Sweatin' the Small Stuff, Part I: Best EPs, Splits, Comps, and Demos of 2012

After my favorite full lengths of the year, here are my favorite EPs, demos, comps, and splits of 2012. Split into two parts, this is part one numbers 20-11.


20. 

Cold Cave - A Little Death to Laugh

Three songs, last a throw away, middle one okay, first track the catchiest thing this year. Seriously. Listen here







19.

Graf Orlock - L.A.

What I can I say? Cinema grind nerds Graf Orlock tackle one of the  90's best films (Heat) and make an EP about it and the sociological side of the city its set in. Graf Orlock's more Tom Sizemore and DeNiro than the rest, but it's not all THAT crazy.





18. 

Adversarial / Antediluvian - Initiated in Impiety as Mysteries

Two titans of modern-retro-heavier-than-fuck-Incantationcore death metal, what more could you want? This one's grown on me for sure, ignore the pompous titles and enjoy the crushing and sometimes truly bizarre stuff they come up with.





17.

Closet Case - It Doesn't Get Better

Old school hardcore; something I know very little about. But Closet Case don't belong in this century  the need to be wearing old flannel shirts and living in bumble-fuck middle america in the 90's to sound this pissed. A promising demo. And man, what a cover. Listen here






16. 

Teitanblood - Woven Black Arteries

So Purging Tongues came out last year and I made a big stink about it  even though I had no clue what it sounded like.  Now they've re-released that track with another and put it on this CD for us dolts to buy. "Purging Tongues" is cool, a bit too muddy for my liking, but whatever. I'm really going by the new track which is good, a bit more normal except one thing : the toms are twice as high as everything else. Who the fuck mixed this thing? It's like making a guitarist's A string twice as loud as every other string, instrument, or  singer. It's pretty fucking annoying. Rabble. I still like this though. duuur. Listen here



15.

Spewtilator - Inhale Awaits

Fuck Sleep. They might have an awesome 13 hour album about potheads trapped in the desert, but Atlanta's now defunct Spewtilator were the kind of potheads that would eat all your food, fuck your house up then bail as your parents come home. Inhale Awaits is fun and much trashier then previous efforts. And dude, "Into the Crypt of Rays!?" C'mon. P//S Review



14.

Slave -Demo 2012

This is what you hear when you're waiting in line at the DMV thinking of driving a F-350 through the line and  ripping the place apart. Solid PV from these upstarts in Alabama. Despise You cover makes it about 73% 3000% better.






13.

Moloch / Closure - Split

Representing the UK, Moloch's scummy sludge pairs well with Closure's pitch black power violence. Dismal and pissed, both bands were made for each other. P//S Review

Listen here




12.

Protestant / Suffering Mind - Split

Suffering Mind aka the best straight up grind band out there, brings out the grindier side of Milwaukee hardcore ragers Protestant with this super short and rough 6". Truly DIY, truly awesome. P//S Review






11.

Faith Addiction - Order From Chaos

I can't tell if they sound more like a death metal band trying to play power violence, or a power violence band trying to play death metal. But, either way this short EP is heavy, viscous and hits like a haymaker. Excited for more from them. Listen here





Top 10 eps, splits, demos, and comps to come soon.

Springtime/Sunshine Grill Tunes

The weather's getting nicer, I'm slowly adding ice to my coffees and my pants are getting shorter by the day: Spring's here. While the weather's been a bit bipolar here in NYC (get it!?) I sense it's only a matter of time before I'm up to my knees in cans and hotdog bun wrappers. While I'm not shelving my black metal entirely, I feel it's time to show off some essential Spring to Summer listening.

Without further adieu, here are some albums to get spinnin' while you grill.

Anthrax - Among the Living
Maybe my favorite thrash album of all time. There's tons to sing along to and it's just plain fun.

 Danzig- I 

             

  

Perfect party music, "She Rides" and "Twist of Cain" are my jukebox favorites, they'll fit in outside too.

 Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

I know you're saying "black metal on a sunny day, HUH!?" but ABITNS has the awesome backbeat and groove of "Dethroned Emperor" Celtic Frost with some seriously great riffs.

 Graf Orlock - Destination Time: Yesterday

Summer actionflicks mixed with rhythmically diverse grindcore is exactly what that kilbasa needs.



Insect Warfare - World Extermination



Energetic, perfectly constructed and devastatingly heavy, World Extermination makes for a good time.

Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath

DBTO is full of headbangability and is a bit thrashier than the immaculate Melissa; "Welcome Princess of Hell" and "Nightmare" emphasize this perfectly.

Motorhead- No Sleep 'til Hammersmith

Only thing better then this would be Lemmy and co. 

sharing a brew with you and playing a gig

 for all your dumb friends. 

No Sleep 'til Hammersmith is Motorhead at their best.

             

Repulsion - Horrified

              Nothing happy about this, but  Scott's delivery and the simplistic headbanging riffs make this perfect grill side music.

Wehrmacht - Biermacht

Upbeat, fun, and energetic, this was Wehrmacht's crowning achievement. The best crossover album around.

Grill from Perpetual Strife on 8tracks.

2011 From a Vinyl Collecting Nerd

Here's some records I bought in the past year that didn't only sound great, but were some of the prettiest things I could've gotten. Depending on my budget, I'll try and make this a regular section, more or less for materialistic assholes like myself.

Thou - The Archer and The Owle

Gilead Media

Maybe the most lovelingly made of the bunch, the thick jacket with  

a raised design on a pristine white is  a real pleasure when you see 

it in person. Marble swirl wax with old fashion looking prints of owls is the icing on the cake.

Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless
Hydra Head

After my friend showed me his original pressing of this record, and further introduced me to the band back when I was just a little shit, I realized this is why I wanted to collect vinyl; for this album alone. Being far outside my budget, it wasn't until "Record Store Day" this year that Hydra Head repressed this beauty and I was able to snag one.

Graf Orlock - The Doombox

Vitriol Records
What else is there to say about a 10" ep and the band's 3 LP effort on a CD all housed inside a cardboard ghetto blaster with an instruction booklet containing lyrics and insight to them. Outlandish; maybe, but reading the liner notes and realizing the band's affinity for 90's action flicks is as much a teenager revery as it is a political statement is very gratifying.







Fell Voices - Fell Voices
Gilead Media

The beatifuly dense artwork courtesy of Rainbath visuals might've been enough for me, but Adam at Gilead didn't stop there. A huge poster, great patch, and nice clean looking card with the info on it round out this heavyweight release.

Gridlink - Orphan/Amber Grey
Hydra Head

If you're gonna pay Hydra Head prices, you're going to expect this level of quality. The jacket is beautiful and ridiculously thick and the red vinyl is a beautiful choice. Beyond that, it's the whole Gridlink discography on one record (including a remastered Amber Grey with added guitar and bass). This was the one I was looking forward to all of 2010, happy to have it.

Teiatanblood - Purging Tongues

Anja Offensive

Teitanblood's DLP Seven Chalices is probably one of my favorite records, not only for the twisted and frightening black/death metal they put out, but the absurd amount of detail and attention given in their truely occult and otherworldly artwork/liner notes. The music on Purging Tongues itself is something I'm still unsure about, but looking at the B side etching on this record is a clear indication of how crazy this band can get.