Lo « AusGrind: Australian underground grindcore, punk, doom and DIY culture.

22Jun/12Off

thedowngoing still hate your ears; release ATHOUSANDYEARSOFDARKNESS

Posted by Lachlan

Over the years Sydney 2-piece thedowngoing have proven to be one of Australia's darkest, nosiest, and most chaotic grindcore bands. The dastardly duo are set to release their newest aural atrocity "ATHOUSANDYEARSOFDARKNESS" next month.

The 12 track, 10 minute noisegrind experiment will be released via “Cancerous” Slimline CD and be available for streaming/purchasing/pirating at thedowngoing.blogspot.com from Friday July 20th, 2012.

The guys have also assembled one hell of a tour in support of the album:

FRIDAY JULY 13th - BUDERIM FUSION YOUTH CENTRE SUNSHINE COAST, QLD
w/ Idylls, Laeirs, Vile Specimen, Shackles & more

SATURDAY JULY 14th - FAT LOUIES BRISBANE, QLD
w/ Vassals, Brazen Bull & more

SATURDAY JULY 21st - SLAUGHTERFEST SYDNEY, NSW
All day festival at The Sandringham Hotel, Newtown
Feat. Agonhymn, Lo, Mother Eel, Mish, Brazen Bull, Moth, We Lost the Sea & more

SATURDAY JULY 28th - BENDIGO HOTEL COLLINGWOOD, VIC
w/ The Kill, The Day Everything Became Nothing & Headless Death

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1st – BAR OPEN FITZROY, VIC
w/ Penguins & See Saw

SATURDAY AUGUST 4th - SQUATTERS ARMS, ADELAIDE, SA
w/ Death Cult-Jock, Trash, Iron Worzel & Prison Bitch

Press release follows:

Sydney grindcore 2-piece thedowngoing are set to release their newest aural atrocity "ATHOUSANDYEARSOFDARKNESS"

The 12 track, 10 minute noisegrind experiment will be released via “Cancerous” Slimline CD and be available for streaming/purchasing/pirating at THEDOWNGOING.BLOGSPOT.COM from Friday July 20th, 2012.

After the 2011 release of their Untitled EP mini-CD, thedowngoing have caught the attention of many in the grind community, including AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED vocalist J. RANDALL, who digitally re-released the EP on his own label GRINDCORE KARAOKE.

thedowngoing would go on to be awarded the title of BEST RELEASE OF 2011 by GRINDTODEATH.COM and 7th by GRINDANDPUNISHMENT.BLOGSPOT.COM "...Untitled EP shows the band reaching new, dizzying artistic heights."

"ATHOUSANDYEARSOFDARKNESS" builds on the platforms laid by 2011's Untitled EP, refining and pushing thedowngoings' unique sound further. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jono Boulet (Jonathan Boulet, Snake Face) "ATHOUSANDYEARSOFDARKNESS" is a vicious listening experience as thedowngoing teeters on the edge between grindcore and complete audio collapse.

And what better soundtrack to the harsh winter conditions, than to have thedowngoing venture out from their nihilistic cave dwelling existence to provide godless grindcore to the frostbitten masses on their 2012 WINTER TOUR throughout July and August.

9Jun/12Off

Slaughterfest V looks pretty awesome

Posted by Lachlan

Those dudes at Grindhead Records (and Von Grimm Records) have done well with this one. On Saturday 21 July 2012 comes Slaughterfest V at the Sandringham Hotel. Check out the line-up:

Lo! 11:05 - 11:50
Agonhymn (VIC) 10:10 - 10:50
Mother Eel 9:15 - 9:55
Mish 8:20 - 9:00
We Lost The Sea 7:25 - 8:05
Brazen Bull (QLD) 6:35 - 7:05
Moth (VIC) 5:50 - 6:20
Broozer (VIC) 5:05 - 5:35
At Dark 4:20 - 4:50
Not Like Horse 3:35 - 4:05
Lomera 2:50 - 3:20
thedowngoing 2:05 - 2:35
Yurei 1:10 - 1:50

Grindhead Records will have its full store set up including merch, vinyl and as always CDs will be on sale for $5 each. Slaughterfest V will also be the launch day of Von Grimm Records, who will have a selection of stoner, doom and sludge vinyls form all over the world.

Go check it on Facebook.

Tagged as: agonhymn, At Dark, Branzen Bll, Broozer, festival, Grindhead Records, Lo, Lomera, Mish, Moth, Mother Eel, Not Like Horse, Sandringham Hotel, Slaughterfest, Thedowngoing, Von Grimm Records, we lost the sea, Yueri No Comments

15May/12Off

REVIEW: In Trenches – Sol Obscura

Posted by Lachlan

The sound of Australian hardcore is changing. The music seems to be getting darker and heavier with every passing year.

Australian hardcore today seems to be a long way from the days of old Toe to Toe - or even the polished hardcore offerings of later-era Mindsnare. Today's scene is being shaped and driven by like In Trenches, Lo!, Totally Unicorn, Robotosaurus, The Rivalry (I miss you), Night Hag, No Anchor, IDYLLS, The Matador and At Dark. These bands are embracing experimentation, complex rhythms, noise, dissonance, dirging drone and ambience in a move away from the sterile 'one mood, one volume' sound of overcompressed modern hardcore - and this makes me exceedingly happy.

Melbourne's In Trenches really represent a lot of the best progressive elements in modern Australian hardcore. Their music has a basis in seething, noisy hardcore sludge with a slight black metal tinge and occasional departure into spacey post-metal meditation. They're forging a more dynamic and progressive style of heavy music that owe as much to bands like Isis, Cult of Luna, and Wolves in the Throne Room as they do Converge and Eyehategod.

Sol Obscura also represents a complete rejection of the sterile production of modern hardcore. There are no close-mic'd, beat-replaced drums to be found here, and the guitars are cold, squashed and over-compressed. Instead, In Trenches have opted for a far more organic approach, which allows for far more life, more feeling and more dynamics in the music. (Insert a recognition that recording/mixing was handled by a Joel Taylor at Three Phase Studios.)

If this is where hardcore music is moving - into more progressive and dynamic territory - then I can't wait to see how the style progresses. And it would seem that, once again, Australia is on the very cusp of a new development in underground music.

Do yourself a favour. Listen to In Trenches and support Australian underground music.

Nice one, Monolith.