Torch(e)ing It All, Relapsing, Restarting

The list of musical acts that I have missed seeing because I wasn't in Australia at the time is an understandably small yet strangely bizarre one. Acts that I should have seen a number of times in the UK and Europe have inexplicably passed me by. While my greatest miss - Neil Young in 2009 - has been rectified a few times now, I am yet to catch the likes of Iceage (although friends often tell me I'm not missing much), Sleep and Sunn O))). I can now add Torche to this list after they tore up the continent last October. At least I can console myself in the knowledge that their upcoming album, Restarter, comes out next month and is already gearing up to be a huge one. The pulverizing riffs that open up new single 'Annihilation Affair' are terrifying in the power that rises in the chest when it hits you - it's "listening to Part Chimp for the first time and involuntarily relaxing all sphincters of your body" good. And like Part Chimp (and Helms Alee for that matter), these Miami veterans have always treated their masterful take on destruction as being hilarious as much as apocalyptic, which makes it all the more an orgiastic epiphany when the titanic tides burst the banks and blow you away in the last moments. Restarter is Torche's first album on Relapse, and has been mixed by Converge's Kurt Ballou too. Grin plastered, ears blasted - all boxes have been firmly checked.

Pre-order Restarter here - plenty of excellent vinyl options too, including green/purple merge, black with etching, a picture disc, and glow in the fucking dark.

This Austerity Program Is Calculated Brilliance

I don't remember exactly the moment I "discovered" New York noisy duo The Austerity Program - but it was probably around the time I was heavily into listening to Hydra Head records and in particular Helms Alee's Night Terror. if you haven't listened to TAP's seminal 2010 EP Backsliders & Apostates Must Burn, do yourself a favour and DO IT RIGHT NOW. Don't even read the rest of this post. Just do that - NOW (and if you live in Brisbane, there is definitely a copy of it in Tym Guitars - I put it on the shelf especially yesterday).


It's taken a bunch of years for these warped brothers in nascent narcissism and devilish grins to bring us a new release. They scurried from the embers of Hydra Head Records and formed their own label, Controlled Burn (along with fellow brothers Nonagon, whose own The Last Hydronaut LP was their first release - and we fucking loved it). But we FINALLY have Beyond Calculation - and it's everything I hoped for and more. With one guitar, one bass, one vocal and one pissed off drum machine (how else can it cope with such brutality? The machines seethe too...), this band flays the outliers of society, laying their situations bare and brandishes the remains with maniacal glee, jamming it down the throats of sympathisers and non-believers both.


Steve Albini's abrasive outfits will come to mind here, but there is something more inherently comical, garish and nightmarish about Beyond Calculation that he and his hoary brethren could never broach. Yes, each song is calibrated and refined to such a brutal dexterous distillation that they cut through the thickest of red tape and indifferent hides; yes, the impassioned cynical howl of Justin Foley turns from playful to destructive in a heartbeat (or heart attack). They can be tightly coiled mechanical beasts of burden; lumbering colossi of brutal metal dirge; intricate triangulations of technique, wit and excess. Overall, though, The Austerity Program is shining the magnifying glass on the 21st century with furious intent - and in most cases, the insects under scrutiny is us.

Pick up Beyond Calculation here - it's a must.

Vale Hydra Head

Sometimes it's incredibly hard to wake up in the morning. At others you wish you hadn't. Today is the latter, because although I have so much work on, plus covering Big Sound Live tonight (more on that later), I felt pretty good about getting up early to have a long shower - until I cranked on the computer and found the following message from Aaron Turner, founder of Hydra Head Records.

"Hydra Head Records has never been a smooth-running operation. We've spent the majority of our existence excitedly scrambling from one thing to the next, taking on more than we could ever possibly hope to achieve, and never quite finding solid footing in the midst of our self-induced whirlwind of chaos. Though not every second of doing this label has been enjoyable, it has been a very rewarding and meaningful project for me, and I hope for many of the other lives to which it has been directly connected. The fact that it has lasted close to two decades at this point is astonishing, and much has changed during that time - the lives of those directly involved with running the label, the bands and artists we've worked with, and the nature of the music industry itself. Though many of these changes have been positive, or at least illuminating, the impact of our history and current industry circumstances are culminating into a slow and somewhat painful death for the label. It certainly isn't an entirely unforeseen event, but we didn't think it would come quite so abruptly, or (perhaps naively) ever.

The decision to pull the plug has not been an easy one, and in some ways is a not a choice at all. The simple fact of the matter is we've been running on empty for a while now and cannot afford to keep our doors open for much longer. Years of imbalance between creative ideals and financial realities, personal problems amongst the label operators, an unwillingness to compromise our aesthetic standards, a tendency towards releasing challenging (i.e. unmarketable) artists, and the steady decline of the music industry in general, are amongst the chief reasons for our inability to continue. It is a harsh but undeniable reality, and one which we are attempting to confront with as much integrity and grace as is afforded by the circumstances.

For the short term we will continue to operate as we have been, effecting our first step into shutdown this December, at which point we are cutting off new releases from the label. Thereafter, we will be remain operational only in the interest of maintaining our back catalog, with the ultimate aim of repaying our rather sizable debts. Grim though this prospect is, in the midst of it all I still feel an extreme gratitude for everything that has happened and for all the wonderful people with which we've been involved over the years. We've been lucky enough to work with some of the most unique and provocative artists of the last two decades, many of which have made indelible impressions in the underground, and by extension the larger world of music in general. We've also been fortunate to have had the support of a small but loyal following, who've constituted the very essence of our life force. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and love to each and every person who contributed to making this label what it is - all the artists who entrusted us as the custodians of their work, all the people that bought or listened to our releases, and all the people who performed the various label duties at various offices (and houses) across the continent.

...and this brings us to the present moment, where in all honesty we are in need of financial assistance from anyone and everyone who's willing to throw us a rope. Though it is highly unlikely we'll be able to resuscitate the label, we do wish to follow through on the final round of releases to which we're committed and pay off our debts to our artists and manufacturers. In order to do this we are initiating a massive sell-off of everything we can dig up and produce for the next 6-12 months. This will include discounted bundles of CDs/LPs/posters/etc, represses of certain titles for which we still have parts, test pressings, and whatever worthwhile items we can pull together. For anyone that is able and willing to fund our funereal arrangements please visit our direct mailorder or webstore and pick up whatever you can. Any and all support is greatly appreciated by our remaining team, and will be put to the best use possible.

There is no way to sum up nearly 20 years of incredibly important music, experiences, and evolution other than to say a big heart felt "thank you", and that we hope this closing will provide an opening into other even more positive and rewarding experiences for all of us and all of you who have been a part of our shared experience. For now we bid you all a very fond farewell...."

The LA-based Hydra Head label have been a brilliant and influential label for many noise and metal acts, finding and/or housing and/or supporting the likes of Jesu, Boris, Melvins, Big Business, Harvey Milk, Envy, Isis, Pelican, Oxbow, Torche, Prurient, The Austerity Program, Helms Alee and Old Man Gloom, just to name a few. This is mighty sad news indeed. Over the next 6 to 12 months, as stated above, they will be selling off all their wares, so make sure you get in there, buy some of the best shit out there and support Aaron and co. They will be sorely missed.

Helms Alee Do America

I just had to put this up. Helms Alee's new album Weatherhead (out now on Hydra Head) is another slice of killer from the trio, and they have this Beavis & Butthead-referencing video for a track off it called '8/16'. Its amazeballs, and really rounded out my hump day well, hope it does the same for you guys!

Revel In The Brilliance Of Helms Alee's Weatherhead

I only discovered Helms Alee's 2008 album Night Terror last year, and I still rate it as an amazing album, full of ferocity and melody, a perfect Hydra Head record release. Well, their new album Weatherhead is hitting the stores, and from what Ive heard thus far its going to be more of the same brutal awesomeness. Though maybe not in the same way you would expect, as the Seattle trio serving up a bold and experimental epic, where they cracks time signatures in half, wade through indie harmonies and steer in bulldozers full of triumphant, psychedelic riffs (via Decibel Magazine). Still keeping the songs to a relative short running time, Weatherhead packs a myriad of punches from obscure, backwards angles, leaving you literally defenceless. This is the tracklisting:

1. * (0:39)
2. Elbow Grease (1:50)
3. 8/16 (4:55)
4. Music Box (3:35)
5. Pretty as Pie (4:36)
6. Anemone of the Wound (2:41)
7. Mad Mouth (5:24)
8. Epic Adventure Through the Wood (5:53)
9. Speed Sk8r (3:23)
10. Pig Pile (2:25)
11. Revel! (3:59)
12. Ripper No Lube (2:03)
13. Born in Fiberglass (3:39)
14. Weatherhead (3:04)


You can order Weatherhead here. They are also touring the US with two other heavy mad scientists in the form of Torche and Big Business - hit the band's website and get yourself to one of these shows, they will remold your mind whether you want it or not. Don't believe me? HEAD HERE TO BROOKLYN VEGAN TO STREAM THE WHOLE DAMN THING!!!!!!! Maybe you can tell me what this actually is? All I know is that its made my day, week, month, and possibly year.


HELMS ALEE - Elbow Grease by Hydra Head Records

Getting The Night Terrors

I only came across Seattle's Helms Alee a fortnight ago, which is a god damned shame. The best band on Hydra Head Records (sorry Torche, you're just pipped here), they released an album back in 2008 called Night Terror. Its brilliant. Brilliant! I thought it was new - I wanted to put it on my top ten of the year - I now want to step back in time and hear it in its infancy, then spend 2 years listening to it... Its heavy, melodic, raw, yet well defined - its marriage of post-metal and shoegaze indie is engrossing, and astounding in how well its been executed here. The three piece (Ben Verellen, Dana James and Hozoji Margullis) trade melodic density, tremolo-stained guitar, churning bass and akimbo drumming with unauthorised efficiency, and the amazing guy/girl vocal interplay with their deft understanding of quiet and tense layered build ups adds further dimensions to each track. I love this album!!!!!!!!!!

Since then Helms Alee havent released much, although Verellen has introduced his own amplifiers that are amazingly crafted and used by the likes of Sleep, Young Widows and Against Me. However they have just completed a massive tour with the likes of the aforementioned Young Widows, along with Red Sparowes and Boris, and are finally reentering the studio with Night Terror producer Matt Bayles for an album ready for early 2011. In the downtime between then and now, get Night Terror. Its amazing.

Helms Alee - New Roll

Helms Alee - A Weirding Away