[engl] In the depths of the underground music scene, 400 Blows emerged as a phantom-like trio, armed with a guitar, drums, and vocals, carving their niche in the caustic melting pot of noise-rock. Under the cover of night, they would materialize in some dark, illegal basement where a small fire could have snuffed out the lives of everyone inside their clandestine performances. Undeterred, the band persevered for a remarkable 15 years, sharing their sonic revelations with anyone willing to lend an ear. Black Rainbow, their enduring masterpiece, resonates with the same vitality it possessed upon its release. Channeling the manic energy of Minneapolis' Hammerhead and infusing it with the economical precision reminiscent of Wire at their most vitriolic, 400 Blows carved a unique path. Poetic and occasionally philosophical, they stood as art house outsiders alongside kindred spirits like US Maple and The Blood Brothers. Black Rainbow eschews frenetic discordance for the primitive. Tracks like "Mortar & Pestle" and "Premature Burial" echo the industrial pulse of Ministry, blended with the hypnotic throb of Amon Düül II. The result is a record that captivates with its accessibility while unsettling with its mechanical and alienating undertones, conjuring memories of the relentless grind akin to Uniform or Killing Joke. Released two decades ago in 2003, this double LP, their second offering, marked a pivotal moment. To put in Kubrickian terms, if their debut was the cave-dwelling dawn-of-man era, "Black Rainbow" is the epoch when they harnessed the bone as a tool, evolved and propelled it into the metaphorical cosmos. This is when they figured out who and what they were and let it rip. This is Black Rainbow.

[engl] Kansas City, MO aural-radicals Big Water have announced a new LP for May 28th, 2021, the aptly named "I Came to Drink Nattys and Fuck Shit Up and I’m Out Of Shit To Fuck Up" LP. The trio composed of Stephen Pelerito (guitar), Matt Perrin (drums/vocals) and Morgan “Punch” Mabrey (bass/vocals) excel at creating heavy, angular and off-kilter screamo (like the Gravity Records / Ebullition kind) that has a metallic punch and sludgy rawk tone. As the band says “Steve loves to write these crazy cool 13/4 into 9/8 riffs that the rhythm section (Matt and Punch) layer and maximize into a groove.” As for inspirations behind their throat-shredding lyrics on the album Perrin revealed “Curb Your Enthusiasm (“My Name Is Chappie Johnson And I Can’t Open This Damn Pickle Jar”), Mr Show (“24 Is The Highest Number”), a quote from a cop who caught us urinating on a pole as we were unloading a gear (“If I Go Over There, Is It Gonna Be Wet?”) and the repetitive wear of the 8-5 life (“In Spirit It’s A Madcat”). Before the lockdowns the band was able to share stages with such acts as God Mother (SWE), Cult Leader, Exhalants and Bighand/Bigknife who all gave horns up to their work. In addition to Big Water; the members also currently play in other KC outfits, CANYONS and BUMMER!!

[engl] Before vocalist/guitarist Ryan Shelkett (Steadfast Records) formed CROSS MY HEART (Deep Elm/Dim Mak Records) & LIARS ACADEMY (Equal Vision), he honed his songwriting craft in the band BLANK (1992-1997). Based in Baltimore MD, BLANK mixed emo, punk, pop, and hardcore and laid the foundation for his later bands, releasing several singles and EPs in their 5 years. Originally released only on compact disc, ANYWHERE BUT HERE was their first actual full length, also their last effort, and showcases the band at full power. The record still sounds as fresh now as it did when recorded 25 years ago and is regarded as an influential yet underrated gem. Reptilian Records celebrates the 25th Anniversary of this landmark post hardcore emo record with a LIMITED EDITION vinyl release!

[engl] "Most Gen-X music obsessives, especially those reared in the secluded, aseptic confines of suburbia, can probably relate stories about their own local record store and one or two practically messianic employees who worked there and whom they credit for the beginnings of their musical education. Through these often unkempt and overtly sarcastic sages, armed with their encyclopedic knowledge of limited-run Japanese 7-inches from labels like K Records and SST, countless bands were discovered by eager youths who studied them. As a result, a few ambitious students were even inspired to form their own bands. BULLS — one of North Texas’ most expressive underground-inspired groups — is one such band. The three-piece’s signature blending of powerful cascading post-rock motifs with the raw emotional charge of punk rock could have been incubated only in this special time in music history — a time when experimentation was at its peak and when what could be called “rock” music was stretched to its limits, encompassing the electronic-tinged jazz of Tortoise and the Baroque-style chamber music of Rachels, the Spaghetti Western mourning of the Dirty Three, and the noisy aural assault of Shellac. BULLS are currently celebrating the release of their first album, a milestone long overdue. Then We Die does, in fact, seem to successfully capture all the energy and contrasting moods that BULLS are known for as a live band. The frenetic break-neck momentum of songs like album opener “Seismic” and the rapid eighth-note onslaught of “Salt” are balanced tastefully with the dreamy, ocean wave-riding of “Hart” and the mournful plea “Cartel.” Del Toro’s vocal is mixed more prevalently than it is on the previous EPs, which adds a deeper dimension to the emotional push and pull of BULLS’ music. From whisper-quiet lines to all out anguished screams, the anchor that Del Toro wished for when he decided to tackle singing keeps the boat that is BULLS’ sound moored closely to the dock of the vision they want the listener to experience.

[engl] Throughout parts of the mid-western United States lie towering mounds of the waste residue from early 20th Century lead mining operations. Comprised of what is known as "chat," these hills of toxic, metallic dust dot the countryside as if they were headstones for communities destroyed by industrialization such as Picher, Oklahoma. These effigies would come to be the namesake for the Oklahoma based band, Chat Pile, whose grotesque and pummeling brand of noise rock has managed to terrorize listeners worldwide in only a matter of months

[engl] After doing a bunch of shows together and releasing two of 2022's best heavy noise records (CASH & God's Country) it was only a matter of time before these monsters of the midwest noise joined forces to pummel you with four new and exclusive tracks!!

[engl] Euphoric melodies and hard grooves clash with scorched tones and unhinged vocals in Cronies' fresh, young take on early '90s vibes. Cronies' bounce and vigor are likely to stoke the fires of old heads who grew up on Rage Against The Machine, Helmet, Butthole Surfers, and Beastie Boys, and will convert fans of current rippers like Turnstile and Show Me The Body. "Classic punked-up, grungy rock that sets aside the dreary attitude and embodies a mood worthy of a skateboard hill bomb in summer with friends. Guitar tones have crunchy textures, drums are positively locomotive in their movement and ceaselessness, and the emotive vocals smack of '90s Beastie Boys when they started using more effects." –Lambgoat "While, their sound may harken back to the noise-punk of the 90’s, their modern spin on these classic sounds puts them right up there with contemporaries in Show Me The Body and Venus Twins. This is a thick, grungy sound that has hints of psychedelia coupled with the use of electronics to further disorient and mess with your head. It packs quite the wallop. Whether the band is going full on raging, or mining the territory somewhere in between, they hit the sweet spot time and time again. This record proves that they are developing into quite the force." –New Noise "Cronies are an exciting new band hailing from New York City... Uplifting melodies, striking grooves, and manic vocals. With a nod to nineties noise rock and post hardcore... channels the spirit of Helmet and Rage Against The Machine among other past greats." –Destroy//Exist

[engl] Noise rock grime and punk rock exuberance unite on Desperate Living's new EP, SHAME. Wild-eyed vocals and sludgy tones bring to mind the likes of Unsane or Uniform, but a driving beat assures that this is a party, not a funeral. Desperate Living's intensity is more hip-shaking and fist-pumping than it is wrist-slitting; the band's bursts of vitriol and swagger could enrapture a theater full of The Bronx fans and a basement full of AmRep nihilists on the same night. From Philadelphia, PA, Desperate Living consists of four lifelong friends and veterans of such outfits as The Minor Times, Ladder Devils, and Legendary Divorce. Traces of those stellar bands' sounds haunt the mix, but in Desperate Living, vocalist/guitarist Brian Medlin, guitarist Timothy Leo, bassist Scott Signorino, and drummer Jonathan Van Dine have chosen to burn the complexity of past projects and go for a stripped-down, runaway-steamroller approach. Vocalist/guitarist Brian Medlin says the EP's six pummeling songs are connected, with the lyrics exploring "the relationship between shame and truth." Recorded by Mark Watter at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia, SHAME is the band's first release for Reptilian Records. It follows two EPs, New Concrete (2019) and City Sadness (2020), both released digitally on Brutal Panda Records. The cover art was created by Jake Vanderlinde of the band The Cloth (also Reptilian). With a name lifted from a John Waters film, Desperate Living are here to do what they please. "I like that film because it feels like there are absolutely no rules," states guitarist Timothy Leo. "Anything can happen." Reptilian Records will be releasing the new 6-song BLUE VINYL ONE-SIDED 12" EP "SHAME" on Dec.9th so you can take about 20 minutes out of your own complex, adult life to welch on some responsibilities and turn this up VERY fucking loud!

[engl] From the streets of the Motor City, EASY ACTION carry on the fine tradition of Detroit Rock, infusing it with a raw punk edge. For those unfamiliar, EASY ACTION is fronted by John Brannon, former vocalist for the highly regarded LAUGHING HYENAS and of early 80’s hardcore legends NEGATIVE APPROACH. On bass is Ron Sakowski, another Detroit punk veteran, bringing his experiences from THE NECROS and the LAUGHING HYENAS to the band. Guitarist Harold Richardson is best known for his experiments with the noise rock band GRAVITAR during the mid 90’s, and drummer Jon LeMay rocked with THRALL before joining EASY ACTION. After two sold-out singles and many packed shows, EASY ACTION hooked up with producer Al Sutton (DETROIT COBRAS, LAUGHING HYENAS, KID ROCK) at Rust Belt Studios to unleash this self titled debut LP, a scathing rock testimonial, stripped of pretense and vanity, honest and in your face!

[engl] John Brannon and crew’s second fierce dispatch from Motor City, Friends of Rock and Roll. Preserving all the necessary grit and grime, the legendary Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders masterfully captures Easy Action’s underbelly crawl through the Detroit rock landscape, formed as much by the fury and frustration of Brannon’s Negative Approach and Laughing Hyenas, as by the "nothing to lose" groove of the Stooges and Alice Cooper Band. "When punk pummels metal and a man with a growl that could scare paint off the wall get together, you'd best be in attendance. Easy Action is one of the most intensely pleasurable guitar-rock experiences you're likely to come upon in these days of wuss-pop." -Chris Handyside, Detroit Metro Times

[engl] "The Sauce spans seven decades of songwriting and showcases Spaghetti's impeccable song choices and uncanny ability to sing the drinking songs for drinkers who like to drink the drinks." In 2003, Motherfuckers Be Trippin' revived the Supersuckers nameplate. Issued through their own Mid Fi imprint, it riffed and smirked with renewed zing and estimable sleaze. That air of lovable gracelessness carries over to Suckers' main man Eddie Spaghetti's first solo effort, a messy and grinning bucket of covers called Sauce. In his liner notes, Spaghetti trashes the whole idea of solo records, especially those that consist solely of covers. But in typical fashion, that doesn't stop him from doing his own. Sauce features quick and easy, largely acoustic versions of outlaw country faves from Kris Kristofferson ("Best of all Possible Worlds") and Willie Nelson (the mirthful and giddy "Gotta Get Drunk"). There's also a run through "Cocaine Blues," but his isn't underpinned with terror like Johnny Cash's. Instead, Spaghetti cranks it out steely and fast, like it was the last song of the middle set in a Tuesday night dive bar gig. He gets a tad serious -- or at least heartfelt -- with Steve Earle's "I Don't Want to Lose You Yet," but it's back to a bleary-eyed cross of honky tonkin' and low culture slummin' for "Peace in the Valley" (originally by A3): "Well I got ecstasy/But I need some company." That sentiment continues for "Killer Weed," the better of Spaghetti's two originals here. As he does throughout Sauce, Eddie adopts a sort of deadpan Lee Hazlewood persona for the track -- he might as well perch a raglan horse head on the lip of a six-foot bong. Sauce isn't country, and it doesn't rock like his day job. But from end to end, it drips with the same dastardly good-time juice that defines the best Supersuckers stuff.

[engl] Originally released in 2005 as a limited picture disc, now on regular LP for the first time!! Supersuckers frontman Eddie Spaghetti has given us his second solo album in as many years with 2005's Old No. 2. Like his previous solo disc (Extra) Sauce, Old No. 2 is dominated by covers, though Eddie wrote a whopping four new songs for this set (double his output for Sauce), and since this album boasts a significantly lower goofiness quotient than his previous go-round, he offers us some solid and literate country-rock tunes, including the ode to touring "Here We Go" and a rueful look back at a busted romance, "Some People Say." Old No. 2 is in the tradition of the Supersuckers' periodic visits to the land of twang, with even the AC/DC and Coasters covers boasting a semi-acoustic sawdust-on-the-floor vibe, and his band (anchored by guitarist Jordan Shapiro) kicks up a satisfying amount of dust, even with the amps turned down. While Eddie unwittingly reveals how narrow his vocal range can be on a couple of tunes, he makes with the attitude when he needs to and sounds like he means it when he wants to, and his versions of Bob Dylan's "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You" and Willie Nelson's "Everywhere I Go" show the guy is a better interpretive singer than one might expect. Oh, and if you were looking for a straight-up joke, check out the Aerosmith revision on track 11. Old No. 2 is hardly revelatory, but it sounds like Eddie and his pals enjoyed their four days in the studio, and the good vibe is infectious -- lots of guys have tried a whole lot harder without coming up with a record half as enjoyable as this.

[engl] Face-crushing guitars, head-pounding drums, bass so low you'll vacate your bowels, and vocals so scorching, so extreme, they simply can't be human! They're not. This death metal outfit with a parrot for a singer makes trashes the pathetic bird feeder you call the metal underground! That's correct, a parrot for a singer, savaging you with feathers of razored steel! Try as one might, they will not escape the claw; nothing can dodge the talons of hate!! These tracks are an ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY beak in the ass of all things sacred in the underground. The holiest shrines of metal and hardcore seriousness are duly trashed, burned, laid to waste, smeared in Avian excrement. The pecking order has been established! This monolithic release, which is beautifully mastered by Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) will be issued on CD, cassette, as well as limited vinyl runs. Featuring a stunning cover by artist Stephen Kasner, one side of the vinyl collects all of Hatebeak’s long out-of-print EP’s from 2004-2007 while the other side features six never released songs, the first new avian-metal to surface in eight years! During their initial existence, they were a studio project shrouded in mystery. In recent years it has become public knowledge that Hatebeak was the brainchild of Blake Harrison (who is now in Pig Destroyer) with Mark Sloan (The Index), occasional bass by Vincent Saulsbury, and inimitable vocals by Waldo, a 21 year old African Grey Parrot. The first Hatebeak recording was "Beak Of Putrefaction" on Reptilian Records (a split with Longmont Potion Castle). The band's logo was a parody of the Hatebreed logo, and the single cover was a blatant rip-off of Judas Priest's “Screaming for Vengeance”, which quickly earned a cease and desist order and was re-issued with Waldo obscuring most of the original picture.The public reception quickly went from metal underground oddity to national news as programs like The Howard Stern Show and outlets like The A.V. Club covered the band. Their follow up single lambasted the band NILE and was a split release with NYC band CANINUS (fronted by two pit bulls), and their third and final release was a split single with BIRDFLESH on Relapse Records. Refusing to perform publicly for fear of traumatizing Waldo, the human members went on to other projects while Waldo went on to do album reviews for Decibel Magazine, so Hatebeak went underground until NOW.

[engl] Out of Aferica and passing once again through the Reptilian immigration department. Shannon Selberg’s entirely reconfigured, revamped Heroine Sheiks have lab tested 11 factory fresh, fully assembled, tuned and torqued songs – not ideas for songs, not experimental keyboard games – but nothing shy of his finest body of work since the Cows seminal Sexy Pee Story, if not better. The new line-up subverts its four on the floor rock sensibilities, using active riff age and rhythm, but fucking it up just the right amount. Shannon’s vaudevillian creep show has never been this well utilized, showing the amount of restraint and excess at the right times in exploring his menagerie of hard luck characters. Age and musical maturity have chiseled away the unnecessary parts of the persona, gone is the drawn-on mustache of shock and in its place the true five o’clock shadow of the narrative mindfuck. The album begins with the subdued darkness of “Stabbed by an Angel” into the Flipper and Fang brain-screw of “Cock Asia”, setting the tone for much of the record – heavy-handed guitar work, perfectly placed bugle and keyboard flourishes, and Shannon’s slippery, alley-cat vocals. The upbeat “Break Up” introduces a three person (but just one Shannon) conversation of weird-ass romantic problems, “Brooklyntown Romeo” unfolds with another raw storyline. “Jaws of Life” is as dank as anything from the first Unsane record. “The Obscenery” is Shannon channeling mid-70’s Lou Reed quite well, singing – yep, singing – over a slowly unfolding piano line. Selberg rarely gets the lyrical credit he deserves, with each song unpeeling like a cracked-up, narrative orange peel of seedy life. The kinda folks you meet late at night in poorly lit, smoky rooms, the kind of places Selberg’s spent the last twenty years, unrepentantly.

[engl] Hoaries are an accomplished group of self-professed gray-hairs plying their goods in the noise rock arena to which there should be no mystery when you stop and consider they exist as somewhat a continuation of the late, great Denton, TX outfit, White Drugs (Amphetamine Reptile). Though unquestionable peers of other sovereign noise rock contempos the likes of METZ and so forth, I for one give HOARIES the creative edge. Their shape-shifting rebukes warp and bend the sonic panorama like no other; they drain the Tin Man’s oil can and take that blood to lube all the rusty gates in the ‘hood, they do, they do. At times the sound of a pair of high-functioning alcoholic plumbers swinging over-large industrial wrenches at one another within a careening bouncy house. Belligerently mid-tempo bulbousness that’ll knock your nose out of joint yet still manage to dish some hooks that you will find hard to shake. For fuck sake, they even manage to make a SADÉ cover work—strange choice, strange doings. Go figure. - Peter Davis, Your Flesh Magazine After a series of singles, a brief tour and a split 10"ep, the "pandemic" gave the band time to fully develop the new material and to reach their final form with Jeff Helland (White Drugs) leading the way on vocals and guitar, the perfect pairing with Christian Breit on second guitar (also of White Drugs), new bass warrior Bobby Weaver (from The Paper Chase on Kill Rock Stars) and Clay Stinnett (Boom Boom Box, Ghost Car) still in the drummer's seat propelling the songs forward. Featuring a bone-rattling mix by Matthew Barnhart (METZ, Superchunk), this debut full length feels more like a record from a band that has been around the block and thru the alley a few times already!

[engl] Experience the explosive energy of 90's New York Hardcore reborn through the dynamic sound of IN DISTRESS, a formidable trio hailing from Austin, Texas. Their inaugural album unleashes 8 relentless tracks fueled by a fervent blend of political outrage against the establishment. Brace yourself for a sonic assault that fulfills all your hood rat needs. Tough as nails, but not typical beatdown Hardcore – it's an explosive mix of anthems and sing-alongs. Loud and precise, fast and unapologetic, IN DISTRESS provides the ideal soundtrack for your rebellious spirit, appealing to fans of Sick Of It All, Kill Your Idols, Wisdom In Chains, Comeback Kid, Strike Anywhere, and anyone who shares a disdain for politicians and their deceitful narratives. "While, their sound may harken back to the noise-punk of the 90’s, their modern spin on these classic sounds puts them right up there with contemporaries in Show Me The Body and Venus Twins. This is a thick, grungy sound that has hints of psychedelia coupled with the use of electronics to further disorient and mess with your head. It packs quite the wallop. Whether the band is going full on raging, or mining the territory somewhere in between, they hit the sweet spot time and time again. This record proves that they are developing into quite the force." –New Noise "Cronies are an exciting new band hailing from New York City... Uplifting melodies, striking grooves, and manic vocals. With a nod to nineties noise rock and post hardcore... channels the spirit of Helmet and Rage Against The Machine among other past greats." –Destroy//Exist

[engl] Bonkers hardcore/noise rock from Connecticut filled with snot, vitriol, and contempt. Soaked in sweat, alcohol, and likely some other substances, Maniacal vocals with a post-hardcore groove. "Sometimes in life you come across a band or a song or an album and wonder: what the fuck was I doing in my life up until this point that I’ve not yet come across this. In addition to heart-wrenching retroactive FOMO, you’ll likely feel a strong sense of betrayal. How could someone not have referred me to this? You people call yourself friends?... ...The music itself is a beautiful custom blend of noise, hardcore, and punk. Though (vocalist) Tarek claims to hate writing them, his lyrics are fantastic. A targeted, brilliant wordsmith I aspire to someday match in skill. In listening I’m reminded of Pissed Jeans, Infinity Land, and fan-favorite, Chat Pile. Of the band's writing process I’m told “one of us will just come up with a dope ass riff and just ride off of it.” - Abbie Bateman, NoEcho.net

[engl] La Glissierre is Chris Breit (White Drugs, Banos y Banos, Hoaries) and a group of choice collaborators. But the heavy lifting, both creatively and as a recording engineer, is all Breit. The band mutates from punk camouflaged as Pere-Ubu pop on wax; to manic emotionally-charged Blacktop-esque garage rock on stage. It is a band to see and hear in all forms. Autobaños, to me, is about songwriting and impulse; it’s both scenic and introspective; both noisy and riddled with catchy hooks. Bands like Red Mass, Lamps, and Tyvek all come to mind. And there’s some of the gloss of The Fresh & Onlys, Creative Adult and Purling Hiss invading tracks like Overpunk and Bluebonnet Plague. But none of these bands have the surl and humor that Chris’s vocals grind into each track. Nor do they contain his experimental approach to guitar. Think Ben Walkers (Country Teasers) in his most punk rock, yet socially acceptable, form. This album is a dark beast looming in the corner wearing sparkly shirts and riffing major highbrow dad jokes. Full disclosure, Chris is a dear friend of mine. And, when your friends present this kind of gift to the world, you kinda wish they weren’t your friends, so that your praise and admiration of their art can’t be confused with nicety. It’s a tremendous work of songwriting and my admiration of his abilities borders on jealousy. - Jeff Helland (White Drugs, Hoaries)

[engl] Since its depraved and characteristically ugly Australian birthing in 1986, Stu Spasm's Lubricated Goat has remained a cock in the ass of decency. Stu has worn the devil's red cloak proudly, through a revolving door of musical confederates, trans-Pacific moves, bizarre and unrepentant television nudity, a celebrated underground rock marriage and divorce, six albums, countless tours, even a stabbing. His vision remains unchanged. Reptilian Records proudly serves up The Great Old Ones as a lustful orgy of aural hedonism. It's a celebration of the first ten years of mayhem cut to tape. This long-awaited disc collects newly recorded stabs at songs from previous Lubricated Goat albums (all painfully out of print), some singles, and a track from Stu's band Crunt (feat. Members of Babes in Toyland and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion). Insanity, free will, intellectual hedonism, the devil's hand in fine dining. Tracked at Studio G in Brooklyn, NY in May of 2003, this set is blazingly fresh, and sonically superior to the originals. Stu has assembled a distinctive and essential line-up featuring Natz from Cop Shoot Cop, and Ant from New York scum-rockers the Spitters. The quartet is as limber as they are tight, and boast superior musicianship to all those that have preceded them. The old songs swing and rock with unparalleled confidence. Stu's vocals perfectly distill Bon Scott's bawdiness while holding Captain Beefheart in a full-frontal checkmate. While early material reeked of the abrasive noise-skronk of the Birthday Party, and synthed-out art-damage of Pere Ubu and Suicide, time wore on and Stu added greater dynamic flourishes, fleshing out his earthy scatology with the black magic of well-defined songcraft. Truly, the bastard can play the guitar. The Great Old Ones considerably ups all the antes, the band playing with the deft confidence and sure-handedness of a well-oiled touring rock machine. It's not even funny how much better these versions are over their predecessors. Good, confident rock always trumps even the best and worst intentions of art.

[engl] MAGIC CITY, Idaho – Drop the needle on the opening number, “Magic City,” and for the next 35 minutes, you will be taken on a tour of an unusual lakeside resort town with a penchant for partying and no shortage of odd characters. “It’s quite a place if ya got grit, which we have in spades,” adds Marty. Metal Marty’s Greatest Hits pays tribute to the small Idaho burgh, spinning tales of common folks, blue-collar laborers, and dudes named ‘Hot Tub’ that work hard during the day and play harder at night, conjuring Steve Earle at times, evoking Iggy Pop at others. “I think it sounds like a ‘greatest hits’ record, there’s every kind of song on it, yet it still flows, “explains Marty, “and it’s a ridiculous title for a first record.” The album slips effortlessly across genres while never disrupting the overall tone or losing its deep sense of optimism. The balls-out barn-burner “Working My Ass Off” recalls the wildest rockers from the 1950s; “Idaho, Baby” is a shot of anthemic Americana with a not-so-subtle nod to Gary Glitter; and the country-tinged rocker “Goddamn Divorce” feels like a pat on the shoulder from Lebowski’s buddy Donnie, “Fuck it, dude, let’s go bowling.” “I’ve been talking about doing a solo album for years, and I think Eddie got sick of me yammering on about it, so we just started writing,” Marty explains. “We hung out in Magic City and wrote down all the funny shit that happens to him and turned them into songs,“ recalls Eddie Spaghetti, who co-wrote the album with Marty. “It’s a pretty literal interpretation of his life,” continues Eddie, “You want to know the legend of Metal Marty – this is it.” Marty got the call from the Supersuckers in 1999 to fill in for founding member Ron Heathman who was unable to tour for family reasons. “Ron wanted me to do it; he’s probably the biggest contributing factor to me being in the band. We were buds.” He later became a permanent member of the band, releasing four albums on the Los Angeles-based indie label Acetate Records. Greatest Hits also includes a rock n’ roll version of Roger Alan Wade’s “The Reckless Kind,” and while it’s not autobiographical, it might as well be. Wade, who also wrote the album’s liner notes, recalls his first encounter with Marty, “The first time I met Metal Marty was when he came leaping over the monitor speakers out of nowhere and started singing The Reckless Kind. He just blew the roof off.” “Yeah, that’s how it went down,” Marty laughs, “welcome to the roller coaster ride of chaos and bad decisions that is the life of Metal Marty! When I first heard that song, I felt it like it was written for me. I’ve always thought it would be cool to give it the ‘arena rock’ treatment. I was very proud to play it for Roger; he’s my brother for life.”

[engl] Harsh, grimy tones. Sweet, steamrolling riffs. Vocals exuding pure pain. Over the course of 17 tracks, Mirakler spits out a sound that lands in a dark crack between Unsane, Today Is The Day, and Nirvana. The exuberance of Mirakler's twisted, metallic noise rock is intensified by the volatility of frontman Daniel Gene's voice as it ricochets between wounded pleas and full-bore screams, calling to mind the emotional storms of the great Steve Austin. New Noise Magazine reports: "With a touch of grunge, metal, and sludge, this group’s approach to noise manages to maintain a sense of melody." How I Became the Devil was recorded and mixed by Scot Moriarty at Backroom Studios, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. The band hits the road for a Northeast tour in July, including dates with Cherubs, and will play the venerable No Coast Fest in Texas in October. From Ryan Canavan of HEX Records/Hanging Like A Hex Zine -- "Mirakler take the combined experience of past bands, endless miles in subjectively reliable vehicles to play countless filthy basements and fly-by-night venues and spit it all out in a 45-minute tirade called “How I Became the Devil”. They go for the gusto and ensure every listener gets maximum bang for their buck with 17 tracks of noisey rock/punk abandon in about 45 minutes. Some may say that’s a bold move for a relatively new band. However, Mirakler have a lot to offer. Interspersed between the lumbering grungy noise rock squall are uncomfortable and weird interludes, melancholy melodies, occasional toe-dipping into sassy chaos, and even a bit of experimentation with electronics and post-rock instrumentation. It’s kind of a roller coaster of an album that has an air of mystery around it with it’s thumb print/eye blots on the cover, alluding to some alien in a ski mask coming to thieve your jewels. It’s unsettling and dangerous, and that’s kind of what you get from this Pittsburgh trio with their debut LP."

[engl] "Erupting at two-to-three-minute intervals, the songs are steeped in dissonance, a fusion of driving melodies and eyes-rolled-into-the-back-of-your-head slow builds. Pointed and unconventionally melodic guitars combine with high intensity drums and unrelenting bass. The short sharp jagged boil of SUPER THIEF sets the air on fire, vocals jumping from spoken introspection to incendiary verbal detonations, blasting waves of intensity but never at the cost of a pervading melody or hook." – Paul Stinson "Students of the AmRep/Touch & Go school for noise rock, SUPER THIEF draw comparisons to bands like The Jesus Lizard, Hammerhead, and Tar, but their attack is more impenetrable, more persistent. There’s no lull, no restraint. When the band pull back ever so slightly from the carnage, it’s only to hammer in the reality of their earthquaking rhythms and rusted distortion." – Dan Goldin (Exploding in Sound, Post-Trash)

[engl] In the cacophony of contemporary noise rock, Power-take-Off emerges like a primal force, drowning you in waves of distorted drone infused with subterranean sub-sonics and seismic thuds, punctuated by moments of nuanced psychosis. This isn't just music; it's a confrontation spewing out paranoid diatribes that crawl under your skin. While soaking in this album's menacing aura you will be assaulted with ominous original pieces as well as a few possibly familiar covers, where PtO burrows deep below the surface of songs that were already relentless and twisted to mine even more frightening audio sludge. A tip of the hat to a few sinister influences. So who's behind this parade of the horribles anyway? Power-take-Off is the work of Gus Engstrom of the defunct Grids (a killing spree of a band in their own right) and a revolving cast of musical miscreants. Together they mount a visceral auditory barrage on your ears, a claustrophobic labyrinth of paranoia for you to frolic in. If you have any Rusted Shut, Clockcleaner, Head Of David, King Snake Roost, Swans, Harvey Milk, SUNN, Melvins, or Flipper in your record collection, then I believe you've found a winner here.

[engl] Prayer Group has brought forth into this hellish world their new record “Michael Dose” for all to take heed of, worship, and then experience the disappointment that is life through the music of these Richmond, VA noisemongers. Having proven themselves several times over through various EPs and tours, the band has focused their ill-will with this new LP, their first for the Reptilian, and their finest effort to date. Of course, comparisons are inevitable to torch-bearers such as Pissed Jeans and Jesus Lizard with regard to the shouted drawl of the vocals, the bombastic approach to their off-kilter rock, and furious combination of the strange, creepy, and exciting. However, Prayer Group also share sonic DNA with contemporaries like the experimental wailing thud of later Breather Resist, the unhinged depravity of Blacklisters, or the all-out thunderous rock assault of Buildings. “Michael Dose” (an in-joke mispronunciation of "microdose") is an album with 11 tracks showing the band taking these varied influences and sounds, and turning them into a sonic steamroller. These sounds may be varied, but they come together to make a heck of a record and Prayer Group make a fine addition to the luminaries carrying the noise rock torch high.