This review was supposed to appear a few days ago, but I sadly got sidetracked by listening to some random music on youtube. Quite shameful yes, especially since this release is a really important one and should be payed much attention.
The split about which you will read below has been floating around the internet for a couple of days now, thus most of you are probably familiar with it. Although people are massively downloading it, I noticed that not everyone is aware of the whole story and the actual cause of the split, so this really needs to be corrected, especially since that is the thing that immediately made a wish in me to have the release posted on my blog. The fact of the matter is that this record is the only material in more than a year's time that I handpicked to post, a release which was not previously requested by a band to be reviewed, so I guess that that alone is enough to say how much I was thrilled with this.
Back in December 2011 I did an interview with "Masakari", which you can read here in case you missed it, and one particular question was addressing the band's love for dogs and pit bulls in particular. This record comes as a further explanation and materialization of their, and that of the band "Tempest", infatuation with these wonderful creatures, the split being a benefit for two organizations fighting for and supporting a truly noble cause. All of the money, a complete 100%, collected through this split will be donated to "HugAbull Advocacy & Rescue Society" from Vancouver, BC and "Wiggle Butts Bully Rescue" of Cleveland, Ohio. The wish of both the bands and the record label is to not only support the people associated with these organizations, but to also increase awareness about breed specific legislation and general awareness regarding animal cruelty and ways of how we, as humans, should treat our non-human friends. This is the kind of action through music that definitely deserves full attention and admiration, thus I would appreciate if my readers would check out this split and help the cause if they can. Even if you are not fond of these bands and this label, pay heed to what they are trying to do, since it is truly applause worthy. Also, please visit the websites of the above mentioned organizations for any further information or ways to get involved and help. You can do so on the following addresses:
Concerning some technical information about the split, it comes in the form of a 7'' EP and is limited to 500 copies with a double-sided fold-over jacket. You can grab it on the website of "Replenish Records" found here or you can just take a listen and download it for free on the above posted bandcamp page.
First in line on the split is "Masakari", the band deciding to contribute with a song called "X. Pain Conceived As A Tool". Press play and get pulverized in an instant, the Ohio quintet opening with full aggression and no remorse for your ears. The song lasts less than two minutes, but it is absolutely enough to set you in the mood perfectly and blow your mind away in the process, continuing with the speed and energy for which this band is well-known for. Ripping out a perfect mixture of hardcore and d-beat/crust, this song definitely heats up the excitement about the upcoming "Masakari" summer tour in Europe. This split also shows what kind of mayhem and chaos one can expect at their show, since the two tracks on their side are actually the same song, one as an "unreleased" and the other as a "live" version. So the live version, track two, comes with a very neat explanation of the song and what this split is about basically. Add to that the fact that the band literally slayed with the way they performed the song and the overall excellent quality of the recording and you get a real time-bomb of a record side.
"Tempest" holds the second half of this split and they hold it firmly. To be honest, I have never listened to this band before, since they are hanging out on my rather long "to-listen" list due to the fact that I'll see them live a couple of times this summer. I saw that people are really saying amazing things about the band on the internet and this split showed me why. Formed in 2007 in British Columbia, Canada, this five piece band charges and tramples over you with a superb combination of dark hardcore and screamo, reminding me of an amalgam consisting of "June Paik", "Danse Macabre" and "Zann". So far I have just listened to this split, thus I don't know what their previous material sounds like, but I can definitely hear a lot of tones influenced by the famous German wave of chaotic screamo. The song on this split, called "Death Rattle", is a purely excellent piece, being overtly aggressive while bearing an amazing atmospheric trait. It paints a rather complex image in the head of the listener with a lot of various shifts in melody, interesting bridges and an omnipresent wave of massive sound crashing on you. Similarly to "Masakari", "Tempest" brought two versions of a single song on this split, one being a remaster and one a live recording. And again they have devastated the audience with the second track much in the same fashion as their split mates. A clean recording where the bass playing really comes as being fantastic, a tidbit I found quite amusing.
Overall, this is a fantastic split, both because of the bands and their performance, but also because of the action they took with the label to help the lives of others who can't fight for their rights. I myself will definitely be buying this release and I respect anyone else who will do the same, be it for the love of the bands or for the love of our furry (or otherwise) friends. Check it out and thank you.
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