There has been great albums out this year from Thisclose, Black September, Cross Stitched Eyes, Countdown To Armageddon, Hooded Menace, Neurosis and the list goes on. But this is a count down of the crust ones, so I won’t be including them, even though all great releases. And of course there has been great crust albums this year too by Slang, Nuclear Death Terror, Oiltanker, Martyrdöd, Wolfbrigade and Acephalix. So this has been a very tough list to compile as I like all aforementioned bands.
Number One: Putrefaction ‘Blood Cult’
(review 15 May 2012)
The debut LP by Ireland’s Putrefaction is a heavy dose of dark metallic crusty riffs skewered together by visions of concentration camps, putrefied bodies, cities consumed by filth, corruption and disease. The opening track ‘Scourge’ leads us in, with distorted feedback slowly fading and declining into a heavy bass tone atmospheric riff. This as all fans of heavy music know is the revving up and things after this are going to go pretty fucking awry. Much like being handcuffed to a car that’s about to explode. There’s the riff change, a low-pitched roar and yes, balls to the fucking wall, things have gone very awry!
Their firestorm spews bile and cerebral vitriol all over the systematic teachings in society. The blaze has a heavy almost tribalistic beat, filthy guitar riffs and finishes with great heavy bass runs.
The lyrics deal with the power of the Catholic Church in Irish schooling, hospitals and prisons, Treblinka Death camp, the concentration camps of the Bosnian war etc. I think music like this, needs lyrics like these as it gives it that extra slap on the back of the head. Just take a listen to the track ‘Drown Them In Their Wine’. ‘Blood Cult’ I’d say will be in a lot of folks favourite crust album of 2012.
Distro-y Records – Phobia Records – Underground Movement – Ratbone Records
Number Two: War Master – Pyramid of the Necropolis
OK this was released in 2011, but it was right at the arse end of 2011 in mid December, so it had to go into 2012’s top six as most folks hadn’t heard it until 2012 anyway. I was also debating on including Agnosy’s ‘Past the Point of No Return’ in this too, as that too was released at the very end of 2011, but it was November 2011, so I couldn’t really include it in 2012.
So after two demos and a 7″ single War Master from Texas deliver a mighty first full length LP. Real heavy mid paced doomy death metal with filthy riffs patterning throughout the tracks. Epic intros grinding into Bolt Thrower war-like cyclic rhythms. An obvious reference, with even the band’s name being named after Bolt Thrower’s third album. But this band have very much their own defining sound too, which is very filthy monolithic death metal.
The necropocalyptic cover art is again done by vocalist Daniel Shaw who has previously done covers for Insect Warfare, Stormcrow, Coffins, Hirax and Municipal Waste. I’m sure some will be annoyed that I’m including Warmaster in a top 6 crust albums for 2012, since they play death metal. But fans of crusty old school death metal will love this.
Death Metal. Bolt Thrower worship. Released a demo tape called “Chapel of the Apocalypse” (2009) on Torture Garden Picture Company.
Number three – Reality Crisis: Not Bound By The Past, We Live In The Present
My first introduction to Japanese band Reality Crisis was from the footage of them on ” All Crusties Spending Loud Night” DVD. To me they really have that energy of early Extreme Noise Terror. I have played their album ‘Discharge Your Frustration’ ten zillion fucking times. They are real fast intense crust punk, with an emphasis on the word ‘punk’. They have the archetypal dual vocals, raging riffs and thrive on chaos.
This release is of of re-recordings of older tracks from the band’s various deleted ep’s like ‘Who Is Your Messiah?’ (2004), ‘Open The Door And Into The New Chaotic World’ (2005) and compilation tracks from ‘Nagoya City Hardcore’ (2009). But all completely re-recorded and re-mastered by the band’s current line up on a vinyl lp. And released as ever by the mighty Prank Records in the US and MCR Company in Japan.
Number Four: Night Nurse – From the Womb to the Tomb
Portlands Night Nurse has members of Hellshock, Fall of the Bastards, Splatterhouse, Blood Freak etc So at this stage are masters at playing a bone-crunching tune. Their debut, a self released cassette demo has seven songs with real low somber riffs that Bolt Thrower would be proud of. Then at times are reminiscent of ‘Behind The Realms Of Madness’ era of Sacrilege on songs like ‘Don’t Uphold Their Law’ but with more of a heavier/agressive edge. But this isn’t some sort of fucking homage to the eighties, it is very much here and now. There is of course a real clear punk heritage with the music but it contrasts nicely with elements of Death Metal/Bolt Thrower style riffs. I love the massively heavy detuned riffs which evoke bleak apocalyptic landscapes which then transcends into real intense Discharged fused punk where the crashing of cymbals doesn’t stop.
After a West Coast tour of the US in August and September the band are currently writing a full length album.
BBR Photography Night Nurse @ Distort Vancouver VIII 2012
Number Five: Nailbiter –The Bait (mini lp)
I traded years back with the label Hardcore Holocaust Records. When looking through the list I randomly picked the Nailbiter album ‘Abused’ along with some other releases. When I got the trades back in the post I spotted this unusual album cover for a crusty punk band. No black and white skulls and bullets, but a full color sword and sorcery style fantasy painting of a naked woman above a demons mouth by Boris Vallejo. Now this album cover could be a bit misleading, bands like Helloween have album covers like this, not crusty squatters in London. But fucking hell what an album it is and still a favourite. But the band came to an abrupt end when the drummer was deported back to Brazil from London.
So roll on years later and the band get back together in 2011 to record in Belgium and tour Europe. With the UK excluded from the tour due to the drummer’s status, ridiculous isn’t it. The album was then mixed and mastered and gave us the 2012 release of ‘The Bait’ on La Vida Es Un Mus Records. How best to describe Nailbiter is that real fucking dirty crusty squatter punk sound that bands like Coitus or Guided Cradle do so well. And that in turn would have been influenced by bands like Anti Cimex, Death Side, Discharge etc. Bleak and nihilistic as fuck this is a great overlooked band.
Number Six: Oütlaw Bästards – Hell Bearers
Raging filthy sounding guitars with reverb cranked amplifiers and gruff Lemmy style vocals. Song titles like ‘Outlaw City Bastards’ and ‘Cerdo Servil’ (Servile Pig) this band are serious motörcharged crusty Käng punk. Since 2008 Oütlaw Bästards from Tijuana have blasted out two other recordings, with one released as a demo in 2009. They released ‘Hell Bearers’ in September of 2012 on Taimado Records. With the first hundred copies coming with a limited edition black vegan leather jacket sleeve.
I just wish I spoke Spanish when listening to songs like ‘Camino a la perdicion’, just to shout along. There is always a place in most peoples music collections for misanthropy-fueled rock ‘n’ roll. This kind is pleather, puke, and studs! Definitely the kind of record on a playlist of Motörhead, Wolfbrigade and Inepsy. Greasy, rowdy and undiminished intensity, this is an essential album to have from 2012.
Top photo Janer, Putrefaction @ Filthfest II 2012
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