Low Places - Spiritual Treatment (2011)

Brutal powerviolence influenced hardcore from California ala Neanderthal/Spazz. Low Places combine sludge and doom with punk hardcore and even tads of low-fi grind. Artwork designed by the notorious Szymon.

Status: Active

Contact: www.lowplaces.bandcamp.com

Rock if you like: Full Of Hell - Young And In The Way - Pulling Teeth

Track listing:

1 - Opfer

2 - Skeleton

3 - Controlled Chaos

4 - Crawl

5 - Struggle To Exist

6 - Sleeping In

7 - Detached

8 - The Doors Are Closing In

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Full Of Hell - Roots Of Earth Are Consuming My Home (2011)

This record is described better by the band's name than the record's title. This release has it all: creepy artwork, fast/angry music, and the sweet DIY feel that makes this record punk as fuck. Taking elements of staple thrashy bands combined with doomy riffs and chaotic structure that make Full Of Hell very hard to categorize. Angry, Epic, Chaotic...you choose an adjective. Perhaps "Awesome" works best.

Status: Active

Contact: http://www.myspace.com/fullofhellhc

Rock if you like: Seven Sisters Of Sleep - Low Places - Young And In The Way

Track listing:

1 - Pile Of Dead Horses

2 - Endless Drone

3 - The Bed Is Burning

4 - Rat King

5 - The White Mare

6 - Dregs Of Pluto

7 - Black Iron

8 - Roots Of Earth Are Consuming My Home

9 - Pisces Legs

10 - The Oars Are Broken

11 - Affirmation Of Nothing

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Circle Takes the Square - Decompositions - Vol I. Chapter 1. Rites of Initiation

New EP. You all know what this band sounds like, download if you like 'em. I do.

Track Listing:
1- Enter By the Narrow Gates
2- Spirit Narrative
3- Way of Ever-Branching Paths
4- The Ancestral Other Side

DL
Buy

The Great Old Ones

Excellent French black metal that's heavily influenced by Lovecraft, and definitely one of the most promising new black metal bands I've heard in quite a while. They're recording a full-length later this year so here's some pre-production tracks to hold you over.

Status: Active
Contact: Facebook
Rock if you like: Black metal - Lovecraft - Music that doesn't suck

Track Listing:
1- Al Azif
2 - Visions of R'lyeh
3 - The Truth

Listen

Moloch - 10" (2008)

One of my favorite sludge/whatever records of all time. Had the pleasure of seeing these guys with Thou two days in a row. Stupid heavy, stupid pissed. Get into it.

Status: Active
Contact: Facebook
Rock if you like: Eyehategod - Drugs - Hating things

Track listing:
1 - Thy Grief
2 - What Is This/Who Is Coming
3 - Black Water
4- Repulsion

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All Pigs Must Die - God Is War (2011)

APMD is a band committed to uncompromising sonic warfare. Its lyrics, sound and imagery aim to assault and unnerve. Not simply for petty shock, but to reveal humanity's true face through art and song. APMD is a collective consciousness of individuals placing all importance on the music and the releases while rejecting any and all preconceived notoriety based on (members of...). The band is dedicated to itself and nothing more. This file includes their first Ep (Self Titled) and the new Ep (God Is War). Enjoy.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/allpigsmustdie
Rock if you like: Trap Them - The Hope Conspiracy - Nails

Track listing:
1 - Death Dealer
2 - Pulverization
3 - Sacrosanct
4 - God Is War
5 - The Blessed Void
6 - Third World Genocide
7 - Extinction Is Ours
8 - Sadistic Vindicator
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Cursebreaker - The Black Banners (2010)

Portland's Cursebreaker have set the bar for themselves pretty high with their debut, The Black Banners. As self described "dirty punk rock" its hard to argue with them except they left out crust and hardcore influenced. It's very hard to pigeon-hole Cursebreaker because they blend styles so well. Do yourself a favor and check these guys out.

Status: Active
Contact: http://cursebreaker.bandcamp.com/
Rock if you like: Pulling Teeth - Cursed - Backstabbers Inc.

Track listing:
1 - Divergence | Intrinsic To Demons
2 - Count Your Coffins
3 - Blindsons
4 - Blindwind
5 - The Prologue Of Holocaust
6 - Foxcroft & The Witch Children
7 - Born Of Night
8 - Liars, Cheats & Other Proud Americans
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Revocation - Chaos Of Forms (2011)

Revocation returns with a new album of masterful modern metal in Chaos of Forms. Unforgettable songs bend, stop, twist, and shred at virtuosic levels while exploding with frenetic energy. As future classics “Cradle Robber”, “Dissolution Ritual”, “No Funeral”, “Cretin” and more show, each aspect of the band has been honed to deadly perfection and brings to fruition the promise that (the previous full-length) Existence Is Futile hinted at. Chaos of Forms proves beyond doubt that REVOCATION are masters of their craft and metal’s finest new band.

Status: Active

Contact: http://www.myspace.com/revocation

Rock if you like: Slayer - Exodus - Heathen Shrine

Track listing:
1 - Cretin
2 - Cradle Robber
3 - Harlot
4 - Dissolution Ritual
5 - Conjuring The Cataclysm
6 - No Funeral
7 - Fractal Entity
8 - Chaos Of Forms
9 - The Watchers
10 - Beloved Horrifier
11 - Dethroned
12 - Reprogrammed
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Vader - Welcome To The Morbid Reich (2011)

There are very few bands that have managed to weave a web of mystery around them. Even fewer have survived and remained strong throughout the decades. Alongside the American legends Morbid Angel, Deicide and Cannibal Corpse, Vader are perhaps the only European band who have sustained their exalted status this long. They were the first band from behind the “Iron Curtain" to sign to a Western label, and, twenty-eight years later, they are still paving the way for younger bands such as Behemoth, Decapitated and many more.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.vader.pl/band-e.html
Rock if you like: Hate - Decapitated - Morbid Angel

Track listing:
1 - Ultimate Thule
2 - Return To The Morbid Reich
3 - The Black Eye
4 - Come And See My Sacrifice
5 - Only Hell Knows
6 - I Am Who Feasts Upon Your Soul
7 - Don't Rip The Beast's Heart Out
8 - I Had A Dream
9 - Lord Of Thorns
10 - Decapitated Saints
11 - They Are Coming
12 - Black Velvet And Skulls Of Steel
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Elitist - Fear In A Handful Of Dust (2011)

ELITIST are emerging on top of a new scene that is growing rapidly. Hailing from Portland, Oregon the quartet has its roots in the Hardcore scene. Yet under the influence of early Death Metal and a strong dose of Black Metal their sound shifts to something as fresh as radical. The crusty spirit of Sludgecore transparent in chaotic structures and moments of uncontrol is vomited upon the world with screams of anger and disgust.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/dieselnoise
Rock if you like: The Holy Mountain - His Hero Is Gone - Tragedy
Track listing:
1 - Burning The Unspoken Gospel
2 - Cult Malevolence
3 - Ivory Shavings Of The Tools Unknown
4 - Black Wool
5 - Watch As They Worship Yet Be Silent
6 - Slowly Fucked And Force Fed
7 - A Howling Wind
8 - Human All Too Human
9 - Bound And Bent
10 - Toothless And Yawning
11 - Tower Of Meth
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Bacchus - Self Titled (2011)

Bacchus are a DIY experimental crust outfit from Galway, Ireland. They blend epic Swedish style crust with crushing slow/heavy parts & spacey reverb/delay soundscapes. Bacchus' self titled release is 8 tracks of exactly what we've come to expect, well written and thought provoking crust.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/bacchusband
Rock if you like: From Ashes Rise - Perth Express - Maladie

Track listing:
1 - Devoted To Shit
2 - Parasite
3 - Hopeless Daggers
4 - Mutation
5 - Itchy Blood
6- Expanded Submerge
7 - The Living Dead
8 - Knives
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Bayonet - Self Titled (2011)

Bayonet is a Melodic Hardcore band from New Jersey that features members of Senses Fail and The Banner. Songs that are fast, driving and angry round out the debut from these hardcore veterans. With out a doubt an Ep that you should not pass up.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/bayonetdoesntcare
Rock if you like: The Banner - American Nightmare - Paint It Black

Track listing:
1 - Nightmare
2 - Who's Gonna Want Me Now
3 - Harsh
4 - Black Bird
5 - New York Minutes
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Love Begotten - Ugly Dirty Poor (2011)

Love Begotten, hailing from Oklahoma, are a fresh new face in the tech/noise/math hardcore game. They sent us in their demo and to say the very least we here at The_Hive were extremely impressed. They have very obvious influences but do a good enough job of adding their own twists to it that their sound stays unique. Support these guys, they deserve the love.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/lovebegotten
Rock if you like: The Minor Times - Curl Up And Die - With All Sincerity

Track listing:
1 - You Deceive I
2 - 0000
3 - Dead Weight
4 - Eyes
5 - Ugly, Dirty,Poor
6 - Cult Killer
7 - Living, Breathing, Expressing
8 - To The Dogs
9 - Liver Damage
10 - Gutless
DL

Dephosphorus - Axiom (2011)

Dephosphorus are a Greek band that blend crust, grind and metal into one very unique sound. Axiom is the 7 track debut of Dephosphorus that is an aural journey both brutal and beautiful at the same time. A daring but cohesive concoction of all things intense and aggressive with a cosmic twist.

Status: Active
Contact: http://dephosphorus.com/
Rock if you like: His Hero Is Gone - The Secret - Baring Teeth

Track listing:
1 - Collimator
2 - Continuum
3 - Dephosphorus
4 - Indulge Me In Silence
5 - On The Verge Of Occurence
6 - Knife Missle
7 - The Long Crossing
DL

Revenge - Frustrations (2011)

Straight out of Western Massachusetts, Revenge gives a killer stage presence and can make any level head in the crowd become a thrashing animal. Frustrations is their sophomore release that combines the grit and metallic heaviness of integrity with the speed and all-out anger of bands like Ceremony and Trash Talk.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/revengema
Rock if you like: Ceremony - Outbreak - Trash Talk

Track listing:
1 - Loathsome
2 - Manifest Destiny
3 - Sleep Deprivation
4 - Burn To Death
5 - Hang The Judge
6 - Shall Be Judged
DL

Toxic Holocaust - Conjure And Command (2011)

On their fourth full-length album, Portland’s Toxic Holocaust prove themselves one step above the retro-thrash trend. Conjure and Command is a fearsome blast of blackened speed metal, comparable to the better works of Bathory and Aura Noir. Frontman Joel Grind has never sounded meaner, his spewed blasphemies and death-machine guitar tone possessing a hateful venom only hinted at on his band’s previous efforts.

Status: Active

Contact: http://www.toxicthrashmetal.com/

Rock if you like: Disfear - Motorhead - Discharge

Track listing:
1 - Judgment Awaits You
2 - Agony Of The Damned
3 - Bitch
4 - Red Winter
5 - Nowhere To Run
6 - I Am Disease
7 - In The Depths (Of Your Mind)
8 - The Liars Are Burning
9 - Revelations
10 - Sound The Charge
DL

Ringworm - Scars (2011)

The world’s most legendary, vile and destructive hardcore metal band, RINGWORM, are back with their latest attempt to wreak havoc on the world. With a sound powerful enough to bring entire civilizations to their knees, RINGWORM conquers an internal struggle on Scars, and exorcises humanity’s filthy demons.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/ringworm13
Rock if you like: Integrity - Cursed - Palehorse (USA)

Track listing:
1 - Voluntary Human Extinction
2 - To The Grave
3 - Used Up, Spit Out
4 - Scars
5 - Unravel
6 - Cleansing Of The Fall
7 - Burning Bridges
8 - Angelfuck
9 - Empty
10 - Hellbound
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Earth Crisis - Neutralize The Threat (2011)

Earth Crisis has been the mouthpiece of the American militant vegan straight edge movement for two decades now and unleash yet another full-length of crunching metallic hardcore that deals with the ideas of animal and human liberation, drug-free living and personal empowerment. Earth Crisis have crafted their most angst ridden and unrelenting offering of their already stellar career.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/earthcrisis
Rock if you like: All Out War - Turmoil - Strife

Track listing:
1 - Raise
2 - Neutralize The Threat
3 - Total War
4 - 100 Kiloton Blast
5 - Counterstrike
6 - By Conscience Compelled
7 - Black Talons Tear
8 - Askari
9 - The Eradicators
10 - Raze
DL

Decapitated - Carnival Is Forever (2011)

Polish technical death metal band Decapitated are inarguably among the most talented and promising young bands to hit the genre in years. They established themselves in the US market with multiple tours including Summer Slaughter ‘07 (and later again in ‘10) before suffering a fatal bus accident in late 2007. Carnival is Forever is the first album since 06’s critically acclaimed Organic Hallucinosis, which Revolver Magazine rightly called “Belligerently virtuosic.”

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.decapitatedband.net/
Rock if you like: Suffocation - Origin - Decrepit Birth

Track listing:
1 - The Knife
2 - United
3 - Carnival Is Forever
4 - Homo Sum
5 - 404
6 - A View From A Hole
7 - Pest
8 - Silence
DL

Harms Way - Isolation (2011)

Chicago's Harms Way are back and as pissed off as ever. Isolation is 8 tracks of bleak, dark and disturbed hardcore. Continuing the mayhem that began with their first few independent releases, "Isolation" is chaos incarnate played by a soundtrack of chainsaw guitars and machine gun drums. It's a raw, primal and devastating outlook on life coupled with an apocalyptic and furious sound that will leave the listener completely unsettled.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/harmsxway
Rock if you like: The Killer - Naysayer - Palehorse (USA)

Track listing:
1 - Scrambled
2 - Timing
3 - Isolation
4 - Breeding Grounds
5 - Becoming
6 - New Beginnings
7 - Slither
8 - Pretender
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Iron Rain - Silent Sins (2010)

Derived from the concrete slabs of Chicago, IL, Iron Rain formed in 2009 as a musical outlet for aggressive songs and thoughtful dissection of American culture. Iron Rain is energetic and interesting, heavy while thoughtful, catchy but devastating. Iron Rain is carrying the torch of raw, pissed-off hardcore with a direction for its anger that the bands of the '90s hardcore scene put into motion.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/ironrainchicago
Rock if you like: Run With The Hunted - Expire - One Dead Three Wounded

Track listing:
1 - Dead Letter
2 - Silent Sins
3 - Illusion Of Truth
4 - The Art Of Failure
5 - Automation
DL

Ed Gein - Bad Luck (2011)

Ed Gein are back with their 3rd aural assault on the planet. Ed Gein is fast, feral, and furious as fuck. Total insanity and politically/socially fueled lyrics accompanied by a mix of tech-metal, grindcore, and metalcore. Bad Luck is 11 tracks of classic spastic grind that Ed Gein are infamous for.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/edgeinband
Rock if you like: Pig Destroyer - As The Sun Sets - Phoenix Bodies

Track listing:
1 - Intro
2 - Wage Slave
3 - The Wraith
4 - Bullet Dodger
5 - Captain Shit
6 - Into The Fire
7 - She Creeps
8 - Moth Collection (Into The Freezer)
9 - The Spectacle
10 - VIP's
11 - Wasted Life
DL

Flood Peak - Filling Flasks (2011)

Flood Peak are a very young band out of the Bay Area. Although this is their first release, they are not new to the scene. Flood Peak features ex-members of Apiary. Filling Flasks is 5 tracks of heavy, emotional and groove oriented metal. This Ep is over far too soon and leaves the listener wanting more.

Status: Active
Contact: http://floodpeak.bandcamp.com/
Rock if you like: Engineer - Architect - Botch

Track listing:
1 - Meandering
2 - Closed Seas
3 - Scattering Crowds
4 - Dust Breeder
5 - The Waiting
DL

Universal Order Of Armageddon - Self Titled (1996)

Universal Order of Armageddon were an American post-hardcore band, active in the early to mid 1990s. They formed in September 1992 and by early 1993, after quickly gaining a small but devoted following, they were recording and touring the East Coast. Known for their extreme short chaotic performances, sometimes resulting in complete destruction.

Status: Inactive
Rock if you like: Antioch Arrow - Born Against - Kiss It Goodbye

Track listing:
1 - Visible Distance
2 - Switch Is Down
3 - Stepping Softly Into
4 - Clear Set
5 - Benedict
6 - No Longer Stranger
7 - Flux
8 - Symptom
9 - Painfully Obvious
10 - Close To Far Away
11 - Entire Vast Situation
12 - City
13 - Four Measure Start
14 - Mud
15 - Fence Song
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Engineer - Crooked Voices (2011)

Down and dirty, blue collar, DIY metalcore in a similar to Breather Resist or Deadguy and a beastly live show is what garnered Engineer a reputation as a tour de force in the underground scene. On "Crooked Voices" they combine the aggression of Blacklisted and Cursed with the heavy drone of SunnO)) or Isis to create truly diverse final product.

Status: Active
Contact: http://engineer.bandcamp.com/
Rock if you like: Coalesce - Botch - Achilles

Track listing:
1 - The Idiots Theme
2 - Shape Shifting
3 - Bruised Blue Collar
4 - Kid Killer
5 - Drunk On Blood
6 - Scavenger
7 - Curse Of The Common Man
8 - Vicious Voice
9 - Starving Artist
10 - Prepared For The Worst
DL

Book Of Black Earth - The Cold Testament (2011)

Formed in 2003 from the ashes of Teen Cthulhu, Seattle, WA's Book Of Black Earth bring a blasting, grinding, blackened death metal to their 3rd release, The Cold Testament. Although Book Of Black Earth are relatively new, these songs sit comfortably alongside far more experienced and noteworthy bands in the genre. And unlike most death metal, The Cold Testament is precise and over soon enough to leave you wanting much more.

Statust: Active
Contact: http://bookofblackearth.blogspot.com/
Rock if you like: Thou - Absu - Northless

Track listing:
1 - Weight Of The World
2 - Cross Contamination
3 - Antarctica
4 - Irritating Spectre
5 - Termination
6 - Research And Destroy
7 - Road Dogs From Hell
8 - I See Demons
DL

Ghost Town - Calamities (2010)

Hailing from the Gold Coast of Australia and still moderately young, Ghost Town have rose to both local and international recognition having toured extensively since their inception. Having released their debut full length album ‘Calamities’ in 2010 on Dead Souls Records Ghost Town have received an endless wave of positive reviews detailing the bands aggression and energy on the stage. ‘Calamities’ is 11 tracks of aggressive metallic hardcore punk in the form of pissed off poisoned youth.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/thisisghosttown
Rock if you like: Trap Them - Tragedy - His Hero Is Gone

Track listing:
1 - Into The Night
2 - Calamities
3 - Towers
4 - Awakening
5 - Across The Desert
6 - Floods
7 - Grove Of Darkness
8 - Ethereal
9 - The Storm
10 - Gray Matter
11 - The Abyss
DL

Khann - Erode (2011)

Khann has an unabashed, frenetic vibe reminiscent of the un-bastardized roots of the '90s screamo genre. At its softest, there are shades of These Arms Are Snakes and Fugazi, and at the most intense, there are similarities to Mastodon or the cleaner moments of Converge.
-RevHQ.com

Status: Active
Contact: http://khannmusic.blogspot.com/
Rock if you like: Kylesa - The_Network - PG. 99

Track listing:
1 - The Gate
2 - Implosion
3 - Destitution
4 - Heroic Dosage
5 - Appollo
6 - Reflection
7 - Downward
8 - Erode
9 - Dark
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The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual (2011)

Michigan's oddball sons of molten melodic death metal The Black Dahlia Murder return stronger than ever with their fifth thrashing opus, "Ritual", which boasts the band's patented mixture of Swedish-influenced thrash and black metal with blasting fury and crushing American muscle. This is probably their best material since Miasma. Surprisingly terrific!

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/blackdahliamurder
Rock if you like: The Red Chord - Darkest Hour - Through The Eyes Of The Dead

Track listing:
1 - A Shrine To Madness
2 - Moonlight Equilibrium
3 - On Stirring Seas Of Salted Blood
4 - Conspiring With The Damned
5 - The Window
6 - Carbonized In Cruciform
7 - Den Of The Picquerist
8 - Malenchanments Of The Necrosphere
9 - The Grave Robber's Work
10 - The Raven
11 - Great Burning Nullifier
12 - Blood In The Ink
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Origin - Entity (2011)

A torso-opening evisceration of nihilistic deathgrind bloodshed and massive bone-smashing brutality from some former members of CEPHALIC CARNAGE and ANGEL CORPSE. Eleven flesh-tormenting tracks that sear, slash and slay with triple vocal vomit, jackhammer percussion and homicidal, ugly guitar riff dismemberment. Instinctually, one recoils.

Status: Active
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/Origin666
Rock if you like: Suffocation - Hate Eternal - Decrepit Birth

Track listing:
1 - Expulsion Of Fury
2 - Purgatory
3 - Conceiving Death
4 - Swarm
5 - Saliga
6 - The Descent
7 - Fornever
8 - Committed
9 - Banishing Illusion
10 - Consequence Of Solution
11 - Evolution Of Extinction
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