Serration - Ease yourself back into consciousness

Better way late than never rings true here. 

I will put out there that the members of serration are good friends of mine, but that won't become a bias within this review. 

This 4 song release, coming in at a quick 7 minutes and 12 seconds brings everything I enjoy about this band into a strong culmination. Serration bring a slightly more compelling sound to the metalcore genre in my eyes. In the midst of their aggressive songs, I find there are only tasteful hits of those sharp dissonance accents that seem to be a favourite for most bands recently. While I listen to songs like downpour I am fully encapsulated by the opening riff, that transitions into multiple tempo changes that upon first listen left me surprised. Colter does a great job of providing strong transitions on drums, while leaving Jose and Jake on guitar to keep the aggressive deep guitar running wild. 

Cody brings his strong lyrical content to downpour. The most notable in my mind "How just a trace of hope has lead me to a lifetime of lie. You promised me a life of brightness, but your darkness fills the sky". I think this is a great opening track for this release, as it combines everything I think Serration is accomplishing. Strong guitar riffs, great lyrical content with a strong vocalist, as well as hard hitting drums. 

The Event Horizon comes in at track 2. Beginning the track with a faster tempo than downpour, but following this with a tasteful hit of dissonance accompanied by Cody's strong vocals and we have a recipe for a notable track. This track also features guest vocals from John Pettibone of Himsa/Heriess. Something that I learned while writing this review up. Matt's bass lines in this song stand out for me. Following the intricate riffs that Jake and Jose pull off, and supporting the dissonant notes when required. Matt has added to the tracks tastefully, adding bass runs when necessary and allowing them to be picked up by the listener with admiration. 

My favourite lyrics off this song are "I felt the rising tide at my tired feet. I feel the earth is drowning, and I can barely breathe". 

Lying figure comes in at track 3, and I think this song gets one of the strongest reactions live. It is a mix of violently heavy, groovy as all hell and brings inspiration to metalcore from the 90's with Cody's vocal delivery. Some may say that 1:36 is too short of a conclusion to this song, and I would partially agree. It is concise and to the point, and is an unrelenting 1:36 song. Once again Colter can change the overall mood of the song instantaneously, at one point making you want to bang your head and enjoy the culmination of all 5 members' intensity, followed by the need to set it off by either dancing, grooving on the side of the floor, or whatever your heart desires. Furthermore, the addition of the quick blast beat prior to the groovy tempo change is a great addition. Lying figure also has the most notable breakdown off the release, and when witnessed live in tends to sound heavier than the record. 

Favourite lyrics off this track delivered in the turmoil-esque " All this without you, time set aside while we wait to watch you fall. The price that you paid is now sweat off my back. Just taking advantage of the trust I had".

The title track Ease yourself back into consciousness wraps up the four song release, coming in just over 1 minute long. It is heavy. There are strong drum transitions that really bring out the guitar. The bell hits during the end of the breakdown appear to drastically change the sound, accomplishing a lot, with a minor change. I'm keeping this one short, since this track is short and to the point. It hits hard and is a great conclusion. 

I'm looking forward to what Serration will put out next. This release built on the success of their split with Dying Wish, and Shrine of eternal Life. The band keeps improving and I'm confident the next release will continue in this direction. 

You can check our Serration on bandcamp where you can purchase all three of their releases for about ten dollars currently. (https://serrationab.bandcamp.com/). As well as spotify if you are streaming. 

Trench - Blossom

This may be one of my most played releases of 2020, and rightfully so.

I watched trench for the first time in 2019 in Calgary. At that point in time they had released a 3 song released titled The Gift of Guilt. The intro during the song Infinite Husk drew me in instantly as the atmosphere began to grow on stage. The growing tone from both guitars, coupled with the Synth by vocalist Jay Breen were executed just over a minute in to release what Trench do so well. Fast doom inspired guitar riffs, paired with hard hitting drums and deep underlying bass. It strikes with full force as I could do nothing but nod along.

Green to Gray follows,  with what could be one of my favourite riffs of that first release. Jay's vocals and lyrical timing stand out for me on this song, and more so on their newest release Blossom (Songs: Hellbent Gate  and more so on Crystal Shame). I cannot help but follow along as Jay leads the listener through the song, with the heavy guitar riffs supporting every word and syllable.  My first listen through Blossom was caught off guard multiple times, as I expected the vocals to take the sideline while the guitars ripped ahead. To my surprise, They came together and filled my headphones fully, giving me something I didn't want to escape.


Both Bryce and Cole bring an incredible amount of presence to this album. From melodic riffs, to incredible heavy breakdowns and technical sections, these two provide a sound that I think is summarized in the Become Fulfilled.  It brings the slower atmospheric rhythm coupled with melodic leads that I can only compare to Misery Signal's Of Malice and Magnum Heart. That is a steep comparison, that I have yet to make while listening to new releases, but I believe it is the most fitting. Another example of this occurs on Blossom II, the closing track to this release.  It sounds like a darker and deeper Worlds and Dreams. Tommy Chan stands out as his fills during this track give a powerful energy and are fully aligned with the mood of this song. The softer cymbal work towards the beginning of the song accentuate the guitar melody being created. Tony Chan contrasts the driving high gain tone on Blossom I, to something more subdued and but still strong enough to come through the intricate drum work of his brother. The song continues to grow, with both guitars and synth giving more strength to the melody, and finally culminating in a compelling buildup that left me replaying the record from the beginning.

Blossom accomplishes what some hardcore and metal albums miss the mark on, and that is that from beginning to end the album is seamless. Songs such as Patience showcase the more experimental side of Trench, but throughout my many listens I have yet to fast forward. It provides a great transition from Cosmic Grave, 1:33 of punishing guitar, with Jay providing the dissonant notes on the synth. After listening to Patience, comes one of Trench's singles, Hellbent Gate, featuring Jesse Zaraska of Misery Signals.

Both Jesse and Jay's vocal styles work well together exhibited in an almost "call and answer" dynamic. Originally I thought that Jesse would overpower Jay, but

Misery Signal fans will no doubt be glad to hear Jesse's voice  after Jay's delivery of one of my favourite lyrics:

Fear from ear to ear reformed in the shape of a smile
We cannot fake a face again for long
No more denying denial

I think this album will catch the attention of a lot of listeners. Those that are looking for something heavy, something different, something melodic, something punishing, or something that will keep them wanting more. Trench has grown from The Gift of Guilt, and if Blossom is their second step, I cannot imagine what their next release will bring to the table.

The zine is complete. Issue 2 has been printed in a template for now to figure out how I want to lay it out.
If any of you car, its a full page print, not this half page stuff. We're playing big boy games.

Interviews include: Trapped Under Ice, Bad Choice, Shut Eyes, Planet x Danger.

More of a local lineup, but I'm okay with that!

Hope you guys are as stoked as I am on it.

Come grab it at a show, or just send me an email or find another way to get into contact with me.

Laters!

I got the chance to interview my good friend Chris Killingsworth from Shut eyes this weekend, and was super stoked on it. He mentions an EP which gets me psyched for some local guys going big by themselves. Have a gander and make sure you visit their myspace and download the demo or the split with emergency!

So Chris, how long have you and Shut Eyes been together?

I have been together for a little over 21 years, and Shut Eyes has been together for a little over a year.

So, what sparked the name change from "Get Wise" to "Shut Eyes"?

The name change sparked out of a couple different things that occured. We named the band after The First Step song "Get Wise", and for what it meant. The 3 original members (Cody, Pat, and I) had a lot of angst, and hatred for a lot of the things going on in our local scene, and "Get Wise" seemed to be a fitting name for what we wanted people to do. I guess we just wanted people to pick up the slack, and see that a lot of their bullshit was the reason that venues were getting shutdown, and people stopped caring about hardcore. After playing some shows under this name, we were told that there was a band from Kitchener/Waterloo area that was called "Get Wise" from 2001-2002. After we found that out, and saw that kids started putting their hearts back into the music- we decided to change the name to Shut Eyes, which seems to be a lot more fitting.

The band recently recorded your Demo, and its hard as hell! Are there any plans for more releases? Vinyl pressings?

Well our demo was released the summer the band started which would have been the summer of 2008. We released a split with our friends in Emergency in the summer of 2009, and we are about to release our EP "XVII" in a little while. Although we would be happy releasing our music on vinyl, it just isn't financially feasable right now. We have had some labels interested in working with us, but I guess we are afraid of label commitment right now, and still want to do the majority of things ourselves. I can say that XVII will be released on casette//digital download, in the coming month or so.

You guys have played with some pretty big bands since starting up a few years ago, what present bands do you guys take influence from? I know most of the guys are into Madball and the heavy hitters from the 90's, but I hear more of a Trapped Under Ice/ Mother Of Mercy meets Cro-Mags. Whats your opinion on my analysis? hahaha

As far as influences go, this band is all over the map. I find it really weird that no one every really compares us to anything going on in hardcore right now, and thats a plus, and a negative. Plus, in the sense that we know that we are doing something fresh, and unique, but minus in the sense that sometimes I feel like were doing something wrong, like maybe we should be compared to something else thats going in hardcore right now. As a band we are influenced by a lot of different music, and that contributes to the sound quite a bit. Pat is into bands like Ruiner, Blacklisted and the Carrier. Cody is into bands like The Wonder Years, and Lifetime. Chris is into bands like Terror, and Trapped Under Ice. Drew is into pretty much whatever Chris is listening too, and I'm into that NY sound, and 90's grunge. All of those influences (and more) mashed together- is Shut Eyes.

How many members of your band are straight edge? How much does this effect the writing process lyrically?

Drew, and I are the only members of Shut Eyes that are straight edge. Chris, and Pat are the two members that could never live this lifestyle. (Although Pat was straight edge in high school for a period of time. He claimed edge on the Sunday night, and broke by the following Friday night for 5 dollars at a party). Cody played guitar in straight edge band that I sang in, but he never claimed the title. He's kind of the "happy medium" between Drew and I, and Chris, and Pat. Straight Edge doesn't really affect the lyrics all that much. I played in an edge band when I was younger, and got all my hate out earlier in my life. That, and my best friends play in a band called Planet x Danger, so I have nothing to rant and rave about. The song Lurk, and the song World Of Lies have some straight edge undertones, but you probably won't find them.

What are you guys thinking of tour wise in the near future?

Touring is looking pretty good. We plan on doing some touring with Stay Young, and Planet Danger so be on the lookout for that. We want to make sure that the band is as active as possible over the summer because Cody, and I are going back to college come September. Not saying that the band is going to stop dead in its tracks, but we will be slowing down for a minute come September.

You guys have played basically every venue in Toronto. Whats your favorite place to play, and go to shows?

Yeah, we have played a lot of venues in Toronto, and its a bummer that some of them are getting shut down. For a bigger show, my favorite venue was definetly The Kathedral. Small ass stage, but lots of room to get down. For a smaller show, definetly Siesta Noveaux because its cozy, and theres a dog park across the street.

5 Best moshers:

Curtis Brox because of his unique technique
Bostin Gleva (because he can't see, and accidently put a girls tooth through her lip)
Polish Phil, because he's an animal, and a force to be reckoned with.
Ryan Ebony Leslie Perkins, because he's Ryan Ebony Leslie Perkins.
Sam Farrell because he's my 11 year old brother, and he pits harder than anyone in his grade.

Top 5 records currently being played:

Life & Times- Maximum Penalty
The Downward Spiral- Nine Inch Nails
Reincarnage- Born Low
The Big Picture- Big L
Master Killer- Merauder

Top 5 moshable songs:

Real Recognize Real- Icepick
Ananias- Planet X Danger
Kept Out- Backtrack
So Close To Defeat- Terror
Who's To Blame- Leeway

I got the chance to interview my friend Emmett from PXD the other day, after the release of their demo. If you haven't heard it, go check it out already!



So Emmett, what do you do in PlanetxDanger?
I play guitar!


What sparked the name for you guys, I heard some of the other possibilities but why did you guys end up picking PxD?
Hahaha ughh, we started as a joke band. The name is from that ad from back in the day with that robot being like "I'm Astar from Planet Danger, I cant put my arm back on, you can't" and then we decided to be a real band and we played too many shows to change our name. So now we're stuck with it haha


How long have you guys been straight edge for?
Umm I'm not sure for all the other dudes, but I myself have been edge almost 3 years now. Actually I know Craig has been for 4 years.


What bands have inspired the band the most, other than Bob and his gods in Madball?
As far as musically? Man its hard to pin it on one band, especially because I listen to so many different kinds. I just try and write evil sounding shit.


I heard some shit going on that someone said Bob was being an idiot when he was playing on of your first shows. What's the story behind that?
Haha I dunno. You'd have to ask Bob. Unless its about a bit of a tussle that went down once in St Kitts. That was all resolved but yeah some people were talkin on messageboards and stuff.



The new demo sounds heavy, where did you guys go to record? How was the process, and are you happy with the sound?
Thanks, We recorded with our boy Kent Sheehey of BOSS Studios. The process was awesome, and really quick and easy! Kent is the man and I knew exactly how I wanted it to sound and he helped achieve that tremendously. You're gonna see a LOT of Ontario bands with recordings done by him in the next little while.

How would you describe the Barrie hardcore scene compared to the hardcore scene in Toronto? What about the straight edge population?
Umm, as far as actual hardcore goes in Barrie, its us and Shut Eyes, and our close group of friends. But kids are starting to come out more and more which rules. I find Toronto to be mainly only interested in the 80's revival stuff. Most of the kids at the outta town band Toronto shows aren't even from Toronto. As far as straight edge in Barrie? Umm its basically our band, Chris Killingsworth and Drew from Shut Eyes and maybe a couple younger kids I don't know of!

What was the first band that got you into hardcore and the surrounding music scene?
Well I was going to punk shows and stuff first so it kinda naturally progressed. The first show I ever went to was Sum 41 and H20 in grade 7 haha. But my first hardcore show was A Day and A Deathwish in grade 9. My friend Carly told me I'd dig it so I went out, and I did.


Best story about the band people haven't heard.
One time we had a hotdog eating competition and had a whole bunch of leftover hotdogs (street meat size ones) and we went around Craig's neighborhood and put them all on the antennas of cars. The next day Craig saw a dude driving around with a hotdog on his antenna haha


Top 5 Records being played.
Agitator - Demo 2009
Entombed - Wolverine Blues
Shut Eyes - XVII (This rules, get stoked on this release!)
Piece by Piece - Piece by Piece
Owen - At home with (always)


Top 5 Songs making you mosh in your house.
Pantera - Domination (Hardest mosh part)
Bad Seed - Harsh Reality
Converge - Axe To Fall
Foundation - Evaporate
Terror - Not This Time


Oprah Winfrey, Hilary Clinton, and Paris Hilton. You have to marry one, kill one, and screw one. Go.
Kill 'Em All.

Justice from Trapped Under ice

I got the opportunity to have a super quick interview with Justice from TUI before they head out on tour with Polar Bear Club, Four Year Strong and Every Time I Die.

So many different bands, different Genres and problems getting along with those guys? [Four Year Strong, Polar Bear Club, Every Time I Die]


We've toured with polar bear club before and we really get along with and really like those guys. A few weeks ago we got stuck in Detroit for a few days because of snow. We went to a four year strong show and got to meet those guys. They seem great. I think all bands on the bill look forward to playing with different kinds of bands.


You guys have come and developed a lot from The demo? Any single thing or person you credit your success to?


You can't credit one person or thing for the success of a band. It's a lot of work from everyone in our band, Reaper records, and lots of other bands who help us out.



Where do you find the inspiration to write your lyrics?


My life and surroundings




How did you get introduced into the hardcore scene? And how did TUI come about?


I got introduced to hardcore very young. I liked punk rock music and went to some bigger punk shows with friends. My first hardcore show was hatebreed and death threat. I started jamming around with different groups of people around the area. Sam and me had a straight edge band called nick fury. After that, we started trapped under ice.


Favorite band that you have toured with?


We all really get along with terror, rise and fall, and cruel hand. Musically, we were lucky enough to do a bunch of dates with madball on the 10 for 10 tour last summer.



Favorite up and coming band that you are listening to or think people should get into?


Naysayer and backtrack both are making great music and touring relentlessly. Also product of waste is one of my favorites. They're going to be hitting the road strong this summer. From the Baltimore area there is mindset and a much newer band called sacred love that i would keep an eye out for.



Best story that you can think of that happened on tour?


When we stayed with Tim from foundation and played with his bull terrier. They're my favorite kind of dog in the world!!



Any closing words or shout outs?


Reaper records

Interview With Adam of WITHDRAWAL

If you haven't heard of Withdrawal you either refuse to acknowledge their existance because of their heavy hard riffs, or you've been living in your parents basement, talking on the B9 board for hours on end. I had the chance to ask Adam some questions when they came back from their tour with Creatures. Adam is a super nice guy and Withdrawal plays with a great deal of intensity and energy. Check them out as soon as you're done reading this.



So, who are you and what do you do in Withdrawal?

my name is adam eldritch. i am the lyricist, front man, visual and artistic director for the group withdrawal. as well as defacto van driver, as the rest of my band tend to induldge alot in pschadelics and i am straight edge.

Whats it like being the only straight edge guy in Withdrawal?

Actually, our new guitar player is straight edge, i forgot about that. he plays in a straight edge band called ill fated. they're really great. it's kind of a hassle having to babysit the rest of the guys some nights but i deal.

thanks.


When did Withdrawal come around, and how did you guys start?

withdrawal started practicing in february 2008, and started touring in may of 2008. we had all known each other from our previous bands together, and going further back my twin brother joel and i had known gord in since middle school. and of course, i shared a womb with my brother.

it just so happened that all of our bands had broken up the same year and it was fairly natural that we'd start a band together and so we did. we tried out a different drummer at first but he had other things going on in his life and luckilly jeff stepped up to the plate. he is an integral part of the writing process. we had a different guitar player as well, but he couldn't handle the stress and pressure of the artist's meager lifestyle we lead so we had to part ways with him.


When did you form your opinion on Religion?

contrary to popular belief and most peoples initial reaction when they see our visuals and lyrical content or our affiliation with the holy terror process church of final judgement, we don't hate religion. i certainly don't and in fact i find lots of religious imagary and lore to be infinitely inspiring from an artistic standpoint. particularly the works of gustav dore, the divine comedy.

that being said, i think there is nothing sadder than someone who needs a ghost in the sky and a firey boogy man in the earth to dictate their lives. those people are foolish, often rich, white, homophobic, racist north americans. the worst people on the earth are people who don't have common sense, and to trust in a higher power than yourself is laughable.

we are a holy terror affiliated band, which is an offshoot of the social darwinist abraxas foundation and it itself being an extention of the church of satan. we believe that the strong rule the weak, and the clever rule the strong. we live in a society where rich, white, christians are telling you that you can't do what you feel like doing because they don't think you should, because of a couple of scribbles someone wrote on papyrus thousands of years ago when the world was thought to be flat and the sun revolved around the earth.


Summarize your opinion on God, for the readers who may not understand what that last questions was about?

he doesn't exist. if you think he does, your prayers are falling on deaf ears. stop throwing away your emotions and prayers and take control of your mind and your life. while we're at it, if you're in a christian hardcore band stay out of our scene.



What's the percentage of luck that you found a group of guys that all hate God and religion the exact same way?

well evidently not too good, because we don't hate god or religion the same way. each of us have our own thoughts and opinions on the matter but if you wanted to say that we operate on a similar wavelength of distaste for god and religion i think you'd be correct. but to say that anything 5 vastly different people from 5 different walks of life is the exact same would be wrong.


You guys recently finished up a tour with Creatures? How was that?

it was great. being from a area so far out of the north american touring circuit we were very fortunate to have a mutual friend from california suggest they get in contact with us about setting up the tour. the guys in creatures were also nice enough to let us accompany them into the north eastern united states. they're similar to us in that they've sacrificed alot to create the music that they like, their singer stephen has had a broken collar bone for a little over a year now but he can't afford to fix it AND tour so he chose to tour. i respect that alot, and we're eternally thankfull for the chance they took on us touring with them.

it was our first time out there and for the most part the response we received was great. alot of great shows with some of the only interesting hardcore bands out there. we played a frat house in ann arbour, michigan that was probably the best venue i've ever been to in my life. we got hit by a bus in new york city, and we broke down just outside of boston. those are the kinds of storms you have to weather though. we got to see just how awful and scary baltimore, maryland is. that was quite the culture shock.



Where was the best show that you played on that tour?

tough choice: the metal frat in ann arbour, michigan was great because they set up a vegan buffet for the bands and the show was in a giant frat house. a pretty rowdy show... alot of kids came out to support the scene there, i enjoyed it. metamora, illinois was great too just because we played a really good set. it was just one of those nights where i think everything came together well.



Who was the most influential band on Withdrawal?

i can only answer for myself, but i would have to say carolina gypsey lifestyle leading apocalyptic metalic hardcore legends "catharsis". musically and lyrically they were on an entire seperate level than any of the bland 90's metal mosh drivel that was coming out around the time. perhaps more importantly than that, they were a thinking person's hardcore band and they toured everywhere. they were fiercly independent and did things their own way, which is also the reason they are only remembered by a select few in hardcore as the bands who did things differentlly tend to not catch on.

they are highly suggested.


Top 5 Bands you are listening to right now?

alot of variety here, but tegan and sara, depeche mode, the sisters of mercy, crucified and carcass.


Top 5 records being played?

tegan and sara - sainthood (not their best work, but a couple of really great and quirky pop songs)
depeche mode - black celebration (in my opinion, the greatest and darkest album of all time. timeless)
slowdive - souvlaki (great pop songs awash in spectral and shimmering waves of sound)
nitzer ebb - ebbhead (dark industrial tinged EBM, great production on this record.)
crucified - split with steel nation (the best active hardcore band in hardcore today. scathing and blistering)



Top 5 worst World Leaders? In descending order haha

truthfully i don't really pay any attention to politics, so anything i would state would be an uninformed and uneducated guess. i live a selfish personal lifestyle and no amount of political reform is ever going to feel like it's directly effecting me.

www.myspace.com/withdrawal13