CEPHALOCHROMOSCOPE

Fading Trail (Finland) - Count The Days (2021)

And they beheld the vicious spectacle that loomed before them, draped in the finest of carnage, twisted in the foulest of horrors. Flesh made augur. Atrocities made omen. And they knew then that this land was barren of all clemencies. Another glorious day in God's country. Much like many European cities, Helsinki is a modern capital founded atop the ashes of war, great fires and the bones of over a thousand victims of the Black Death during the plague of 1710 that decimated some two-thirds of the then population. Today the worl…

Noisy Neighbor (Texas, USA) Self-titled EP (2018)

Covet Thy Neighbor's Noise After my divorce my first apartment was a one bedroom on the ground floor. The apartment itself wasn't bad. It was newly renovated and spacious for the price. My first full day there was raddled by a gentleman hammering in the apartment above me. Hammering something. Constantly. This continued most weekdays. On the weekends his wife did what I could only audibly deduce as step aerobics. At 6 AM. Without fail. Every Saturday and Sunday. It wasn't that bad in the grand scheme of things, but fuck lady…

Negative Bias (USA) - Speedcore Summer! (2021)

The idea of "fun" extreme music can be a contentious topic. It brings to mind years of parodic side projects and experimental fusion bands, or themed bands like Crom and Attack of the Mad Axeman . But Negative Bias, a North Carolina trio composed of members of Priapus and Pizzahifive, may have cracked the formula with this sunny, speedy debut release. The band deals in trebly, lightspeed punk heavily influenced by fastcore and thrashing hardcore. This album was recorded live in the studio, and that energy is what propels the relea…

Nak'ay (USA) - Closed Doors / Open Veins (2021)

Closed Doors / Open Veins is the explosive, pummeling first full length from 13-year grindcore veterans Nak'ay. The band sprints through 17 songs in less than 15 minutes, but the impression is that of focus and ferocity rather than slightness or brevity. Nothing is wasted here, and there's precious little in the way of filler. What's on display across this record is a heavy, hyperfast strain of traditionalist grindcore that will appeal to fans of Suffering Mind, Insect Warfare and P.L.F. It's hard to convey how laser focused…

Kaliya (Texas, USA) Self-titled (2015)

Nagaz Wit Attitudes I actually had to do some leg work to obtain this album. Even though Kaliya hail from my home of DFW, I some how missed show after show. Even a show in which my band was suppose to open for them was cancelled due to overbooking by the venue. Eventually I caught up with the band opening for Aborted on a predominately metal bill. Their merch table was largely ignored, save for the over flow of metal-heads from neighboring tables who used the Kaliya spread as a place to set their drinks down. I think I was the only one…