Even as a statuette the idea of an iron-ized Ronald Reagan is fucking terrifying. Lewis Black was one who shared similar sentiments when he (jokingly) suggested America freak out other countries by voting for someone who is dead. And that dead person was the Alzheimer’s champ, former President Reagan. And while Reagan may be dead, super group Iron Reagan is very much reigning.

Those that somehow missed last year's blessed Worse Than Dead debut on A389 Records have some catching up to do. Iron Reagan is a cross over thrash/hardcore-punk band featuring vocalist Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste, No Friends), drummer Ryan Parrish (ex-Darkest Hour), Landphil Hall (Cannabis Corpse and Municipal Waste) and Mark Bronzino (ANS) on guitars, and Rob Skotis (Hellbear) on bass. It's a who's who of metal and hardcore thrown into a blender. Their second album The Tyranny of Will is a continuation of ragers and bangers that you've come to expect.

Production on The Tyranny of Will has gotten a lot tighter in the short span of a year. Though Iron Reagan has moved on to Relapse Records, their approach hasn't changed a bit. Songs come in short spurts, shredding and thrashing monstrously. Songs are thoroughly soaked in whiskey and the whole package might just be enough to make you break out in a sweat there's so much rage packed into each punch.

Songs are more distinguishable this time around too. Worse Than Dead was a great album but it wasn't without a blender effect. The album moved so fast that it was almost stumbling over itself. The Tyranny of Will his just the right marks with its balancing act of hardcore-punk and thrash metal. Pieces like the four minute finale “Four More Years” doesn't go out at lightning speed, instead slowing down for an anthem chant of “Four more years! Four more years!” sending the album out much the way it came in. Frothing but groovy.

Other tracks like “You're Kid's an Asshole” or “Glocking Out” are straight-up get-to-the-point tracks that flash by. Yet other tracks like “Miserable Failure” or “I Won't Go” are the perfect balancing, showcasing Iron Reagan in its finest hours. Flailing shredding with and storming energy that practically summon circle pits upon command.

Overall, The Tyranny of Will is a more distinguished album and an absolute blast to listen to. It kills on every level and leaves no room for boredom. Not once. There's tongue-in-cheek humor galore and plenty of social commentary in the lyrics. What's more, I can't find a single thing wrong with this album. Iron Reagan plays some of the best cross-over music you're likely to ever hear. It doesn't even manage to hit a generic note. Much like All Pigs Must Die are the modern d-beat kings, Iron Reagan are the hardcore-punk/thrash blast from the past that the scene needs; absolutely one of the best bands today. And The Tyranny of Will is one of the best albums you'll hear this year in metal, hardcore-punk or any other genre.

Christopher Luedtke

Band info: www.facebook.com/IRONREAGAN
Label info: www.relapse.com

Chris is a film reviewer for Examiner.com (good luck finding his work there) and journalist for Metal Injection (better luck finding his work there). In his spare time he video blogs and promises a second installment of the Guilty Gear Retrospective on YouTube under theOfficialChris. He also writes novels, applies for jobs, attempts to write music, eats cheap food, drinks lots of coffee, enjoys opera, worships grind, and works. He can be found posting songs and bitching about the awful V/H/S film franchise on Twitter: @CoffeeCupReview.

Read More »

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

Read More »

I found about Better Not Born when Southern Lord Records tweeted about them, picking the Finns as the band of the day a few weeks ago. If Southern Lord vouches for them, they must be good right? Absolutely so, these fellows have studied the best crust/hardcore discs Southern Lord have released so far with profound dedication and use that knowledge to weave some nasty and impressively ruthless songs. 'Horde of Sheep' demonstrates their intensity, combining the fury of hardcore and the dirtiness of crust with the heaviness of metal, kicking some serious ass like Tragedy or Trap Them. 'Inner Void' the other BNB track from this split 7” with fellow countrymen Cause a Riot kicks in similar fashion, tossing out some fierce and raw grind-punk riffs that provide the ideal accompaniment to Sampo’s caustic screams. With any luck, Southern Lord will snatch these guys for their rooster and I’m sure that whatever they will do next, it won’t surely disappoint anyone who has enjoyed the latest works from Baptists and Nails.
Cause a Riot are more punk-driven and don’t impress as much as Better Not Born, but sound fairly competent, unleashing two blasts of punk-hardcore that don’t sound too far removed from the anarchic sounds of acts like Poison Idea and Anti Cimex, albeit with a better, more modern production. They attack their songs with fierce intensity, focusing on delivering punishing rhythms and straightforward, crunchy riffs that sound religiously faithful to the genre’s most emblematic precursors. Definitely, they’re a band worth keeping an eye on in the future as well.

Band info: http://betternotborn.bandcamp.com | http://causeariot.bandcamp.com

Read More »

I’m pretty sure that you’ve read numerous raves about “Meir” already and perhaps there’s nothing left to say about Kvelertak’s sophomore record. However, I’m still inclined to write a few words about it and state, or better yet, restate that it is a killer album. But, just before I justify why this is a killer record, let me just say that “Meir” is essentially a big middle finger to anyone that wrote them off a one-trick pony or anyone that thought they would tame down their wild and potent sound just because they now belong to a big-sized label like Roadrunner. This is a band doing what the fuck they want and doing fucking well.
That said, “Meir” sees Kvelertak sticking to the same formula that made their self-titled debut album such a joyous ode to the power of the riff and I doubt someone will blame them for that. Yep, the formula remains the same, a Molotov cocktail blending incendiary styles like garage-rock, punk-hardcore and black-metal, but now it seems to be more refined and cohesive than before, but no less potent or authentic. “Meir” is infectious from start to finish, filled with killer riffs and magnificent sing-along choruses (it’s Norwegian I know, but we can always hum). Numbers like “Bruane Brenn” and “Evig Vandrar”, in particular, showcase the band’s knack for writing ultra-catchy, hard-driving punk-rock tunes with just enough grime to mess with your entrails.
As I said on the first paragraph, it’s a killer record. 

Band info: www.facebook.com/Kvelertak
Label info: www.roadrunnerrecords.com

Read More »

If you haven’t heard of Man the Machetes yet, you’re committing a big flaw. Not only they’re one of the most promising bands from Norway nowadays, but they’ve also released a smashing first album entitled “Idiokrati”.
We approached vocalist Christopher Iversen to find out more about the Man The Machetes and why they’re often tagged Kvelertak younger brothers.

A surprising concoction of early punk, rock ‘n’ roll, hardcore and metal, Man the Machetes’ debut full length album “Idiokrati” is loud and angry yet mesmerising and catchy. It seems that you guys come from different backgrounds or at least have some divergent tastes in music. How did you come around to bring all these influences into your music?

We thanketh thee for such generous words - much appreciated! You're spot on about us having some slightly different tastes in music. To be frank, you'll find fans of everything from Rihanna to Gorgoroth among the members in MTM - a feat we feel shines through in our music. However, I guess we were brought together by a common passion for the hard and aggressive, yet melodic soundscape. We basically write and play music which feels natural to us, both as individuals and as a band.

There has been a lot of positive feedback on this album, yet I noticed Man the Machetes often gets lumped in with Kvelertak, a band whose sound also encompasses a wide range of divergent styles. Does it bother you when people say you sound similar to them or do you find that flattering?

Haha, no, not at all! We saw it coming to be honest, you know, since we're playing aggressive tunes with Norwegian vocals and everything. Everyone in Man the Machetes likes Kvelertak's music, so we find it kind of flattering to be compared to them.

The album was record in Toronto, Canada during four weeks with producer Eric Ratz, who has previously worked with bands like Billy Talent, Cancer Bats and Comeback Kid. Was it easier for you guys to record way from home and the usual distractions from your everyday life?

Definitely! Tracking demos in your local studio is one thing, but being away from home for a long period of time for the sole purpose of recording an album is something completely different. You become part of a setting which gives you drive and focus when approaching your music, a setting where you are isolated together with your tunes and the occasional cup of coffee for weeks. And food of course. :) Physical and mental distractions disappear, and you're able to pour that extra amount energy into what's happening here and now.

There’s a lot of energy in your album and a lot of the songs have this live vibe with some engaging and catchy guitar riffs. Would you say that energy was there when you were writing the songs, or did that come in the studio?

Thanks - that's one of the things we're aiming for. The energy tends to build up gradually when we start writing a new song, and if it doesn't cumulate with us being stoked like crazed monkeys when the song is finished, we pick it apart and rewrite it. One of our goals is to write music which gives us goosebumps, regardless if it's the 1th or 1000th playthrough, and that requires some revisions from time to another. The energy was definitely maintained during our stay at Vespa Studios, with Ratz being charismatic and everything, and listening to the songs as they were put together gave us a boost we hadn't experienced before.

I’ve read in recent study that Norway is the happiest place to live in the whole world and that Norwegians are quite satisfied with their standards of living. So where exactly do you get the fuel to churn out such an angry and energetic sound?

In a society which has everything needed to maintain a good lifestyle for most of its citizens, you'll find many elements which tend to lean towards the superficial and the egocentric. I thinks it's safe to say that this isn't a problem for Norway only, but rather a global problem which evolves around industrialized and rich countries where people have all their basic needs fulfilled. This breeds, among other unwanted things, a "dumbing down" of people.

What is the meaning behind the title of the disc, “Idiokrati”? What inspires the lyrical themes the most?

We chose the title Idiokrati (Idiocracy) because we felt that it reflected or summed up the lyrical themes of the songs in a good way. The lyrics are inspired by topics like: anti-social behaviour, polarization of mass media, violence, religion, individualism etc.

What's next for Man the Machetes?

Gigs, gigs and...gigs. :) 

More info at: www.manthemachetes.com
Read More »

The press release states that crust-punkers Krömosom motto is: noisier, nastier and rawer. 
And indeed it will be rather hard to find a filthier and rawer record out there than “Live Forever”. But damn, that is so rude and abrasive that it reminds me of a band that I had in my teens, whose main goal was to simply annoy the neighbors with the noisiest, loudest and most corrosive shit that we could make. Some of these songs will make your ears bleed, as if someone was sticking rusty nails in your eardrums.
“Live Forever” is actually a compilation of songs already available in several splits and 12” LPs and it’s perfectly clear that this was from more than one session. While some songs exhibit some decent production work, at least for d-beat/punk standards, others sound as if they had been recorded in most disgusting toilet on Australia, where this bunch comes from. 
If you dig your punk/crust harsh and raw as Anti-Cimex and Discharge circa 81, then snatch “Live Forever” ´cause Krömosom are exactly for you. If you don’t, you probably stopped reading after the first paragraph. (6.8)

Band info: www.facebook.com/kromosom

Label info: www.southernlord.com

Read More »