Bastard Disco – China Shipping

May22

Maybe more recognised for its metal diversity and prowess, over the years we have found that the Polish independent music scene breeds some rather fine propositions within other musical flavours. The latest to come to our attention is the noise rock fuelled alternative rock of Bastard Disco and particularly their new album, China Shipping. Across nine ear grabbing tracks, the Warsaw quartet’s sophomore full-length is a magnetic affair as raw and hungry as it is melodically seductive; one of those encounters you cannot help taking real notice of.

Formed in 2015, Bastard Disco finds inspiration in the likes of Fugazi, Quicksand, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, and The Pixies for their own individual sound. 2017 saw the well-received release of debut album Warsaw Wasted Youth via Poland’s oldest independent label, Antena Krzyku. The band has united with the label once again for China Shipping, a release swiftly engaging ears with opener Sophia. The coaxing grooves of guitarist Kamil Fejfer lay down a potent lure, the accompanying grumble of Paweł Cholewa’s bass and the swinging beats of Marek Kamiński soon eagerly accentuating the early temptation. As vocalist Yuri Kasianenko’s melodic tones join the captivation, the track almost haunts the imagination, its hooks and quickly established enterprise proving very easy to devour.

Future Crimes follows, opening with the great dirty growl of Cholewa’s bass before contrasting its grumble with the melodic jangle of guitar. As with its predecessor, familiar essences collude with bold fresh endeavour to create an individual character and presence; its melodic and harmonic boisterousness adding to that distinctiveness. There is a sonic mugginess to song and sound too which similarly just lured ears in and though maybe missing the striking hooks of the opener, the track effortlessly held court before Time Traveller offered up its own humid noise cultured breath. Something akin to Dinosaur Jr meets Big Black the song proved increasingly compelling and contagious as it nagged an already eagerly involved appetite.

Next up is Clear!, a slice of scuzzy indie rock with punk voracity to its infectious holler. Its highly potent persuasion soon matched by that crafted by the outstanding Shining Confidence. The track was pure fascination, its melodic seduction and sultry climate a mesmeric setting for the track’s devilish groove spun chorus. It is another with familiar elements but never proved anything but unique to Bastard Disco while Ministry of Self-Defence emulated that originality straight after with its own sonically dissonant bounce and confrontation. Ferocious yet melodically seductive, feral but craftily conjured, the track provides another particularly compelling highlight before Game of Patriots stole the show. Its first breaths bring the hypnotic coaxing of Kamiński’s beats, every subsequent one exposing his manipulative dexterity as the equally nefariously antics of bass and guitar just enforce the track’s virulence. Kasianenko is just as magnetic alongside their tenacious enterprise, providing further impassioned flaming to the song’s fiery eruptions.

The closing pair of Sink or Swim and B-side Son ensure China Shipping leaves as potently as it arrives, the first enjoying the union of a grumble dark rhythmic incitement and scuzz lined melodic intimation around the perpetually tempting vocals of Kasianenko. The final track is all spirited bounce and creative contagion beneath vocal and emotive energy; a rousing memorable finale to an equally stirring release rather easy to highly recommend.

China Shipping is out now via Antena Krzyku; available digitally @ https://bastarddisco.bandcamp.com/album/china-shipping and on CD/LP through http://www.antenakrzyku.pl/en/shop/bastard-disco-china-shipping-lpdownload-preorder-release-date-030519-kopia/

https://www.facebook.com/bastarddisco/

Pete RingMaster 21/05/2019

Architect Of Disease – The Eerie Glow Of Darkness

May31

Architect Of Disease is a black metal band from the Polish city of Łódź; a band with a sound infested with death metal malevolence among other extreme flavours and a technical prowess and imagination which just entices attention. We have just been presented with their second album The Eerie Glow Of Darkness, a sinister indeed pestilential affair which more than deserves a minute of your exploration.

Formed in 2012, Architect Of Disease released their debut album, Open the Hearts, in 2013. Its line-up features members of bands such as Doomster Reich, Alastor, and Deep Desolation in its ranks. As mentioned, The Eerie Glow Of Darkness is our introduction to the quintet and one which quickly hooked real attention and increasing fascination.

Death Call is first up on the album, its rhythmic bait instant inducement quickly followed by the flowing scourge of the guitars and invasively visceral vocals. It is a striking start which only escalates as the track shuffles its attack; punk predation, noise hostility, and melodic toxicity all woven into one magnetic and exhilarating animus.

The following W.W.E. prowls the senses as it saunters through ears next, sonic rapacity courting rhythmic harrying as vocal squalls blow. Grooves dictate assault and reception, their lures a venomous seduction and arousal against the raw and thick rancor exuding from everything else. Though not quite as virulent as its predecessor, the song easily gets under the skin before making way for the similarly inhospitable yet compelling Cycle of Change. It too is a web of intensity and antipathy; unpredictable enough to surprise, constantly narrow-mindedly intrusive to desecrate senses and imagination.

Through the tantalising uncanny invitation of Eerie Glow and its subsequent melodically haunting discord and the ruinous rock ‘n’ roll of Illumination of Abyss, the album kept its perpetual captivation in top gear, both tracks individually intriguing and unitedly magnetic. Each also epitomises the invention and vindictive charm of the release nurtured on a blend of the familiar and imaginative; again that varied fusion of styles and flavours colluding to entice and at times enslave.

The torturous roar of Everlasting Torment springs from another manipulative rhythmic shuffle wrapped in sonic vitriol and enterprise while Premature Death stalks as it suffocates the senses in its infernal rancor and blackened malice veined with melodic intimation.

The Eerie Glow Of Darkness is completed by the grievous temptation and nagging, almost viral infectiousness of Chant of Lord; grooves and hooks aligning in a feral but rousingly controlled incitement of ears and thoughts. Again you can only call it voracious, malignant rock ‘n’ roll and once more only recommend its aberrant allure and the album’s richness it helps serve.

A release black, death, and extreme metal fans should find plenty to feast upon, The Eerie Glow Of Darkness gripped and impressed with increasing strength and rigour. It is a cavern of ruin, spite, and attraction; an encounter deserving of much more recognition we suggest.

The Eerie Glow Of Darkness is available through The End of Time Records.

https://www.facebook.com/Architect-Of-Disease-425689324215174/

Pete RingMaster 29/05/2018

Whorehouse – Corporation

Jul7

Eight years ago, Polish thrashers Whorehouse sparked eager attention and broad acclaim with debut album Execution of Humanity. Just recently they unleashed its highly anticipated successor and fair to say it has not taken long for similar reactions to crowd the ferocious roar of Corporation, an album which grabs the listener by the scruff of the neck and hurls them into a brawling, rousing tide of thrash goodness.

Formed in 1995, the Cracow outfit grab the open inspiration of Bay Area thrash for their hungry, social and politically savaging sound. For a band which has been around twenty years, it is maybe a touch surprising that Corporation is only their second album though any length of wait is quickly forgotten once the accomplished tempest of sound and intent is uncaged. Recorded by Dominik Burzym (Mord’A’Stigmata, Atrophia Red Sun) at Studio 67, Corporation flies from the blocks with its title track, guitars gathering their creative thoughts and textures before sending a tide of familiar thrash nurtured but fresh riffs through ears. Rhythms punch and poke with equal hunger, the vocals solo and in band unison as arousing and anthemic as the sounds around them and in no time participation with its chorus alone is lustfully offered. With the guitars creating a web of sonic enterprise across its latter and still relentlessly contagious body, the song makes for an irresistible start.

It is a pleasure trapping success quickly emulated by The Same Old War, the following track a surge of nagging riffs and growling vocals as the bass groans and beats venomously swing. Again involvement with its antagonistic contagion is easy and full, an appetite for the melodic flames shooting across rapacious exploits unstoppable as Whorehouse again colour their sonic storm with imagination catching craft and boldness.

Toxic Dance similarly has body and thoughts bouncing; spicy grooves colluding with predacious riffs from the start before things again settle into a ravenous flow of tenacious riffs and biting rhythms nurtured in the inspirations of bands such as Exodus and Testament. In no time the track is a boiling, brawling incitement of prime thrash metal before Payback launches its own tirade of animosity and torrent of skilfully crafted thrash rabidity. As much as the core riffs, as in all songs, are soaked in genre familiarity, the guitars soon twist things up with their melodic enterprise and sonic unpredictability, a mix matched in the vocals and the uncompromising rhythms led by the magnetically snarling bass.

The virulent savagery of W.W.W.A.W.W.B (We Were, We Are, We Will Be) floods through ears soon after, its tone toxic and defiant, its sound just as incendiary with some of the most delicious hooks and grooves to be found on any thrash album in recent times while Invaders infests the senses with wiry grooves as a torrent of creative drama infects every note and twist within the best track moment within Corporation. It is a status closely challenged across the album to be honest, the following The Silent Unseen making its bid with a furious and volatile contagion so easy to get greedy over.

Anguis In Herba brings things to a powerful close, the track the most imaginative and creatively dramatic on the release. The instrumental is cinematic in its air and striking in its texture rich tapestry of sound. It provides a fine end to an album difficult to pull away from; certainly one helping at a time is not nearly enough to satisfy an appetite for one of the most enjoyable thrash proposals of recent times.

Corporation is available now through Defense Records.