Hardcore, Canadians and Europeans, oh my! This week we've got a host of international bands from the top five selling records of Bionic Records, 6012 Ball Road in Buena Park, (714) 828-4225. Most of them are pretty hardcore, but nothing's sold more than American hardcore band Nile's latest record, At the Gates of Sethu.
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5. Burning Love, Rotten Thing to Say (Southern Lord)
The Canadians are coming, the Canadians are coming! Well, they may not
be attacking anytime soon, but Burning Love hasn't got a whole lot to do
with the kind Elvis was talking about, either. Think more razed towns,
y'know, punk rock. From the look of the recently released Burning Love's
anti-societal messages about complacent and moral amnesia, they're no
Bieber or Carly Rae Jepsen. And for that, I am glad.
4. Deathspell Omega, Drought (Seasons of Mist)
Who says the French are sissies? Deathspell Omega might beg to differ;
these black metal guys don't sing (croak?) in French, but their vague
French accents do shed a certain learned light on their oddly
philosophical lyrics. France has yielded some of the best philosophers
in history, so would it be such a far stretch to say that French black
metal lyricists are the next wave in the country's contribution to
modern elevated thought? With lyrics like “Every singularity is filed
down by this continuous ocher stream,” and “This will not be redeemed,
no matter how sincere the genuflection and ardent the confession,” you
decide for yourself.
3. Kadavar, Kadavar (Teepee)
Less hardcore, more progressive, from Berlin. This week must be all
about reversing stereotypes; French and Canadian bands more hardcore
than Germans? European diplomacy at its finest. Kadavar's got that older
grungy blues rock feel, kind of like Jack White crossed with the Black
Keys. Their self-titled premiere LP sounds and looks like you might have
found it in a bin of Black Sabbath-era vinyl. But don't take it from
me — take it from number three.
2. Japandroids, Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl)
Though they're not actually from Japan (fun fact: they're Canadian!),
Japandroids give us the number two spot with the indie punk trills and
hipsterdom on their early summer release. So what if they're not
actually Japanese? Celebration Rock's got an apt name; fast pop punk's
always made me wanna get up and dance; I guess such is life when you
grow up listening to Blink 182. In any case, Japandroid's revival of the
pop punk got something to celebrate this week with their number 2 spot.
(See what I did there? Haw!)
1. Nile, At the Gates of Sethu (Nuclear Blast)
Like with everything in the eyes of us noble Americans, no matter what
the opposition, we always come out ahead. More technical death metal
than the rest of the bands, their music thrives on blast beats and
double kick pedals. I won't wade into the deeply toxic waters of foreign
politics, let's just say that Nile's an American death metal band from
South Carolina and their latest release shreds the competition this
week. (I'm just full of 'em today, I swear.)
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