What's been spinning.

Here's some stuff I've been listening to lately...

Integrity - Walpurgisnacht 7""


Killer 2 song 7'' from one of the all time greats, and one of my all time faves. Hopefully this is a good indication of where the next full length (The Blacket Curse) is headed. It reminds me A LOT of Seasons in the Size of Days, which in my opinion is a sorely underrated album in the Integrity catalogue. I would go as far as to say "Seasons..." is no. 2 if I had to rank my favorite Integrity records. Anyway, I get the same drilling, industrial-tinged metallic hardcore out of this 7'' as I do on the aforementioned full length. The riffs are very rigid and uniform when compared to classic Integrity like Systems Overload or Those Who Fear... The recording quality is top-notch, especially in the guitar tones, and the drums, which are nice and crisp. Plenty of eerie sampling and mellow interludes make for a good listen even though it's only two (albeit) lengthy songs. Definitely not something to skip over if your an Integrity fan.


Hammer Bros. -The Kids Are Dead
Simply put, this record is HARD. This is Merrimac Valley's pride and joy as far as I can understand. I've heard of these guys before but decided to check them out after stumbling upon the MVHC myspace page. This is no trick, basic, but very well written HARDcore. My favorite part of this record is how hard the vocals sound, which just add to the overall vibe of the record, as opposed to trying to keep up with the heaviness of the riffs. I'd love to catch these guys live.

Sadat X - Generation X

This is a nice break for me as far as the type of hip hop I've been listening to over the past 6 months or so. It has the indie vibe a little bit, mostly in Sadat's characteristic voice and delivery (think Pharaohe Monch), but not so much in the beats which is a huge plus for me. The first few tracks are solid repeats and the momentum carries throughout the rest of the album, which strains slightly in quality and substance but still manages to finish strong off the energy of the first 4 or 5 tracks. Definitely seek it out if you've enjoyed his previous releases, Brand Nubian albums, or Pharaohe Monch.

Honorable Mentions:

Bad Seed - Demo. Wasn't really feeling this at first but gave it another visit after seeing they've built some momentum and buzz. Pretty good Madball influenced start. Relistenable for the vocal pattern in the 2nd song verses alone, nice and tight.

Cruel Hand - Prying Eyes. Caught these guys on some double header type show in Albany a few months ago. Madball played upstairs, good time. This record is tight and well rounded but they're definately MUCH better live so if you have a chance to check them out, do so!

Coldplay - Viva la Vida. See post below.