There isn’t an appropriate way to start this review, nor is there an appropriate way to talk about the band in question. Haymaker is a hardcore band from Hamilton, Ontario which features members of Pick Your Side (who dropped a seriously excellent 10” last year with To the Point), Left for Dead, and Chokehold (if you’ve never listened to Prison of Hope you probably should).

I’m not going to write something that’s entirely too descriptive and get lost in metaphors. This is Haymaker’s first release in almost a decade. Let Them Rot is short, sweet, and to the point; exactly what you want out of hardcore. Haymaker, quite possibly, is even angrier than Left for Dead; even though these qualities are arbitrary and for the listener to decide, it isn’t like they are getting that really terrible Throwdown album also named after the powerful punch. Instead, what is delivered are four tracks that move at a blistering pace, with ridiculously ignorant mosh riffs thrown in (see: "Cheque to Cheque").

I’ll sum up Haymaker in two words: fucking angry. If you like hardcore that is the fuck-you-eat-shit type of vicious and entirely negative, then Haymaker is definitely for you. They are another legendary band from Hamilton, Ontario who are totally underrated, but deserving of all types of praise. Let Them Rot is a continuation of the mayhem and the in-your-face attitude the band brings. It’s like they never missed a beat.

Bill Haff

Band info: www.a389records.com
Label info: www.facebook.com/Haymaker

Editor-in-Chief at Scratch the Surface, Bill Haff is a Philadelphia-based music critic who also contributes for Cvlt Nation, Metal Injection and Ghost Cult. You can follow him on Twitter at @bill_haff

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Let’s get right to it; I’m infinitely excited that Left for Dead are making new music. I think a lot of people are. It’s their first actual release of new music since that split with Ochre back in ‘97 (the five tracks on that split are utterly vicious), and to be perfectly honest I didn’t know what to expect. I only heard two songs -- “1946” and “Digital Pigs”, the former being on the Schizophrenic Records comp called Defend Hamilton, Eat Shit.

There’s all this information on what comes with the 7”, how limited it is, et cetera, so I won’t go into detail about it. After all, it’s a review on the music, not an exposé on how big of a nerd I am for collecting records.

When you get right down to it, it’s hardcore at its finest and most primal. “Digital Pigs” is an absolute ripper of a track and a helluva way to open the 7”; loud, fast, and angry. I suppose there can be an argument made that it’s the same Left for Dead, as in, it sounds like they never split up and continued to release a steady stream of music. But they’re a lot older now than they were in ‘97, and that aging-like-fine-wine just heightens the sound that the group delivers. The redux of “Standing By” is absolutely incredible and sounds like a live take rather than a recorded version (hint: that’s a good thing). Previously mentioned “1946”, a song about Evelyn Dick, closes side A in brutalizing fashion. Side B is just as memorable, with “Cop Trap” firing off first. The 7” also contains a great cover of The Exploited’s “Rival Leaders”, a song that was most certainly influenced by Discharge. It fits right in with Left for Dead and the style of hardcore they play, whatever you want to call it.

At the end of the day, it’s a new album from a band people were unsure would make new music. It’s angry hardcore that doesn’t mince words and it most certainly doesn’t take the easy way out. With 1 (or Murder Contest 001), Left for Dead pushes themselves to create something that fits in with the rest of their discography. That’s not saying there’s nothing new here, either. There’s little pieces taken from every other band the members are/were involved in and those pieces were put together to create a hardcore album that is, well, blunt and to the point. It’s hardcore at its best; unflinching honesty and a tough-as-nails sound. You know what you’re getting: it’s Left for Dead.

Bill Haff 

Label info: www.a389records.com

 

Editor-in-Chief at Scratch the Surface, Bill Haff is a Philadelphia-based music critic who also contributes for Cvlt Nation, Metal Injection and Ghost Cult. You can follow him on Twitter at @bill_haff

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Just a week before embarking on a new European trek along with Circle Takes the Square and Code Orange Kids, crust-grinders Full of Hell have decided to give away their second LP ‘Rudiments Of Mutilation’ as free download during this week only! From today through next Monday, July 22nd fans can download the entire album via the A389 label Bandcamp right here.

The band also recently released their first official video, created for the track “The Lord Is My Light” by their cohort, director Lukas Hodge; check it out below.

Full Of Hell European Tour with Circle Takes the Square, Code Orange Kids:

7/24/2013 O13 - Tilburg, Netherlands
7/25/2013 Hafenklang - Hamburg, Germany
7/26/2013 Fluff Fest - Rockycany , Czech Republic
7/27/2013 Vlamrock - As, Belgium
7/28/2013 Glazart - Paris, France
7/29/2013 The Haunt - Brighton, England
7/30/2013 Underworld - London, England
7/31/2013 Classic Grand - Glasgow, Scotland
8/01/2013 Star and Garter - Manchester, England
8/02/2013 Star and Garter - Bristol, UK
8/03/2013 New Noise Festival - Karlsruhe, Germany
8/04/2013 JZ Riot - Lichtenstein, Germany
8/05/2013 Aera - Wien, Austria
8/06/2013 Cassiopeia - Berlin, Germany
8/07/2013 AJZ - Bielefeld, Germany
8/08/2013 Underground - Köln, Germany
8/09/2013 Ieperfest - Ieper, Belgium

Photo by Freddie Ross.


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Assembled from former members of Tafkata, Arm and Sword of a Bastard God, California’s Seven Sisters of Sleep are back with their second album, which doesn’t really fit into a specific genre or label. I’d say their strength lies in their ability to combine a large amount of influences and still come out sounding absolutely raucous and grim. You’ll find elements of sludge, metal, punk and hardcore incorporated in “Opium Morals”, which makes it a bit difficult to categorize. But if I must add some sort of description then, try imagining what would happen if the choking abrasion of Buzzoven and EyeHateGod collided with the straight-up intensity of Integrity, and it was up to members of Trap Them and Black Breath to pick up the shattered pieces. Seven Sisters of Sleep don’t sound blatantly like any of the aforementioned artists, but you’ll surely hear some similarities here and there throughout these ten tracks.
Opener “Ghost Plains” starts a with heavy bass intertwined with a squealing feedback, but soon rips into a more frenzied tempo rounded with some savage riffs and menacing growls. Following track “Moths” is easily one of the most engaging songs of the album, containing some downright catchy and sludgy riffing that reminds me of the most infectious moments of Crowbar. “Reaper Christ” is also a favourite of mine and wastes no time in bombarding the listener with thumping drums and heavy, galloping riffs.
Ultimately, while “Opium Morals” is nothing really spectacular, it’s surely a solid and interesting effort that will appeal to fans of all groups mentioned above.  

Band info: www.facebook.com/sevensistersofsleep  
Label info: www.a389records.com

 


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Check out Vilipend’s video for the intense and gritty "Last Stand of the Hopeless Romantic" off their 2012 LP release "Inamorata" on A389 Recordings. Get it here.

Photo by Scott Kinkade
Video directed by Daniel Godwin
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