling obviously goes into their music, which is what puts this band a step ahead of a lot of the other grind bands out there. I contacted Cloud Rat through e-mail and they were cool enough to answer a few questions for me:

What are the members of Cloud Rat currently listening to? Any bands we need to hear about!

Rorik:

Xtra Vomit, The Oily Menace, Wolbachia, Autarkeia, Panzram, Shoppers, Disconnected (OH), Pizza Hi-Five, Rat Storm, Thou, Wolves In The Throne Room, Isenblast, Kata Sarka, Gripe, Beast In The Field, Merchandise, Protestant, Swimsuit, Discerned, Keitzer, Inerds, Water Torture, Dirt Eyes, Human Touch, Coworkers, so many more. Oh, and The Boss.

Madison:

I'd also like to mention a few other bands I'm diggin. Scum from Detroit. Asylum Party, Bone Awl, Tozibabe, State of Fear, Vomit Punx, Socially Retarded,  Shoppers, Disclose, Hoglust... that's it for now, Woo, overall Rorik hit it on the head.

Your lyrics are amazing, I especially love Nest off of Fever Dreams, does the band as a whole write the songs or is it broken up individually into vocals/guitars/drums?

Rorik:

Thank you very much!

Up to this point, we have all just written our own parts, although everyone does have input as to whether we use a certain part or not. Usually a song of ours will start with a guitar part, and then from there gets built and picked apart. Madison writes poetry and lyrics all the time, fitting them into songs as she pleases. 

In December you're going on a tour that hits 9 different states (IL, LA, TX, AL, FL GA, TN, OH, IN) is this your first tour of this size? Can we look forward to this happening often?

Rorik:

Yes, this is the biggest tour that we have done yet. 18 days. We would like to tour as much as possible, but we can't be out all the time. I have a daughter who is in the 2nd grade and I work construction, Madison is talking about going back to college, and Adrian works full time as well.

We do, however, plan to tour as much as we possibly can with everything else going on.

I'm stoked about picking up the Cloud Rat S/T LP when you come my way on the tour! How can anyone unlucky enough to not be in your path get their hands on a physical copy of your music or any other Cloud Rat merch? 

Rorik:

You can order our records from IFB Records (www.ifbrecords.com) and any merch from us, just email cloudratgrind@gmail.com

This tour will be the first with our new split 7" with Autarkeia from Florida, as well as having our S/T LP and 3-Way split LP's with Oily Menace from MI and Wolbachia from Winnipeg. 

What do the members of Cloud Rat do when their not making music?

Rorik:

Madison lives at an art/show space in Detroit called the CAID, does Food Not Bombs, and makes sweet art and music of all kinds. She also is considering going back to college (she was an art major, but is now considering culinary school).

Adrian skateboards better than anyone I know, and works at a tobacco shop as a full time Tobacconist (real term). He also makes electronic music and noise under the name of Sawtooth. Cool stuff.

I have a seven year old daughter named Lydia who is in the 2nd grade. I work in construction and am a crane operator. I am an avid reader and film enthusiast, and I cook all the time. 

Any comments/thoughts/rants you would like to get out?

Rorik:

Go vegan. Be queer. Respect the Earth, yourself, and others. 

All gods, no masters. Grind on.

Thanks a shit ton to Rorik and everyone else in Cloud Rat for finding time to get back to me and helping me start off with a bang.

You can check out/download Cloud Rats music here: Grindcore Karaoke

Also check them out here for tour/show dates and other Cloud Rat news: Cloud Rat Blog