Music

10 Overlooked Punk/Metal Albums in 2010

by Keith Carman

As each year progresses, more bands seem to germinate than deteriorate. Everyone from your sibling’s toddler to the guy at the local roach coach fry vendor seemingly has a band. At that, with recording techniques pared down to what essentially yields studio-quality albums from the comfort of smartphones, anyone can have an album before playing Show One.

It’s difficult to keep track of what was released during the year and, realistically, it’s not just the average music fan who might miss something. Even us (cough) “professionals” with hundreds of album crossing our inbox/mailbox/eyeballs annually overlook, omit, or can’t keep a handle on every pulse… even if we pretend to.

In light of that, we here at AUX present you with some aural food for thought over the ensuing holidays and as a retrospective of such a great year in heavy music. Think about these acts when you’re hiding out in the basement from despised in-laws but caveat: we’re not talking about the best albums 2010 had to offer.

These are some diamonds-in-the-rough; undiscovered gems that fell so far under the radar, most of us have no clue who these acts are, let alone that they issued some decidedly solid music. The bands featured are in no particular order and far from the be-all, end-all of hard/heavy/extreme music. Still, they’re certainly worthy of more time, spins and column space than the past twelve months provided.

Pasadena Napalm Division – Pasadena Napalm Division (Abyss)

If forgotten, overlooked/unappreciated acts of yesteryear could have a supergroup, Pasadena Napalm Division is it. Comprised of Dirty Rotten Imbeciles vocalist Kurt Brecht and members of progressive thrash/death metallions Dead Horse as well as one dude from Verbal Abuse, they’re simply awesome. Brecht’s distinct vocals brings the band back to a time when D.R.I. was still making new hardcore—and people bought it—while Dead Horse offer beastly arrangements and wicked chugs. The Verbal Abuse guy adds the final touch of full-on crossover, making this eponymous EP simply annihilating. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sacrifice/Propagandhi – Split 7” (War On Music)

Yes, enough people have expressed interest in this split between politi-punks Propagandhi and their (rightful) heroes in thrash metal gurus Sacrifice to sell out of its first pressing of 1,000 copies. Yet is that really enough for two acts who have not only endured ridiculous trials/tribulations in their storied careers and inspired thousands more to take up the cause? Not at all. While Sacrifice’s track “Anthem” isn’t fresh because it’s pulled from the Canuck release of their 2009 effort The Ones I Condemn (Sonic Unyon), it rules. And while Propagandhi would have been cooler if they’d snagged some awesome Canadian band to cover (Razor? VoiVod? Sudden Impact? Hello guys!?!?) they do offer an excellent take on Corrosion Of Conformity’s 1987 track “Technocracy” which befits their manifesto. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

OFF! – The First Four EPs (Vice)

Everyone says they know who OFF! is but how many people have really listened to ’em? Spawned from the ashes of a failed Circle Jerks reunion, the band (former Jerk Keith Morris, Burning Brides’ Dimitri Coats, Redd Kross bassist Steven Shane McDonald and Rocket From The Crypt/Hot Snakes drummer Mario Rubalcaba) not only finds Morris at his angriest/most volatile but captures the essence of his work with former outfit Black Flag all the way from trashy guitars and loose attack to general expedience/ephemeral nature. In fact, it’s not until hearing tracks such as “Panic Attack,” “Black Thoughts,” “Darkness” and “Blast!” that we realize this very essence has been lacking from punk for some 30-odd years. So stop dropping their name for cool points and go listen. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Secret – Solve Et Coagula (Southern Lord)

We all know what an explosion sounds like. Still, we’ve never heard the embittered, blackened death/hardcore version of that same cacophonous experience…as delivered from the souls screaming to get out of Freddy Kruger’s chest and pushed through a thousand distorted speakers. If such a verbose comparison elicits any sort of intrigue, imagine it compounded tenfold with Solve Et Coagula, the tertiary full-length from Italian doom metallers The Secret. Noting that it’s recorded by revered producer Kurt Ballou (Trap Them, Converge) gives one enough of an idea as to how this might be a sonic wallop but even then, the band’s cryptic, disillusioned frustration, chaotic rage and hyperactively acerbic delivery is simply mind-blowing. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Imperial State Electric – Imperial State Electric (Psychout)

Don’t let the name fool you… even though it’s supposed to. While going under such an odd moniker, this fuzzed-out punk rock ‘n’ roll-meets-’50s harmonies bastardized by ’70s area rock is actually just the solo project of former Hellacopters singer/guitarist Nicke Andersson. So, even though his former band disintegrated, they live on through these 12 tracks that continue in the vein of Rock & Roll Is Dead. No, it’s not gonna change the fact that nothing’s been the same since By The Grace Of God but at least those shuffling rhythms, sugary harmonies/melodies and buoyant choruses are like the musical equivalent of your favourite pair of jeans. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Burning Love – Songs For Burning Lovers (Deranged)

People still lament the dissolution of doom/punk purveyors Cursed. They need to get over it. While that band was great, they went out on a high—if you disregard the tour that caused the split, that is. That’s not the point though. What really happened, was that the door was opened for vocalist Chris Colohan to step out of that confining box of a scene and across the hall into detuned punk rock ‘n’ roll, a genre with just as whopping-large balls but a more lecherous attitude and pelvic grind. Embraced by fellow sick-of-their-scene genre monsters Our Father, the past three years have seen them honing their attack resulting in Songs For Burning Lovers, a shit-hot disc only Turbonegro themselves could have surpassed in gritty drive and primal malice. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Warvictims – Domedagen (Crimes Against Humanity)

With its saunas, over-sexualization, IKEA and other cliches, Sweden seems like such a nice country. Then you hear a band like D-beat assailants Warvictims blast out something Discharge themselves would step back and have to pause for in order to fully ingest. Beg for mercy, it’ll do you no effing good when this trio (yes, there’s only three of the fuckers hammering out such bombast) gets started. Nothing less than viciously relentless, this borderline-Napalm Death blitz takes 14 tracks, hammers through them in a grandiose 22 minutes and still fires out enough riffs, vocal grunting and kick-ass drum beats to make you wanna A) hear it again and B) break lots of stuff. Good think IKEA furniture is so cheap. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

No Friends – Traditional Failures (Kiss Of Death)

The singer from thrash upstarts Municipal Waste fronting what is essentially New Mexican Disaster Squad? It’s a virtually the perfect mix of metal-tinged hardcore that explodes with tenacity yet still keeps things under wraps just enough to feel melodic, cohesive and energized. Yet still, barely anyone knows who the fuck they are…and the albums was free! What’s wrong with us? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rusted Dawn – The Black Tides Of War (Diminished Fifth)

Shitty cold, endless rain, rocky terrain and more snow than the polar ice caps seem to have these days? Canada’s East Coast seems like the perfect breeding ground for berserk metal. Mission accomplished with New Brunswick beasts Rusted Dawn and this full-length debut. Abusing years of throwing back too many drugs, thrash classics like Testament’s The New Order, Nuclear Assault’s Handle With Care and the obligatory guttural drive of Motörhead for a nice touch of the same D-beat Warvictims subscribe to—with far bleaker and chug-heavy results, mind you—this album is like swallowing a fistful of razorblades, washing it down with a fifth of whiskey and getting into a fistfight. While that doesn’t sound too enticing, it’s actually pretty fuckin’ metal. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Immolate – Ruminate (Impedance)

Canadian metal fans ape on and on about how great mid-1990s acts such as Shallow, North Dakota and Kittens were. While they’re entirely right, they’re also morons for not looking around to find something with the same degree of instinctually ravenous attack, terminal velocity offset with guttural riffs and just enough Black Sabbath to make it all feel greasily bluesy. Such is the case with these Aussie goons however on latest effort Ruminate, an album that not only engulfs itself in the former but also elicits connotation to such brilliance as The Melvins, The Jesus Lizard, Mclusky and those other genre-pushing bands that you adore because can never really grip how insane/genius they actually are. Gritty Fu Manchu stoner? Check. Occasional (and admittedly weird) Nirvana nods? Yup. More low-end than a Weight Watcher’s convention? Natch. Worth your time? Damn right.