The heaviest label in Manchester returns for a savage collection of music!
Church of Fuck have just released False Metal Eternal, a 30 track compilation featuring the COF roster as well as an additional 16 bonus tracks from various friends of the label. You can download the entire thing from the widget below. Even though this has been billed as a free compilation, the option to pay whatever you want for it is available so be a cool guy/gal and support one of the best labels in the UK.
The full track list for False Metal Eternal (including bonus tracks) can be viewed below:
1. TRUDGER – State Of Constant Slumber (EXCLUSIVE NEW TRACK from upcoming LP ‘Dormiveglia’)
2. CAÏNA – We Sleep
3. ITHACA – Ashes
4. ICED OUT – Death Riders (ft. MR of Old Skin)
5. ESOTERIC YOUTH – Förlåt
6. PSYWARFARE – Arrival
7. LET IT DIE – Boredom/Inertia
8. CARA NEIR – The Last Siren
9. OLD SKIN – Moral//Panic
10. HEKSED – Love You To Death (Type O Negative cover)
11. RAZOREATER – Hashishins
12. DEATHSEEKERS – Carnage
13. CHOLERA – Puppet
14. MAGIC MOMENTS – Strangelove (Depeche Mode cover)
15. KASHYYYK – SSRI (Exclusive track recorded for FALSE METAL ETERNAL) (BONUS)
16. COLD FELL – Onward To Helvellyn (BONUS)
17. VOE – Rust (BONUS)
18. F. EMASCULATA – X-Files (BONUS)
19. RESET TO ZERO – Lamb And Goat Full Moon Embrace (BONUS)
20. VOID FORGER – Relief (BONUS)
21. GATECREEPER – Overdose (BONUS)
22. GLARUS – Fire (BONUS)
23. OBLIVIONIZED – Hope Is The First Sign Of Defeat (BONUS)
24. GRIMMNESS – Parasite (BONUS)
25. SEVENTH CIRCLE – Blind Slaves (BONUS)
26. TEEF – Anxiety (BONUS)
27. BAST – Denizens (BONUS)
28. KATO – Dust Of Earth (BONUS)
29. MASS – Numbing (BONUS)
30. STEPHEN TREPAK – No Sympathy For The Wretched (BONUS)
Cholera have come a long way since their début. Formed under the name Hades, the band were Church of Fuck’s first signing back in 2012. After some line-up changes the band reformed under the name Cholera and released their ‘Egotism’ EP later in the year. Now after a year of further fine-tuning and another member change the band return with their most powerful and focussed record yet. This is ‘Plagiarised Hope’ and it’s an absolute beast of a hardcore EP.
This new 7” EP is all over in under 11 minutes and it packs as much ferocity and anguish you possibly could into those 11 minutes. The band clearly draw influence from bands like Full of Hell, Trap Them and even Church of Fuck alumni like Esoteric Youth and Iced Out. This is a huge melting pot of hardcore, black metal and power violence that quite simply assaults the senses from the get-go.
One of the highlights comes in the form of ‘Anonymous’ which manages to cram all these ideas into a single song with a horrible, noise-ridden outro to round everything off nicely (or horribly depending on how you look at it).
Cholera clearly appreciate the need for a solid riff to bolster their absolutely frantic playing style and songs like ‘Raped’ succeed in offering a real neck-bothering riff that punches you in the gut Entombed-style.
Other great inclusions come with the wonderfully blackened tremolo-picking in ‘Swelling’ and ‘Eyeless’ which definitely showcase the Esoteric Youth influences on the band’s sound. Hardcore fans will have a lot to like on this record and Cholera sound tighter and more accomplished than ever.
If anything the only real negative we can throw at the record is that the UK is home to a considerably large number of these so called ‘Entombed-core’ bands and despite Cholera’s obvious proficiency for writing brilliant hardcore songs they aren’t really offering anything new and it would be easy to confuse them with bands like Razoreater or End Reign.
So Cholera aren’t particularly original but so what? ‘Plagiarised Hope’ is an absolutely stunning 7” that takes all the best parts of modern hardcore and delivers an immensely satisfying slab of chaos. If you have any interest in the genre then Cholera make an excellent starting point and ‘Plagiarised Hope’ showcases a hugely accomplished sound that highlights the best parts of the scene. Cholera have never sounded so strong.
8/10
Cholera’s ‘Plagiarised Hope’ is out this month on Church of Fuck and Holy Ground Records.
Normally a one-man black metal behemoth, Caïna will play a full band show at the Camden Black Heart in honour of his 10th anniversary under the Caïna name.
Caïna take to the stage at the Camden Black Heart on July 5th with support from fellow Church of Fuck luminaries Esoteric Youth and Old Skin. Tickets can be bought for £6 in advance from Bleak Metal or you’ll have to pay £8 on the door.
Caïna is also taking set-list requests so if you want to hear the band play a specific song from their back catalogue you can head over to Caïna’s Facebook page and request up to 3 songs. In addition to all this the show will also be filmed for a future Caïna release.
We recently reviewed the latest Caïna material which forms a part of the Esoteric Youth / Caïna split that is due out on Church of Fuck soon. Read our review here and pre-order the limited edition cassette here.
Another Church of Fuck split release and another double-dose of raw, unfiltered aggression. Esoteric Youth and Caïna have teamed up for a supremely blackened affair that fans of the heavier end of the metal spectrum will be immensely satisfied with.
ESOTERIC YOUTH
Those horrible Mancunian bastards return with more fire in their belly than ever before. Esoteric Youth continue their trend of sounding ever more horrendous and foreboding with their blackest material to date.
The band’s sound is still rooted in hardcore and that of the Entombed variety, but the tremolo picking that was scattered throughout their ‘The Burden of Living’ EP is used liberally on Kvarblivelse and definitely highlights a more concerted effort to meld their existing sound with black metal.
Förlåt backs off the tremolo picking for a slower-paced arrangement that makes use of the other key element of Esoteric Youth’s sound. The stark, reverb-heavy guitar leads return and add to the already dense and bleak atmosphere that the band have created. Esoteric Youth have definitely found their comfort zone and have created a sound that is so them that you’d accuse any other band employing similar tactics as rip-off merchants.
These two tracks are also given an extra boost by the wonderful production work. Recording and mixing was tackled by Joe No Studio (AKA the house of hardcore) and mastering was handled by Brad Boatright who’s worked with the mighty Nails. This is probably the brightest Esoteric Youth have sounded to date but there’s just the right amount of filth in that guitar tone to make the mix polished but disgusting at the same time.
This is an incredibly dark and intense offering from Esoteric Youth that just goes to show that these boys haven’t even begun to hit their stride yet.
9/10
CAÏNA
One-man black metal machine Caïna returns with more new material following his Church of Fuck comeback ‘Earth Inferno’. Caïna’s black metal leanings are relentless yet atmospheric examples of the genre and opener We Sleep progresses from unbridled wrath to a much more delicate and textured composition.
Apocrypha takes the ferocity of We Sleep’s opening and sticks with it for a full 2 and a half minutes. This song also features guest vocals from Esoteric Youth’s Dom Moss as well as Church of Fuck head honcho and Cold Fell vocalist Laurence Taylor. While it’s fun to hear Caïna tackle something that’s just plain heavy, it lacks the impact of the wonderfully atmospheric opener. Caïna is definitely at his best when he takes his songs to interesting places that are built from varying soundscapes.
What really hurts Caïna’s side of the release is the man’s insistence of doing everything himself. Caïna is clearly a talented guitarist and songwriter but the programmed drums*, weak production and dodgy vocal mix aren’t doing him any favours. The vocals in particular have a habit of spiking which makes for an unpleasant listening experience with headphones on.
Caïna’s side of this split showcases an extremely talented musician making thoughtful, progressive black metal that is extremely well structured. It’s just a bit of a shame that the dirty, slap-dash nature of the production cheapens the experience to a degree.
6/10
Esoteric Youth and Caïna’s split EP releases this month on Church of Fuck and Swarm of Nails. Keep on eye on those webstores for pre-order links.
*Caïna has since clarified that these recordings do not actually contain programmed drums.
Before we start our list of the 10 best EPs of 2013, please remember that this list was decided by one person and therefore represents the opinions of one person. This will likely not reflect your own opinion but that’s okay; there’s room for more than one opinion in this crazy world of ours and your’s is just as valid. As per the theme of UK Scumscene, this list also contains releases by UK bands ONLY. Okay then, let’s get this show on the road:
5) Confine – Setting Fire to the Western Hemisphere
What we said:
“Setting Fire to the Western Hemisphere is a like a wet dream for grindcore fans. Confine have managed to put together a fearsome, devastating slab of extremity that is bolstered by brilliant riffs, unbelievable drumming and some of the best arranged screaming on any metal record. Some actual thought went into this release; how often to you get to say that about a grindcore record?”
Cactus&Cardigan are a band that shouldn’t be shrugged off for taking on a humorous persona. Yes, this EP does have songs called ‘Smegma’ and ‘George Michael Cums Cobwebs’, but what Cactus&Cardigan excel at is making heavy noise-rock stuffed full of Earth-shattering riffs that won’t leave you. Despite being a band who exclusively use harsh vocals, they also manage to make every song on ‘Gag Reflex’ sound extremely memorable and the daft nature of the lyrics actually adds a lot of charm to the record. If anything Cactus&Cardigan sound like they had the time of their life making this EP and it’s been a staple of my listening in 2013.
3) Esoteric Youth – The Burden of Living
What we said:
“Regardless, this is a minor complaint on what is one of the most furious metal releases I’ve heard in some time. At the moment, Esoteric Youth are the kings of UK blackened hardcore and The Burden of Living solidifies their position as one of the country’s most important heavy bands. This EP is undoubtedly the best release by the band so far and I’d hate to be in their position now because this is the watermark that will be held against everything they do from here on in. Congratulations and good luck guys.”
“Old Skin might be a fresh face but ‘MÆRE’ showcases a level of talent and song-writing that is heads and shoulders above their peers. This EP is a master-class in how to create a haunting atmosphere without losing any of the impact that heavy music delivers. Old Skin have delivered a thought-provoking first release that has to be one of the best débuts of any band.”
Press to Meco’s ‘Affinity’ is an EP that everyone needs to own. It’s quite simply the most original-sounding record I heard all year and the 3 lads from Croydon should be honoured to have created such incredible, genre-melding yet superbly catchy rock music.
What we said:
“It’s becoming far too difficult to find the words to say how important Press to Meco’s Affinity is. The band manage to blend progressive metal and post hardcore with an unsettling ease and make one of the most amazing experiences to come out of the UK heavy music scene in a very long time. Affinity is a brilliant rock record that you’ll seriously regret not jumping at when this band launch stratospheric. Buy this EP.”
We returned to co-host Catbird’s Sunday Roasting beside James Begley of Hybris on the 24th of November 2013. Below is a list of our picks for the show and links to online stores that allow you to purchase the releases they are featured on. We thoroughly recommend you scope out the bands we featured as we truly believe they are some of the best UK rock and metal artists doing the rounds:
Hearts Under Fire – You Are: Convenience (buy here)
Old Skin – Hag//Ridden (buyhereplease)
Esoteric Youth – Senicide (buyhere)
Black Spiders – Stick it to the Man (buy here)
Tempestora – Relentless (buy here. Album review live on this website 26/11/2013)
Tune into Catbird’s Sunday Roasting next week for a special interview with Jamie Lenman as well as a live acoustic sessionCANCELLED AND BEING MOVED TO A DIFFERENT DATE. It’s going to be special.
In what must be the UK tour of the year, Exhaustion and Employed to Serve are hitting the road in October for a run of 5 dates. Check out the full list of dates below or go to the event page for the tour on Facebook here:
16/10 – Brighton, Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
17/10 – London, Camden Unicorn
18/10 – Bristol, The Red Lion
19/10 – To be confirmed
20/10 – Leeds, The Fenton
Yet to check out either band? Stream Exhaustion’s Demo by clicking here or check out one of our reviews of both Employed to Serve releases by clicking here or here.
Employed to Serve also play the Camden Unicorn tomorrow night with Heksed, Esoteric Youth, Death Pedals and Iced Out. It’s free and it starts at 7pm. We’ll be there as well!
Those loveable scamps at Church of Fuck are running a flash sale that is only active tonight until 9pm BST. Every order placed from now until 9pm with a “mystery free gift”. Knowing the quality of Church of Fuck releases thus far, you may want to get on board and see what turns up in your mailbox.
Ladies and gentlemen, Esoteric Youth have arrived. Manchester’s blackened hardcore darlings might have debuted back in 2012 with their self-titled demo, but their new 4 track EP The Burden of Living is on a completely different level. Esoteric Youth might have set themselves a ridiculously high bar that they’re going to have trouble beating for the rest of their career, but who really cares when they’ve delivered a record as ferocious as this?
The Burden of Living is one of the most intense metal releases you will hear this year. That might sound like hyperbole but when the band effortlessly change from hardcore riffing to pure, black metal, tremolo picking and then bolster it with the loudest, twangiest bass possible, it’s hard to argue against it. This EP is an absolute assault on the ears and vocalist Dom Moss sounds like he’s pouring his heart and soul into every harrowing, vicious scream. Esoteric Youth have undoubtedly mastered their special blend of blackened hardcore with finesse.
The real impact of the band’s brutality lies in the guitar work which is carefully textured to give the riffs maximum impact. The way this is done is through the use of atmospheric guitar work which is generally played higher up the neck and with a nice helping of reverb to create a stark, bleak tone. This is then married with the biting crunch of each song’s riffs to create a brilliant contrast that Esoteric Youth can claim entire ownership of.
The only real negative I can draw on this record is the fact that the bass is so high in the mix. You can almost always hear it popping and clattering its’ way through every song and while it does add a lot of impact, it can drown out the guitar work on occasion. It’s also a slightly more noticeable issue when you’re listening with headphones as it generally makes the audio clip which is obviously not a pleasant thing to listen to.
Regardless, this is a minor complaint on what is one of the most furious metal releases I’ve heard in some time. At the moment, Esoteric Youth are the kings of UK blackened hardcore and The Burden of Living solidifies their position as one of the country’s most important heavy bands. This EP is undoubtedly the best release by the band so far and I’d hate to be in their position now because this is the watermark that will be held against everything they do from here on in. Congratulations and good luck guys.
9/10
Esoteric Youth’s The Burden of Living will be released on 7″ vinyl through Church of Fuck and Moshtache Records. You can pre-orderit now.
Metallic hardcore mob Esoteric Youth are back with the follow up to their self-titled demo. This split with Prelude to the Hunt sees them unleash a blackened slab of crusty hardcore in the form of the song Instinct. The song shows Esoteric Youth at their most ferocious and rips its’ way through your head in just over a minute. There’s a surprising amount of depth in such a short song with a real highlight being the tremolo picking which creates a wonderfully bleak atmosphere.
The 2nd song on Esoteric Youth’s side of this split is a rather amazing cover of Deftones’ Minerva. While the original song is reminiscent for being a spacey, rock opera, Esoteric Youth’s take on the song turns it into a massive slab of post metal that sits somewhere nicely between Cult of Luna and Converge. This is a really impressive showing from these Mancunian mentals.
Also worthy of note is the increase in quality regarding the production and mix from Esoteric Youth’s demo. This is huge sounding stuff that makes the band sound beastly. This is exactly the sort of push Esoteric Youth needed to make their music give the sheer impact it deserves.
This is a really impressive taster of what Esoteric Youth have brewing for their next release. The band have come a long way since their debut and with metal as good as this they deserve to go all the way.
9/10
PRELUDE TO THE HUNT
Doomy hardcore nutters Prelude to the Hunt return after a long gap between their debut EP First Rites. Tomb World sees the band on top form as usual and shows how brilliantly they can cross hardcore with doom metal. The song starts with a crushing sludge riff before exploding into a hardcore punk beat and picking up some serious pace. A lot of bands are making this kind of music but not many of them sound as downright vicious as Prelude to the Hunt.
Prelude to the Hunt’s 2nd track takes the form of a cover of Reparations by Cursed. Unlike Esoteric Youth’s cover, Prelude to the Hunt play the song with almost no changes outside vocal delivery and guitar tone. The cover is still admirably played and comes with all the dirt and crust you’d expect from a Prelude to the Hunt song, but it’s a shame the band didn’t try to cover a song they could really stamp with their style.
Overall Prelude to the Hunt still manage to impress with their punky doom. Their music is angry, crushing and most importantly vital which makes for an incredibly visceral listening experience. Prelude to the Hunt have mastered their art and are bound to impress us again with whatever they’re cooking up for their next release.
8/10
The limited edition cassette release of this from Church of Fuck is sadly sold out. However, you can still download the thing from Church of Fuck’s Bandcamp. Make sure you do.
Please remember that UK Scumscene only features bands based in the UK and we'd appreciate it if you'd send a download of the record you want reviewed and NOT a stream. Don't forget to attach a press kit and artwork!
UK Scumscene 