While not a frequent listener of D-beat or crust, Kromosom have broken that trend and will undoubtedly frequent my listening devices from this point moving forward. This Melbourne outfit boasts a sound that reeks of the unclean purity that punk demands, fifteen tracks of the festering underbelly of society smothered in distortion. “Live Forever” compiles their vinyl-exclusive material in one skin-grating release, including their self-titled 12″, their contributions to their split with Isterismo and “Paranoid” 7″. These selections culminate into one shattering release featuring nothing but the most repulsive punk. Consider yourself pleased already.

The ferocity here is palpable: this record wants to spit in your face, break in your teeth and put a cigarette out on you for the shit of it. Splendidly lo-fi, Kromosom have no qualms shifting the inaudibility to noxious levels. Of note here is the megaton “Fallout,” a gun-metal flourish that stands out as one of the best offerings on this compilation. As style goes, Kromosom’s is by-the-numbers, but executed with such raw bravado that it is not even noticeable. “Live Forever” is a culminated love letter by punk adherents, signed in illegible, nosebleed red. All the rage and all the fun, this inspired violence is consistent throughout. No breaks, with pleasure. “Living Dead” is sleek but rusted, a war cry carried on bloody knuckled riffs that strike with unapologetic speed. Southern Lord, expanding on their now rather eclectic roster, were even more the wise selecting Kromosom for extraction. “Live Forever” is worth every unpleasant second it slams into you. Effervescent, ravenous and unabashedly classic, Kromosom’s discography is a gratefully accepted marvelous, pungent bouquet of “fuck yous.”

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NAILS fucking destroyed Brooklyn last week and their audio onslaught was captured by Pit Full of Shit! The band were on top of their game, and now you can see why Abandon All Life is such an off the meat rack record! NUFF SAID!

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Here is a huge anger riff pointed at the throat of corruption: MASAKARI live at the Acheron in Brooklyn this past weekend. We totally dig everything this band stands for, and we will always wave their flag of rage high! Live, their music takes on a whole different shape of fury that makes you pay attention even more closely. So check out this full MASAKARI set captured by our comrade Pit Full of Shit…Damn I can’t wait until their new album comes out…hint hint…

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Someone just threw me down a sonic pit of aggressive rage and I’m surrounded by caustic angular riffs! Actually I’m blasting the new HESSIAN album entitled Manegarmr that is coming out via Southern Lord on April 30th. Today CVLT Nation is super excited to offer our readers a chance to download and listen to a stream of HESSIAN’s howling track “Mourn The World Of Man” below!

All Systems Go! together with MetalSucks and Lukinzine presents this free compilation with the aim to support bands we like and spread good music. At the same time we want to offer a great (and free) product for fans of more extreme music to enjoy and share. Hopefully people will discover and re-discover great music, bands and labels!

Good Shit Vol. 1
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Gothenburg’s AGE OF WOE are back, and trust me, by the sounds of their new music they are not fucking around! Their new album is entitled INHUMANFORM and will be released via Suicide Records/Give Praise Records on May 30th. CVLT Nation salutes AGE OF WOE for giving us the opportunity to stream their new track “At First Light,” plus premiere the video of the same name. This band made sure to inject their already caustic sound with more aggression pointed at the corrupt forces that want to oppress us all. AGE OF WOE’s new song is a rager – if you don’t believe me, press play below and let the fury begin…

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Okay, so over the past few years there has been some really fucking good death metal coming out of the US and I gotta say it’s pretty goddamn cool to say the least and CLERIC (feat. members of Kill The Client, Tyrannosorceress and Baring Teeth) is no exception to this. I’m an absolute sucker for some dirty, mean, fist pumping, heavy-as-shit sounding Old School Swedish Death Metal reminiscent stuff. Seriously, for me personally this is some of the best modern Death Metal from the US to grace my ears alongside the likes of ACEPHALIX, MORTUOUS, NECROT, VASTUM, DISMA, FUNEBRARUM and many more. Now.. these three tracks they have up on their bandcamp page seem to be coming out on their forthcoming album entitled “Gratum Inferno” so don’t think this is all you’ll be getting. You’ll just have to wait a while until the whole thing comes out (release date uncertain it seems).

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This is one huge boom that is about to go off in your ear! A389 Recordings have just released their annual free mixtape with 40 tracks of throat-ripping tunes! This sonic war call is streaming below and can be downloaded HERE! CVLT Nation salutes A389 Recordings on a great year, and there is more to come!

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It’s almost preposterous say in the first sentence of a review, but Unru have created perhaps one of my favorite releases of the year and it’s a demo. Unru hail from Germany and, like many bands of the more contemporary blackened crust movement, only reveal themselves through veiled mystique and runes. But image aside, let’s talk about the powerhouse that is DEMO MMXIII.

The demo itself brings with it all of the gritty qualities one would expect to be associated with a demo: low production, cymbals crashing and creating waves of non-sound, guitars that are seemingly lost in the mix, however none of this is a slight against Unru in the least bit and if anything, it really drives the point home. Four interlude tracks I-V serve as moments of atmosphere for the album, giving the listener breaks in-between the absolute onslaught that is DEMO MMXIII. I think what strikes me the most about Unru is the ridiculous vocal sound because I’ve never quite heard anything like it; the vocalist creates something so animalistic and sinister that it’s actually quite exciting to hear from track to track. Similarly, I felt as though the drums throughout most of the tracks held a particular antagonistic relationship with the guitar, much to each instrument’s benefit.

Throughout the album, it becomes evident that Unru have a single idea in mind and execute it to the best of the ability. Unru avoid some of the more typical conventions of blackened crust (or d-beat) such as alluring listeners with enigmatic aesthetic and instead give them exactly what they’ve been looking for without the bullshit. Tracks such as “Es schiebt sich zwischen uns, wie Schatten” and “Ich bin der Hexenmeister” showcase their ability to avoid cliche in lieu of a distinctly primitive, chaotic burst of music.

Pick up what is one of my favorite demo releases of the year right here.

Southern California’s Stoic Violence fly off the handle with their Self Titled 12” delivering eight tracks of straight forward angry punk rock.

Sounding like they took a time machine from 1981 Stoic Violence spew their motorcycle jackets and doc marten brand of hardcore in your face drawing on guitar riffs and drum beats from the time when punk was transitioning into the heavier and angrier forms of hardcore and d-beat. They manage to keep the catchy, simple, infectious song structures and hooks of early punk but bring in the angry and destructive tendencies that followed. The perfect soundtrack for a skate video this 12” clocks in under 10 minutes with songs all being around a minute long. The vocals screech with angry over the buzzing guitars and blasting drums as they blow through track after track.

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