The Short List is a periodic dive into EPs, Splits, Reissues, Live Albums, Comps, etc.
EPs:
Mexican Coke s/t 12”EP Convulse Records
Out Now
After only a 2022 cassette demo and a 2023 digital-only split with Urn, Mexican Coke deliver six tracks (with an intro track) of chaotic devastation. The room is filled with ferocious guitars, possibly influenced by early Swedish, Finnish, and Japanese hardcore. When listening, you realize this band just moves forward regardless of peril or repercussions (in life, not just the music). Emerging from the dusty smog of Houston TX, the band relishes mythic tales, leather, and guns.
The vocals are unrestrained and unhinged feverish growls with some cavernous black metal nods. And the riffs bandy between the dark, fierce punk mentioned earlier with some two-step style reminiscing on the youth crew early 2000s. Specifically at the exact hallway mark of “Hand Cannon,” which is also the video released for the EP. Only the closer exceeds two minutes (it reaches three). Convulse has been quite a rub as a label. This is another banger. Plus, the 12-inch EP is a speaker-crushing format.
Vinyl:
100, Translucent Red (band exclusive)
100, Translucent Purple (convulserecords.com exclusive)
200, Clear with Black Smoke
200, Black
Preorder at Convulse Records WebShop or bandcamp.
GEL Persona EP Blue Grape Music
August 16, 2024
If you’re entrenched in the hardcore scene, where bands accept an underground status, it is always interesting and surprising to see which ones break through. GEL’s success is not surprising, however. Dripping with energy, fury, and talent, GEL conjured massive attention and praise. They play big shows (and just opened for the Have Heart Reunion in Boston) and send crowds into a rabid and raucous frenzy. And they make great records.
GEL’s new EP, Persona, is a declaration. “We really wanted to fill out the songs more and make them more nuanced,” explains vocalist Sami Kaiser. “It’s a step forward; it’s different, it’s catchy, but it still really sounds like us.” To have a guide on their new, expanding sound, which is more intricate, the band hired Jon Markson (Drug Church, Drain, Jivebomb) to produce Persona. Five new songs will drop August 16. The New Jersey upstarts will be sharing these new songs with audiences from now through October 21, continuing their relentless touring regimen. The title track has a video, as well as “Mirage,” the other single. You can see and hear the fleshed-out approach and it pays off.
Vinyl:
Violet, 300
Plum, ???
Crystal Clear, ???
Grape Marble, 200
Apple/White/Black Splatter, 500
Milky Clear w/Black Splatter, 500
Half Black/Half Clear, 100
Preorder ‘Violet’ at BrooklynVegan or Revolver or AltPress
Preorder ‘Color’ at RevHQ
Preorder ‘Apple/White/Black Splatter’ at GEL Webstore
Preorder ‘Milky Clear w/Black Splatter’ at GEL Webstore
Preorder ‘Half Black/Half Clear’ at Blue Grape Music
Preorder ‘Grape Marble’ at Devil Dog (UK)
Preorder ‘Plum’ at Evil Greed (Germany) or Squatch in the Pit (US)
Preorder ‘Crystal Clear’ at Squatch in the Pit or Bull Moose (New England – NH/ME – local shop)
Tour
7/26 – Norwalk, CT – District Music Hall ^
7/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer ^
7/29 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall ^
7/31 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East ^
8/1 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West ^
8/2 – Louisville, KY – Porto ^
9/27 – Louisville, KY – Louder than Life
10/10 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
10/12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
10/13 – Denver, CO – The Oriental Theater
10/15 – The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS00
10/19 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
10/21 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair
11/2 – San Diego, CA – Dia De Los Deftones
^ supporting Fiddlehead
The Stress More Than You’ll Ever Be LSM Vinyl
July 26
Long Island’s sonic pugilists The Stress return with another stunning EP. 2022 saw The War Has Just Begun. 2023 saw Never Say Die. *(Those are the digital release years, later pressed on cassette and then a compilation of bot on cassette dropped this year.) Each release has four tracks; this year we get five tracks and an intro totaling 13 minutes. The sounds enclosed are—well to borrow from Longshot, Sham 69 mixed with The Heartbreakers while listening to The New York Hounds. This is rather accurate. Bit of bovver, touch of mid-tempo Oi!, and a raucous helping of straight rock ‘n’ roll. The one-minute intro is dope, building that anticipation a la Warzone and Bad Brains, sparking a live set feel. “Counting Sheep” bursts forward with a tight, crisp drum beat and the song explodes from there.
“Not Enough” a 4 Skins/Blitz with pogo swagger all coalescing into a snarling stomper. The bridge/chorus is at a higher register that ascends and builds the anticipation. This will be a hit on stage for sing-alongs, great lyrics, great bass line. The title track employs a bevy of back-up and gang vocals, again placing you in the live set mindset. It’s a rambunctious tune steeped in defiance and fury. “Meth Mouth” speeds through with ill regard for safety, scorching solos including. The closer, “Mind Reader,” starts with a dirgy bass, and when the rhythm drops, a creepy crawl feel lingers somewhere between The Trouble and Reagan Youth. It’s a killer EP. I had been on a break from buying records for a few, but this broke me without hesitation.
VINYL:
250, Black
150, Black and White Splatter
CASSETTE:
Yellow
Buy Vinyl at Longshot Music or TASM (EU) or RevHQ
Buy Cassette at The Stress bandcamp
Goat Semen Fuck Christ Hells Headbangers
August 16
Masters of Peruvian (Lima) blackened death metal, Goat Semen return with another caustic barrage of violence. South America, especially Peru and Chile, have an explosive scene with myriad bands of impenetrable quality. And Goat Semen are perched at the pinnacle. The band have spewed masterful metal since 2000, initially dropping a few glorious demos. Technically the band have only released one full-length, Ego Svm Satana, in 2015. But Goat Semen have released many splits and live albums.
Here, we hear Goat Semen summon the depths of Hades to immolate, desecrate, and eviscerate souls with their oh-so-subtly titled, Fuck Christ. The band blesses fans with their first recording since Ego Svm Satana, a near-decade later. They continue channeling the tumultuous aural buggering of forefathers and peers such as Krisiun, Sarcofago, Bestial Warlust, Mystifier, Blasphemy, Deiphago, Evil (Japan), and others. (Also check out vocalist Erick Neyra’s other band, Evil Damn. Their 2021 LP, Necronomicon was a ripper.)
Thee are five vicious tracks in 18 minutes here, with the closer being 6:27, meaning the first four blaze by in eleven minutes. The opener, “Midnight Worship,” sets the demonic tone with the relentless battery and cavernous howls. Production is balanced with a raw but discernible mix. Sinister, crispy guitars pummel and wander into a disorienting solo. A cacophony of vocals, growls, laughter—like sound design for The Exorcist—and varied guitar lines provide a gripping track on “Los Ojos de Judas” are also present.
Those first three tracks tally just over six minutes. The final two tracks approach 11 minutes. The closer, “Prophets of Hell,” plods and churns for a few before a swinging riff charges quickly with a rhythmic vocal approach. It travels into a blastbeat-driven frenzy for the final minutes.
Vinyl:
333, Transparent Red
567, Black
100, Transparent Blue (Werewolf Records exclusive)
Cassette:
300, Red w/Black Type
Pre-Order Tape or MLP or CD at Hells Headbangers Shop
Reissues:
Pig Destroyer Painter of Dead Girls 20 YEAR REISSUE Relapse Records
August 9
Pig Destroyer are grindcore legends. And for such an abrasive, confrontational genre of music, Pig Destroyer have managed to manifest as a household name in extreme metal. Painter of Dead Girls is a genuine, macabre gander at the guts of Pig Destroyer. This compilation is not just for the diehards, but a great manner to see various aspects of a fantastic band usually known for cohesive stories or concept albums.
Painter of Dead Girls has not been on vinyl in over a decade. The 20-year-old record has been remixed and remastered. Side A exhibits early versions of songs when they were testing equipment prior to Prowler in the Yard. Side B gathers two split seven-inch tracks (Gnob and Benumb) along with covers (Helmet, The Stooges, etc). Pig Destroyer tapped Chris Taylor (Pg. 99), the artist of their classic, Terrifyer, to reinvent the cover art. The result is a savage journey through a raw, exposed Pig Destroyer.
Vinyl:
1443, Neon Violet Standard Gram
355, Custom Marble Standard Gram *Relapse.com Exclusive*
235, Black Ice with Metallic Silver Glitter Standard Gram *Relapse.com Exclusive*
182, Translucent Yellow Standard Gram *North America Indie Retail Exclusive* (Not available through Relapse.com)
100, Clear (Not available to the public – Friends of band and label only)
PreOrder at Relapse.
Shows:
Sept 21 – Daytona Beach FL @ Iron Horse Saloon (Night Shift Party Weekend w/ Sick of It All, Strife, Internal Bleeding, etc.)
Oct 5 – Mexico City, MX @ Off Limits Fest (w/ 7 Seconds, Infest, Dropdead, etc.)
Oct 17 – Chicago IL @ Reggies *
Oct 18 – Detroit MI @ The Crofoot *
* w/ The Red Chord
Lamb Of God Ashes of the Wake 20th Anniversary Epic/Legacy Recordings
August 30, 2024
After releasing two globe-halting albums on indie label Prosthetic Records, Lamb Of God was signed to Epic Records. Ashes of the Wake needed to be a statement as well as a killer album. Spoken in the same breath as Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, Unearth, and others, Lamb Of God pioneered a sound which captivated the world. Blending a dash of Sepultura, Pantera, At The Gates, and American hardcore, the band received praise from critics and fans, proving to Epic that metal could sell in large numbers without shedding any integrity. The band has stayed the course (despite European legal charges and the parting of Chris Adler) touring the world and harvesting new fans.
This year is the 20th Anniversary of Ashes of the Wake, served on yellow smoke vinyl, 2XLP, out August 30. Side D boasts five bonus tracks and remixes including one by Justin Broadrick of Godflesh and Jesu, one by Kublai Khan TX, one by Malevolence, plus demo and live versions.
Preorder at Lamb Of God Store.
***This is an exclusive 20th Anniversary edition. Revolver and Brooklyn Vegan have a 2XLP Edition, Orange w/Red Smoke, LTD to 500. But, they do have the remixes/live cuts on Side D. They have three demos and an un-released B-Side, “Another Nail in Your Coffin.” The record is out September 30.
