0025-Xerostomia-Demo Cassette Tape

Xerostomia Demo Cassette Music Blog

Artist: Xerostomia                          
Album: 39 Trax Demo
Release Date: January 1st, 2019
Format: Cassette Tape

This tape is sick.

I could end the review with that, but I won’t. This release is a well thought out concept. The art and layout are exciting. In the name of found art, vintage photos are taped onto the J-card. What a super cool concept! Looking at the Bandcamp each tape was made with a different photo for the cover.

The tracks are pure, blistering fast grindcore. This is the perfect encapsulation of everything I appreciate in the genre. Ridiculous aggression and musical violence pummel the ears from start to end. The tape itself is completely wrapped in “Xerostomia” labeling over a grey smoke colored tape beneath.

Northern Sludge Cassette Tape Review

I first listened to this tape in my Jeep while back roading after a blizzard, and the blast beats and chugging riffs fit right in with the snow. I found myself headbanging as I was dashing through the snow! Track after track of blasts, shrieks and riffage, a mess of noise really, but in the best way possible. Sonically the guitar sits at a super low range, some of it gets lost in the chaos. Or is that what makes the chaos? The vocals go from guttural grunting to shrieks, guitars chugging then lost in the mess of ridiculous riffage. The drums blasting away keep the assault onward – pure sonic noise. You can hear each piece but it’s so blistering fast, is that a bass drum? A tom? That was def a snare… holy blast beats what is happening.

Grindcore Music Cassette Review

My favorite part of this tape is that it looks just as sweaty as the music sounds. The longest track is 27 seconds. Once I got on Bandcamp I realized there are 39 tracks. That is a total of 39 tracks in under 10 mins of wreckage. This was the groups “Demo,” and according to the internet – Xerostomia are actively playing shows in the Detroit area. Links below!

Xerostomia Bandcamp

Northern Sludge Music Review
Photos by Nibiinabekwe • Reider School • Lachine, MI

0020 – Sete Star Sept Bullshit Market Split Cassette

Sete Star Sept Bullshit Market Cassette in Woods

Artist: Bullshit Market / Sete Star SeptTrashfuck Records Cassette in Roots
Album: Split
Label: Trashfuck Records
Release Date: May 12th 2016
Format: Cassette Tape

This release is a split cassette from Detroit’s Bullshit Market and Japan’s Sete Star Sept. The tape has a unique two tone black and grey shell, with DIY style stick on labels. The tape dubbing, and overall recording, is on par with what you would expect from a grindcore or noise artist. Lo-fi; but in the right way. A little dirty, a little muddy. Sometimes things are lost with this style of recording, but I feel that this one got its own flavor from that treatment. The actual cover art is super intricate, lots to take in and look at, with chaotic line drawings and liner notes.

Sete Star Sept & Bullshit Market Liner NotesThe recording of Sete Star Sept is live from a show in Detroit, and overall the sound is a very dense wall of chaos. There are a few spots where the audio seems to have an effect of some sort, I am guessing it’s a post recording glitch effect. The sound is cool and adds to the overall feeling and transition of the track.

The Bullshit Market side of the tape has its own feel and pulse. I can’t quite put my finger on it, however I sure have enjoyed it. It has pace and movement in the chaos. Samples come in and out as the noise weaves through. I always appreciate noise when it knows how to flow appropriately. I found Bullshit Market to be masters in this art.Cassette Tape in Clear Cut Forest

This was a fun tape to digest. Capturing, and encapsulating, the raw energy that is within this music is not easy. This tape did exactly that, captured and replicated, to my ears, the chaos of these 2 groups.

Bullshit Market Bandcamp

Sete Star Sept Website

Trashfuck Records Bandcamp

Duel Color Split Cassette in Forest

 

Photos by Nibiinabekwe Scenic Rte 1 Atlanta State Forest, Atlanta Michigan.
Photos by Nibiinabekwe • Scenic Rte 1 Atlanta State Forest, Atlanta Michigan. Clear cut forest land to provide raw timber to be burnt for electricity in the village of Hillman, they mix the wood pulp with shredded used tires to provide Northern Michigan’s own form of “green” energy. I find it rather heartbreaking.

0010 – Nakay – Chronic Demise Split

Artist: Nakay – Chronic Demise SplitNakay Cassette Tape Landscape
Album: Split
Label: ???
Release Date: ???
Format: Cassette

This cassette is a split of two grind bands, Nakay and Chronic Demise. The J Card is a printed folded paper with the band names and a track listing. The tape itself is plain grey clear color with just simple markings for each bands side. The tape looks to be a DIY job as I would expect from grindcore bands, although the cassette itself may have been pro done, as it sounds consistent. The labeling on the tape looks like it was pro done, even if it is just a stencil of each bands name, so either way, good job guys.Chronic Demise Cassette Tape Snow

Nakay’s side starts right in and does not relent for the whole side of the tape – blast beasts, guttural vocals, with brief spattering of samples / effects in the transitions. The grinds are fast as fuck, and beyond tight, guitars are thick and the vocals are powerful and present in the mix, just at the right spot.Cassette Tape in Snow Sunset

The Chronic Demise side brings a stark contrast, starting with slow sludge riffs that transition into grinding fast blasting sections. Big fat riffs, big thick cords, nasty grinding parts and shrieking vocals, not as fast as the Nakay but the slow-fast effect makes up for that.

This was another pick out of my racks. I sometimes get these tapes and listen once or twice, and forget. With this project I get to really delve in, take time, and listen to the nuances in the sound each band put forth. As far as I can tell Nakay is still active, while Chronic Demise seems not to be. Links are below to band pages for each.

Cassette Tape Pine TreeNo labels, no bullshit, just 10 minutes of grind. There is an email address printed below the track listings on the back of the tape, no middlemen here. Just put the tape in and shut up already. I like this part of grindcore. It’s about the music, anti capitalist, anti everything. I can dig that.

 

Nakay Bandcamp

Chronic Demise Bandcamp

Chronic Demise Facebook

Snow Pine Tree Sunset Panorama
Photos by Nibiinabekwe. County Road 628, Atlanta State Forest.

0002 – Minus9 – Valley Of The Sick & The Stupid

 Photo by Nibiinabekwe 45.053233, -84.078636.

Artist: Minus9
Album: Valley Of The Sick & The Stupid
Label: Flying Blood Records
Release Date: May 31, 2015
Format: CD Digi-Pack

 

Valley Of The Sick & The Stupid, by Minus9 came in a limited edition DigiPak from Flying Blood Records.  The Digi-Pack is white with black lettering, featuring a juice box, cell phone wielding illustration of a overweight man’s belly line on a field that is reminiscent of an American flag. ‘Murica. Continue reading “0002 – Minus9 – Valley Of The Sick & The Stupid”