The long awaited debut LP from NYC’s FLOWER “Hardly A Dream” is finally set to arrive.
FLOWER’s tedious approach to writing/creating/drawing their debut LP was carefully thought out and the result is a monumental anarcho punk /crust record.
“Hardly A Dream” Takes us on a bleak journey through the dark side of society. As soon as you drop the needle a dark atmosphere is immediately created with a slow intro featuring arpeggio guitar work that builds into pummeling d-beat crust. The albums vocals then leave you with a feeling of being crushed by the ever-present weight of living through our modern world of late stage capitalism that was built on the falsehoods of the so called American dream, religious hypocrisy’s, nationalism, and the greed of humankind.
FLOWER take many cues from predecessors and are most often (and rightfully so) compared to NAUSEA but they also take a heavy influence from ANTISECT, SACRILEGE & other greats. The artwork has a very RUDIMENTARY PENI feel and the record comes with an amazing 24.5 X 34.75 CRASS style poster jacket. All art work was meticulously hand drawn and overseen by the guitarist Willow in true DIY style and spirit. Willow was also cool enough to draw up a special shirt for the record release featuring an alternative PROFANE EXISTENCE backprint!
CLICK HERE TO PRE ORDER LP WITH SHIRT
CLICK HERE TO PREVIEW THE ALBUM IN ITS ENTIRETY AT THE PROFANE EXISTENCE BANDCAMP
FLOWER will be on tour from January 2nd to the 13th
2nd New Brunswick
3rd Asheville
4th Greenville
5th Birmingham
6th New Orleans
7th Hattiesburg
9th Gainesville
10th Atlanta
11th Durham
12th Richmond
13th Philadelphia
PO BOX 7903 PITTSBURGH PA 15216
This begins in darkness and gradually gets darker and darker. Fucking ‘grim’ isn’t the word. This Macedonian-based crust-influenced band confront theses somber elements with bare-knuckled ferocity. The opening track ‘As dawn turns black’ to draw comparisons is at times reminiscent of Tragedy. The second song ‘Downfall’ is more unconventional in it’s sound. It is the complex detours in this that keeps the sound fresh and your foot tapping. Lyrically here they talk of their general disgust and repulsion towards the cataclysmic decline in humanities compassion. 
When putting on this record, I did like most and started flicking through the lyrics. Born For Slaughter from Skopje/Struga (Macedonia) are poetic and reflective in their views of the world. With that they also have great contrast and variance in their sound. Going since 2011 they have done two European tours, a split LP with Silence Means Death and now this superb split 7′ with Myteri. On this, they open with the song “Prison’s Abyss” which is a complex song consisting of many different and connected changes. There is a twitchiness, perhaps a dark unease that resonates from every note. Their next song “Dead Life” is threatening and has an unrelenting tension that is just ready to burst. But still multiplex in it’s arrangement. You could label them crust, as clearly that is there. But there is so much going on musically it makes them very authentic and not just doing the excepted conventional. 
There are a few punk, death metal and thrash bands called Warpath. This is the crusty punk influenced Warpath based in Milan, Italy. After the breakup of the bands Land of Devastation, Trauma, Attacco alle Menti and Disprogress some ex-members started Warpath who have played noisily in the squat community of Milan since 2009 with various lineups. Since then they have delivered a sound of an industrial city, fused by Doom, Hiatus and crusty DIY squat punk. With dual vocals, Marta and Martina deliver, one a guttural growl and the other the higher vocal. When I say higher vocal, I mean it is like the vocal chords are ready to rip. Before I say another thing about the band it has to be said chunky thick vinyl wins hands down for me. It will always mean that ‘Oblio’ will last years of multitude plays. 
Wow there sure were a lot of labels involved in releasing this record. I’ll list them at the end of the review, with links if possible. Gomora open this album with an almost Amebix ambience, perhaps ambience is the wrong word. A very eerie mood, where you feel like your walking on a gloomy moorland in a fog. However this doesn’t last long and any comparison to Amebix stops here. As it really kicks off big time, like a bar room brawl . The guitars go berserk and everything else goes completely hyperactive. The hoarse feral rasping of the singer Havran is dragging you scared through EU streets controlled by corporate greed, surveillance and misinformation.
Belgium’s Marginal have that technical type of riffing that Napalm Death has mixed, with at times the growls akin to Extreme Noise Terror. In saying that I don’t mean to throw them into some sort of cliched bag. Far from it, there is plenty of variation. They are as a band very musically sophisticated, the degree of complexity on tracks like ‘The Hunt” and other tracks like “Indoctrination” have much more of a fast grind style about them. “More violence” almost has that “Breed to Breathe” era Napalm Death type of feel to it, a real technical sound. Other times there is an almost Sepultura feel about them. “Sign of the times”, builds and climbs like anger which is about to burst. Then “Stop the bullshit”, has a real fist pumping hardcore chant chorus. There is change and difference in each song, giving it diversity. I think the drawings on the cover of a spiky haired skull punk and another one on a motorbike are a bit misleading. As well as the title of the LP might lead you to believe it is a D-beat punk type of sound. Marginal show a lot if difference in their sound, all very much in the death crust vein of course. Powerful stuff for fans of Entombed, Napalm Death and ENT.
After seeing the cover of this EP, I knew I had to check it out. The cover is similar to perhaps something like Mark Riddick would draw, but with more of a crusty viking vein about it. It was illustrated by Mike Roberts of Portland’s death crust band Vastation. Speaking of which everyone should get to hear their version of Nausea’s ‘Godless’, as covers go it reigns supreme. That is getting off the point a bit. This Dissidence EP starts off with slow heavily distorted riffs with the singer getting the band ready for the charge. This is the prelude for what is to come, it turns very quickly to black metal speed and then turns around again to the opening riffs with a spoken voice, showing the anarcho-punk roots to their sound. It is a raw sound with very guttural, almost animal-like vocals which evoke the ecological apocalyptic bloodied look at the world they write about. Images of a decaying body praying for death, while around them buildings crumble. Perhaps with Trump in power it might not be too off the truth yet. I do like the contrast when the spoken parts come in, like in the title track and on the last song “Comfortable Denial”. It gives almost a sense of purpose rather than just playing heavy music. Or as they describe their music, politically charged. The vocals on the opening of “Comfortable Denial” is like the singer is inhaling or exhaling industrial waste, it is very powerful. The sound of the imminent end of times.
Profane Existence 