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.

Spewtilator - Inhale Awaits

Best cover art of the year

Inhale Awaits, the final bong rip from Hotlanta thrashtards Spewtilator, would of been a great addition to their budding catalog of deathgrind laced thrash; unfortunately, days after I received this ep, the band announced they were calling a quits.

It's hard to approach this knowing there will be nothing more, because frankly, I need more of this band. In roughly 5 years the band composed 3 eps which all put together probably span just over half an hour. Stylistically, Inhale Awaits, might be the band's best effort as it's definitely the thrashiest and contains an excellent cover of Celtic Frost's "Into Crypts of Rays." This time around the band has dropped any kind of grindcore influences and stick to the mid/fast-pace beat with some of their best riffs yet.

The EP starts with "Xanax Fury" which flexes the band's dynamic writing and energetic vibe as the song keeps jumping ship to different grooves and riffs making it hard to sit still. Where as the first track is all over the place, "Burn in Hell" is a midpaced Destructionesque kind of jam that involves some awesome higher registry vocals a'la Tommy A on Hell Awaits and relies on a nifty little riff. "Into Crypts of Rays" might be the best cover of that song I've heard as bands like Insect Warfare and Marduk have found ways to muck it up.

As I said, it's a shame that they couldn't make it to an LP or even to play for me in my apartment and do keg stands, but I digress. Inhale Awaits is an unevenly recorded piece of filth similar to how uneven sounding Hell Awaits was (which means it's good) and showcases the band's best thrash chops.

Play fast(er).