Death Index : "Civilized By a Lie"

 

I'm curious to know how this went under my radar. I am a big Merchandise fan, and since I love Carson Cox's voice, the 2016 album by this project was one of my favorites of that year. This time around the electronic nature of this project overtakes a more organic post-punk feel to the self-titled album. Yeah, there are hints of Sisters of Mercy in "No Cure For Madness" but I would not call this a goth album. It lacks the romanticized atmosphere which gives goth its shade of elegance. This is raw and perhaps more confrontational. Almost like beat-driven punk, which is almost the definition of industrial, but it is not possessed by a dystopian aggression. 

You could argue that Throbbing Gristle was a similar brand of experimental beat-driven music, and while "Spirit:" is fueled by a similar chaos, that does not make this industrial and I am not sure I would even say Throbbing Gristle was industrial, despite claims they were the prototype of industrial music. The last Merchandise album was headed in a similar New Wave direction as what we hear on "Another Hero" . Then things get weird again for the droning pound of "Blackwater". Then the creative pendulum swings back towards greatness with "Shadows at Dawn", There are organic instruments in the mix like the fuzzed-out bass line. 

"Human / Machinery" bops along a bleaker path, with some cool synth sounds giving his chilling melody room to brood and croon. "Liquidate" finds things continuing to move in a weird direction. Saying " They are not afraid to experiment" would be an understatement. More grooves inhabit the last song, which allows it to live up to its name. Even with the abrasive streak that runs through the bulk of this album the songs manage to win out. I will give this album a 9. 

Gothtober - The Top 10 Post -Punk Albums of the Decade

The less dramatic more hipster old cousin of goth post-punk is what happened with punk got depressed . It saw a revival in the past year thanks to the next generation of Joy Division fans . Almost totally devoid of the fashion aspect the themes are variations of those espoused in goth music. With loneliness and isolation being paramount, they have a more anxious tension than a romantic depression of goth. It's for punks haunted by the ghost of cocaine in New York art galleries at night rather than hanging out in graveyards. There are some acts on this list that come closer to the darkest part of the darkside , they are on this list because they are more punk than mid period Cure, who started as post -punk and became more goth, unless you ask Robert Smith and then he doesn't know what you are talking about. There was a much clearer path in picking these albums than the forthcoming goth/ industrial list waiting in the wings. So I feel pretty self assured with this list that is covers the past ten years. 


10- Bellicose Minds - 'the Spine"






9- Holograms - s/t







 8-Ceremony- "Zoo"






7-Merchandise - "A Corpse Wired for Sound"





6-the Estranged - s/t





5- Death of Lovers- "Buried Under a World of Roses" -







4- Cult of Youth -"s/t"







3-Savages - "Silence Yourself"






 2-Lower- "Seek Warmer Climes"






1- Iceage - Plowing Into Fields of Love


 

The Top Ten Post- Punk Albums of 2016

So this list was spawned out of the goth/ industrial list, but the divide is widening with artists both new and old as the punk becomes more predominant, I am also including shoe gaze in this list, though there are only artists who could claim influence by that genre rather than being a hundred percent committed to it. These album's are dark, but at the end of the day not dark enough to be "goth" or too steeped in punk. The top five are really rough , but at the end of the day it falls on the album I listen to the most to rise to the top of this post- apocalyptic heap. So here are the top 10 post punk albums of 2016. Try the links to the full reviews in order to give these albums a listen.



10-Torture Love- They Came Crawling"

 This band from Chicago is much more aggressive than your average post-punk, they are solidly a punk band. "The Big Hand" finds them singing more than shouting, this gives them more of a Bellicose Minds sound. The Misfits would also be a reference point, though their singer is further from Glenn's croon and the vocals sit back further in the mix. One of the better post- punk releases of the year.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/08/torture-love-they-came-crawling.html

 9- Bellicose Minds- "the Creature"


It's been three years since the Portland post-punk trio released "the Spine". Their newest opens with a more frantically upbeat number than I remember them having on their 2013 album. One their Bandcamp page the band says that they use big amps and electric drums to make music inspired by rain and cloud. This song seems a little too peppy for rain and clouds. It might take the kinder and gentler version of the band a little more time to warm up to me, but they get the job done. The other bands at the forefront of the post-punk revival have been pretty quiet this year so it's good to hear from these guys. This album came out under the radar last week with no hype around it. If you are a fan then it is worth your time to listen to it and hopefully with Halloween creeping up on us more of this will be coming out to play.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/bellicose-minds-creature.html

8-Hollow Sunshine- "Bible Sea"


The drugs must have really kicked in on this one, as the band they once were has given way for a more dreamy electronic sound. I quit doing drugs years ago so I didn't not get much from some of the moods created here and it didn't get a ton of play from me , but I can not deny how well done this was . Fans of forward thinking shoe gaze will like the new direction this duo has taken

 .http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/07/hollow-sunshine-bible-sea.html

7- Okkultokrati- "Raspberry Dawn" 


 The ragged lo-fi punk this band from Norway dives into is somewhat darker, with the more growled vocals of the first song it sounds like something from Darkthrone's black n roll period, which is a comment I also made about a song on the new King Dude, so maybe old black metal is seeing a spike in it's influence on the darker corners of garage punk. The title track makes more sense out of the jagged chaos and packages into a neater punk presentation. This keyboardist that they added to the line-up can't be heard until you get to "We Love You" and then it's not like they have suddenly turned into a dark wave band, it's still raw punk just with more textures to the wall of noise they slam themselves up against.


 -http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/okkultokrati-raspberry-dawn.html


 6- Alter- "Embers" 


 Where does the shoe gaze begin and the punk rock end is one question that could stand to be asked of this album. But I am not sure you really want to ask too many questions here as they seem to have a good thing going. The vocals to "Deja Vu" are rather pained and fragile to what other wise moves like a brisk cloud passing you over head as you stared in a stoned haze out of the passenger side window.It does recall some almost emo moments if you think back to bands like Elliot. Fans of moody music be it emo or shoe gaze will find something to like here. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/11/alter-embers.html


 5-Swans- "the Glowing Man"


 Yea, it is weird to think of Swans at number five rather than number one, but the competition was pretty strong. This is the last album by this incarnation of the re-vamped Swans. It opens with a darker elegance and a get deal of sonic texture. Gira's croon is a little more refined and less like the rants of "To Be Kind". This comes a little closer to what I want from the band though I enjoyed the albums of this phase of the band, the only thing I haven't liked it the hipster hippie crowd that began to show up post- Bonnaroo thinking they were a jam band and Gira's perhaps unintentional indulgence of this. They ride the wave rather than riding the groove here, building into some punches at the end. They go into the sound of an orchestra tuning up on "Cloud of Unknowing". Twenty four minutes is asking a lot of a song.My only real complaint being the length of  the songs that touch the twenty minute mark, the song writing could have been more efficient  and still gotten the point across, allowing them to jam it out more live if they so choose.

   http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/06/swans-glowing-man.html

4-Eagulls-"Ullages"


 The Sophomore effort by the British Post-punk band finds them maturing into a more melodic sound. Their debut had more of a punk energy to it and "Ullages" embraces lush textures of guitar and sharpened sense of song writing that brings a greater emotional depth to the table. The punk in the post-punk equation is taking a back seat much like it would as fellow Brits the Cure would. Overall it doesn't pack the punk punch of their first album, but the songs are well written and they have matured into something with what sounds to be more staying power to my ears.


  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/eagulls-ullages.html


 3-Alaric- End of Mirrors"


 I've been a fan of this band since the whole death rock revival came into my consciousness. Now five years later, my fears that they might have broken up are put to rest making this a very welcome return. All the things that have made them work in the past are in place here. Like a doomed out version of Killing Joke the band plows into the post- apocalyptic wasteland their music conjures. There are varied levels of gloom ridden melody thanks to their bassist. It took a few listens before this slow working drug is fully in my system, but it lives up to the legacy they began.


  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/alaric-end-of-mirrors.html

2- Savages - 'Adore Life" 


 Their new album opens with "the Answer"one of the lead singles that been on the web for a minute  and it rocks harder than when these gals were around last time. The guitar tone is thicker almost to the sludge point of fuzz , but rumbles with more of a "Manic Depression" meets punk drone. This album grew on me and stayed in rotation earning it's spot above the likes of the new Swans.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/savages-adore-life.html

1- Merchandise- "a Corpse Wired For Sound"


 I guess the fact the band is on classic goth label 4AD , has finally settled in on them, so  it should not come as a surprise that the trappings of shoe gaze are more prominent in the guitar department on this album. It took a couple listens for me to fully appreciate the opening track.Perspective is a funny thing.  If I went Overall this album is great and Carson once again throws you a sonic curve ball and refuses to replicate past work and forge ahead creatively into the album not knowing it was Carson Cox and co, I would have latched onto the darker tones driving the songs.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/merchandise-corpse-wired-for-sound.html

Merchandise : " A Corpse Wired For Sound"

O.K had this one sitting around with me all weekend while I was at Dragon-Con. I was able to catch a few songs on the fly here and there, but this morning was the first day I could really sit down and give it a focused listen and it has been fighting with the new Wovenhand, that I got on the same same for air time. I guess the fact the band is on classic goth label 4AD , has finally settled in on them, so  it should not come as a surprise that the trappings of shoe gaze are more prominent in the guitar department on this album. It took a couple listens for me to fully appreciate the opening track.Perspective is a funny thing.  If I went into the album not knowing it was Carson Cox and co, I would have latched onto the darker tones driving the songs. But I went into this expecting some more focused on the vocals. The guitar tones are pretty incredible.  There is a weird Cocteau Twins like quality to " Crystal Cage" . I am more eager to latch onto the more new wave elements of "Right Back to the Start"  that reminds me of earlier Depeche Mode. The vocal melodies on this song are fucking sublime and the mood of every note sung is perfect.

The pulse to "End of the Week" is murkier and it's up to the vocals to cut through the swirl of effected guitar to deliver the message. Carson does succeed even with the almost My Blood Valentine wall of effects dripping around his melody. "Lonesome Sound" is more rock n roll. There are some pretty weird fuzzy guitar tones happening on this one. It's oddly upbeat and reminds me a little more of something from "After the End". There is a more post-punk tension to the chilly groove of "Shadow of the Truth".  "Silence" finds them back in the old Depeche Mode zip code, where it's not dark enough to be dark wave, but darker than your average pop song. They take a turn into a more ballad like direction on "I Will Not Sleep Here". A little more stripped down production wise, it allows you to hear a wider range of colors in Carson's voice. It is the most accessible song on the album, but I don't hear it tearing up "alternative radio" so it's far from a sell out.

The album closes with "My Dream is Yours". It's dreamy, but not stagnantly so. Though it's no where near being the best song on the album. The weird synths give it movement and the vocals take a back seat to the experimental ambiance. The programmed drums lock into the song by the end to create more of a rock build up and fight the noisy oddness seeking to drown the song. Overall this album is great and Carson once again throws you a sonic curve ball and refuses to replicate past work and forge ahead creatively, I'll round it up to a 10.

Death Index : "s/t"

This one just popped up in my in box with little buzz around it. Carson Cox got his start playing in hard core punk bands before starting Merchandise. It is weird hearing his  croon over the more pounding pieces. It makes more sense on "Dream Machine" which has more swagger and finds them meeting at that cross roads in the 80s that I am such a big fan of where punk got darker and more melodic. "The Meal" finds this throbbing down an even darker sonic alley. It's not smoothed out like Merchandise, and has feedback squealing off the edges. When they throw themselves into a more boisterous punk on the short blast of "Furio Controllo" it  has more in common with more the Stooges that say Negative Approach. The punk spasms come from unexpected places. They jump out at you from places it might make more sense for a chorus to come from.

Carson works with the music on " Little N Pretty" allowing the vocals to carry all the melodic weight and in creating this jagged post-punk feel , while the guitar stick to very straight forward style of punk playing. The first song where they wander out into left field for experimentation is " Lost Bodies". The effected vocals would not be out of place on an industrial album from the 80s. Considering the more radio rock direction Merchandise went on "After the End". "We've A Got Number" feels very honest even with the rambunctious attitude that explodes from it. The over driven thump of bass drags the gritty brooding of  "JFK" out into the daylight.  It's droning lumber has an almost Swans feel. "Patto Con Dio" hits hard  with out relying on aggression. Cox's vocal has enough room to move the melodies around. The final two minutes of this one they let boil on noise.

I'll give this one a 9, though I think it will continue to grow on me"Lost Bodies" has some cool sounds , but it is the only song I don't feel like I will need to have with me when I am on the go. Overall there hasn't been a punk album dark enough to do much for me in sometime so it's good to hear something fresh from an old familar voice.

Top 15 Albums of 2014

In looking at the list 2014 was an odd year. Some of the greats didn't release what I would consider their best work, but even when the likes of Morrissey dials it in, the result is still better than what most do. Some younger bands stepped up their game and grew in ways that shifted them from one genre to the next. All of these albums either scored a ten or grew on me and proved their perfection down the road.

15- Kall -s/t

Lifelover is back, but not as black.This has a more droning black n roll feel. It just falls shy of being black metal, but an excellent melancholy affair .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/kall-st.html



14-Emptiness -"Nothing But the Whole"

A stunningly desperate soundtrack. This album oozes both atmosphere and emotion defying sub genres.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/11/catching-up-with-2014-emptiness-nothing.html

13- Mayhem-"Esoteric Warfare"

If Mayhem had tried to make another "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" it would have bored the bullet belt right off me. Instead they release an album with pristine production, that takes chances and takes no prisoners. Attila has never sounded better and Hellhammer makes his case for being the best drummer in black metal. As Spinal Tap once asked "How much blacker can you get ? the answer was none then and it is none now.

12-Youth Code- A Place to Stand

One of the best industrial bands I have heard in some time. This duo is dark, mean and confrontational, even if their singer is a little blond girl.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/youth-code-place-to-stand.html

11- Atriarch- " An Unending Pathway"

They graduated from the metal chart to goth, as the death rock vibe is stronger. The metal elements are now more of a sonic Neurosis thing and they have left doom and black metal at home.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/atriarch-unending-pathway.html

10-Swans - To Be Kind

My favorite band this side of the Smiths takes the number ten, because "To Be Kind" is more like a  series of live jams they translated to the studio, but even when Gira is just playing around he is still better than most.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/swans-to-be-kind.html

9- Ice Age -"Plowing into the Field of Love"

These guys have grown in leaps and bounds, so much so the rock swagger injected on this album now makes them much more qualified for this list than being called post-punk.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/09/iceage-plowing-fields-of-love.html

8- Nasheim - "Solens Vemod"

The Swedish act is another one man show. The master mind behind this is Erik Grahn. Grahn  came out  of the gate on his first full length and killed it. This album sweeps you away. Combining the lush romanticism of Emperor, atmosphere and incredible arrangements, my only regret it not finding this masterpiece when it came out under the radar back in February.

the Weekly Shuffle- Winter Solstice Edition

Here's the first Shuffle of the Dark Season, so I would like to promise this will be the darkest version yet, but since I just press shuffle on the battle weary iPod Classic and review the first ten songs that pop up I can't promise anything. So here we go...

"the Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove" by Dead Can Dance

This got moved to the top of the list as one of my favorite DCD songs after seeming them preform it live, it has all the exotic elements I want from them and Brendon Perry sounds phenomenal on it. You tell me that I dream too much...

"Blasphemer" by Darkthrone

This is thrashier than you normally expect from them but is a good argument for mid-period Darkthrone, even if the riffs are very Slayer.

"Who Killed Mr. Moonlight" by Bauhaus

I often find my self playing the opening piano riff. A great song even if it's not the first one that comes to mind when you think of this band.

"Raise Her Hands" by Wovenhand

This project might even be better than 16 Horsepower. This is very dark and tribal, I like organic yet very sonic throb of this song.Its great for this season.

"Red Moon Foreboding" by Cara Neir

Was not long ago that I reviewed this album, so in a few clicks backwards and you can hear it for yourself. Pretty impressive blackened metal that sticks close to its hard core roots.

"Ziggy Stardust" by David Bowie

And no one should be surprised this is on my iPod if you follow this blog. The most mainstream song well will see on here today, but great despite it's radio rock leanings.

" A Tower" by Holograms

Very punk post-punk. Short and to the point even though the vocals give the intro some breathing room. The punchy melody is what you would want from this sort of thing.

"Anxiety's Door" by Merchandise

Looking forward to the day the release a full album of this quality of songwriting . Very 80's new wave meets shoe gaze , with some hooky crooning layered over it.

"Fainted Eyes" by Celtic Frost

A classic metal band that doesn't get enough lip service on here despite the fact I have been listening to them longer than many of you have been alive.On this song I can hear why they get credited as being first wave black metal.

"Sea Talk" by Zola Jesus

Her voice on this song is pretty heartbreaking. This holds up against pretty much anything any female singer has done, even Kate Bush in terms of emotive power.  

Merchandise@ the EARL

The East Atlanta Village on a Halloween night was less impressive than one would think, douche bags in store bought costumes are underwhelming when you have been to Dragon Con and Comic con, the Earl was fairly low key, a guy with scruff dressed as Pee- Wee Herman and a few costumes in the front bar, nothing special. EAV was particularly un-creepy, the creepiest moment was walking into the Earl to find George Batille Battle Cry, banging away in the darkened corner, not on the stage but their singer spasming on the floor, like it was a house show. I was surprised to find out they are an Atlanta band , as we don't get much dark music around town as it goes more into the indie fare, but they are like a post- punk Jesus Lizard.

I t was apparent from the turn out the hipsters care more about some electro hip hop show at the Basement that rock n roll particularly if said rock n roll carries any substance. Merchandise were milling around each other in front of the stage before they went on I would have not noticed them until their singer went on stage, set his drink down and grabbed the acoustic guitar before coming down to joke with his band mates.

I think the low turn out for the band was a telling sign of how behind the times Atlanta is when it comes to new music, being caught up with garage rock and stoner metal . My expectation of this show ere highly elevated beyond reality, because Merchandise, is one of my favorite new bands which is not new news if you read this blog. I expected some sort of new wave flamboyance, as they almost have a Smiths like vibe to their music, which ended up not transitioning over live.

They took the stage casually, and simmered to live in a wall of tender sonics that combined tuning their instruments in a swell of sound. They captured a sound live that would have much more in common with shoe gaze than any other tags that might have been attached to them in the past. The darker element to their music was more a bar room brooding than any thing close to goth or even post-punk. The Florida's old punk roots came to the fore front as the singer banged at the acoustic guitar with a sneer.

The song that carried the most impact live was "Anxiety's Door" is brought what had been a more dreamy shoe gaze vibe into a condensed charge. I could hear similarities to perhaps Husker Du , in the translation of live drums applied to the songs, rather than their normal more electronic feel, which with three guitars , bass and drums onstage it was a much more rock feel than what is depicted on the albums, not to say it became too organic, as the guitars all found their own space, on the last song one of the guitarists played keys and the singer abandoned his guitar by the end of the that song as well.

Singer Carson Cox's voice held are more monotone baritone, rather than his more acrobatic croon which floats over their recorded material, but he was rather drunk, mumbling in between numbers, and aware of the understated presence of the band by saying, "I'm just another ass hole who is not dressed up". But it is rock no roll and it gave him more of a Jim Morrison like swagger than the Morrissey flamboyance I expected.; he seemed impressed by the Earl's sound, while I getting more of the monitor mix so maybe his vocals were coming through hotter in the house speakers.

My first time catching the band, I would like to catch them again, now that i know what to expect as I feel, they try to capture the moment rather than dial in a similar set list.

Merchandise " Totale Nite e.p."

The Tampa trio are former straight edge hard core kids who began creating this music after the broke edge by smoking pot. Drugs bring about the best music. I got into these guys last year after hearing the Smiths name thrown around in reference to them but what I hearts often almost like a Witch House version of Roxy Music and their new e.p.shows a wide breadth of growth for the band who has reached a new clarity in song writing. By their own admission they are into shoe gaze by way of Miles Davis, yet their is much more old Cocteau Twins than Sketches of Spain.

The first song "Who are you" has a My Bloody Valentine drone to it, with harmonica sprinkled through out and the trippy flow of early Beatles drug days. the opener however is not afari precursor to what is to come even as ambitious as it is for some punks who started messing with keyboards five years ago.

"Anxiety's Door" has really the only trae of the Smiths to how the acoustic guitar sweeps in sorta like "Hand in Glove" . The vocals croon remind me more of a dead pan Bryan Ferry more than Moz. The people who have brought up Morrissey comparisons aren't familiar with Roxy Music so I can see where they would come up with that having no otherpoint of reference.

"I'll" Be Gone" these guys hit the mark perfectly, the dreamy melancholy provides a lush back ground for the matter of fact vocal delivery that creates something that wouldn't sound out of place as the soundtrack for a David Lynch movie. The lyrics describe how I feel pretty much ninety percent of the time. The guitar as an amazing sonic tone when it layers swathes of morose feedback over the proceedings. This is what it sounds like when you get an angry punk really high.

The title track has jagged showers of angular guitar which sound lifted of Bowie's "Scary Monsters" album being driven on a suicide mission by Tin Machine. The chaos ebbs and flows breaking down I the middle for the drums to fade back in an take back off with things as it builds into almost a commercial alternative radio rock type chorus...think Snow Patrol not Shinedown, though over all aside from the Bowie I can also detect some Pixies, like "Wave of Mutilation"

The closer " Winter's Dream" returns to the smooth surreal feel they captured early with " I'll Be Gone" but this is much more Roxy Music like a drugged out lost track from "Avalon". The debonair sway of the vocals really shines here,. It's great to hear them give their singer more space to work his magic and I hope the band continues to press forward in this direction. The guitar sounds on this album are all immaculate , wheni here their influences they are pulling for the best sources so no complaints. The lyrics are beautifully scathing with equal parts of self loathing "I'd sooner kill myself / than be someone else"... Those are lines I can relate to and very honest, which I think is where the Smiths connection is more in the raw emotional honesty conveyed I. The lyrics I think people here that kind of vulnerability and think of Morrissey who opened doors for others to pass through.

This gets a 10...the first song works but isn't the strongest yet the rest of the album is so incredible it balances out and you kind of grow to appreciate the opening. I like their earlier work but I'm glad they have come out for hiding behind the murky production and letting the songs shine and vocals break the surface.

Your Guide to South x Southwest

For all the plethora of bands going to be there the majority are going to be the same run of the mill limp dick inside rock Paste magazine pimps, and the few that actually rock are far and few between as you see even when the better acts do play they are clustered in the same time frames in spread out venues across the event,however some of these artists are playing multiple times through out the course of the weekend to solve some but not all of these conflicts. so I'm going to help you make the tough choice, aside for Death Grips I am just focusing on rock as while it's cool Master P is still making them say ugh, rap boils down to bad karaoke live .

Tuesday...noise is being made but none of it worth a ring of the ears so just make sure you are there by 7:45 weds for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds who are playing Stubbs, if I have to give you a description of Nick Cave just go back to huffing glue to Five Finger Death Punch and ingore the rest of this post.

Merchandise is at Viceland at 9:00 p.m and oddly booked at the same time Murder by Death is playing the next night so if you find yourself choosing between Merchandise fuzzed out effected homage to the glum eighties or Murder By Death's dark and boozy Americana punk which get thrown down at the Continental club, you might want to have proximity help you in this decision.

Pinkish Black brings there heavy murk of drone doom throb to to the six lounge at 9:30

Thurs the 14th

Pissed Jeans displays what a marriage between the Rollins band and The Jesus Lizard might sound like at the 1100 Warehouse at 9:20

Then round out the night at the dirty dog bar where Royal Thunder brings their retro blues vest rock to the stage at 10:35 and Goatwhore rips into their set at 12:40, their last album was good for what it was but a little repetitive but they would still be fun live and there's nothing else worth a half a shit going on,

Fri the 15th

Today is the Day brings their crazed punk metal to red 7 at 10:3o

Then the next Murder by Death vs Merchandise conflict arises at 11:00 Murder by Death is at the 1100 Warehouse and 11:15 is at Mohawk out door.

One thing to consider is the little outdoor stages tend to sound like shit so catching Merchandise the night before and Murder By Death this night is your smartest bet.

Destruction Unit who I just reviewed plays Hotel Vegas at 11:20 so if you need a proximity default they would be worth catching. Some of the clubs can get too packed as well so something else to keep in mind.

Sat the 16th

8:55 on the patio of Red 7 blackened sludgsters Inter Arma and five mins later Merchandise does on inside
But Pinkish Black is playing then at North Door at the same time to really boils down to who you have already caught

The north door is a good place to hang this night as the much Hyped Thrashers Mutilation Rites also plays at North door at 11:00 followed by Pallbearer at 1:00 who is bound to have better sound than they got at the earl last week.

Other points of Intrest would be A Place to Bury Strangers at Brazos Hall 12:45 and Death Grips at 11:45 at 1100 Warehouse, I got turne off by their rushed follow up to money store which was a middle finger to the major label and just not much thought invested.

If I was going to rank these acts as the must sees it would be as follows

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
2. Pinkish Black
3. Merchandise
4. Murder by Death
5. Pallbearer
6. Inter Arma
7. Pissed Jeans
8. Destruction Unit
9. A Place to Bury Strangers
10. Royal Thunder