Current: Where Sound Is Understood

I know you remember those moments. Those first decisive moments when the needle gently touches down on the new vinyl treasure you had just uncovered while aimlessly flipping through mountains of records. Your mind instantly catalogs the emotions and thoughts that race through your mind when something this special hits you. All of the intricate details associated with this gratifying moment are swiftly locked away in memory until the next time you revisit this audio gem. For myself, countless vivid moments all come crashing back upon me whenever I insert the Current "Discography" into my stereo.

From 1992 to 1994, Dearborn, Michigan's Current was my living, breathing, and screaming reincarnation of the legendary Rites of Spring. Unrivaled in raw intensity and an innovative artistic vision, Current's influence helped paved the way for many of their peers and has left a lasting legacy that can be traced to today's punk/hardcore community.

When I first heard the opening guitar riff from their 1992 eight song demo, I was deeply entrenched in the youth crew anthems of Youth of Today and Chain of Strength and with the new "Open E Chug" genre that was starting to take the scene by storm. Though I was quite familiar and a rather casual fan of the Dischord D.C. scene, it was Current's unique and jarring music that brought the likes of Rites of Spring, Embrace, Soulside, Circus Lupus, and Ignition to the very front of my record collection. Perhaps it was because the members of Current were of my age or that I had actually witnessed their live performances in person, Current had opened the door for me to explore a whole side of punk and hardcore I had previously glanced at but really paid no attention to.

The crowning spectacle was the 1994 Dayton, Ohio More Than Music Fest. Not only was this was my first musical fest, it was also my first and last time seeing Current perform. Though I only lived an hour or so away from Current, our paths never crossed and now the anticipation was building with each hour in the sweltering, oppressive summer heat. Unbeknowest to many in attendance, the members of Current unexpectedly seized the stage as their alter-grindcore-ego, Ottawa, and ripped through a blistering, metallic 10 minute set of scathing social/political anthems. Then at the drop of a dime, Current came to life to before our eyes. Hidden within Justin Labo's dischordant,angular guitar chaos where intricate, soaring melodies laced with an odd catchiness. Frantically keeping the pace between the explosive transitions of clean and distorted guitar work, the rhythm section of Derek Brosch and Andy Albus served as a consistent backbone, lending to their songs the shape and cohesion that made them such a powerful experience. The true trademark of Current was the stirring voice of Matt Weeks. Strained passionate screams bursted out of Weeks' frame while he occasionally reverted back to a fragile emotive soft singing voice. His lyrics read like that of freshly unearthed ee cummings poem, wrought with words that were deeply personal and greatly open to interpretation. Though I did find Ottawa's short set gratifying, deep down I was wishing that Current had kept that extra 10 minutes for their own set. It all ended too soon.

In the wake of multiple U.S. tours where they shared the stage with the likes of Heroin, Greyhouse, Rorshach, Native Nod, and Kerosene 454, Current left behind a slew of releases that were mostly released on their own label, Council Records. This entails two 7" singles, a full-length LP (Coliseum), a split 7" with Chino Horde, a Discography CD, a split 7' with Indian Summer on Homemade Records plus various compilations tracks. -Guest written by Scott Sheridan

From The Current Discography CD:
Coliseum
Continued Rantings
Frayed Ends
Leech

Unfortunately their discography is nowhere to be found in online distros and other outlets. Council Records (which was run by Current vocalist Matthias Weeks) has also closed its doors as of late. Hopes to see a reissue of this CD appear bleak, however their various 7"s and one LP can be had on eBay for collector's prices.

The Unamerican Sounds Of Song Of Kerman

Moo Cow was one of those labels in the mid to late 90s that always kept me guessing. Usually the split 7"s they released were from 2 bands from entirely separate parts of the country whose names didn't even sound familiar to me. The one thing that Moo Cow did have was the ability to discover bands that would go on to be household names (Disembodied, Morning Again, Cave In, Piebald) in the hardcore scene at the time. With that in mind I usually bought just about every record they released, regardless of whether I knew the band's name or not.

Florida's Song Of Kerman were in fact one of those bands. From the very first time that I put "The Unamerican Sounds Of" 12" on I was instantly hooked. They were fast, aggressive, noisy, artsy and what stood out the most was the vocal delivery of Mike Roberts. His vocals were half spoken word half screaming, a unique approach for a band of that time. You felt the pain in his voice, the rage, the feelings that drove him to write the lyrics he did. There is a real sense of beauty in the mood that the band sets, a certain sense of integrity that bands clearly lacked. Roberts' would belt out more lyrics in a single song that most bands could on a full album. Song Of Kerman were often political in their stance on human rights and violence again women, while covering such delicate personal issues as a friend's rape or Roberts' mother's beating at the hands of his father. Perhaps its why in their day they earned the title politicore.

Moo Cow states on their site that "The Unamerican Sounds Of..." was "from beginning to end this is probably the best DIY hardcore record I ever did." Though they were short lived, Song Of Kerman released a 7" on Track Star Records (anyone have a copy to trade or sell?) and a split 7" on Moo Cow with NJ's Handful Of Dust before the release of their debut LP. However shortly before their full length was to go to press, Song Of Kerman disbanded and the CD format was quickly switched to a limited LP for fear of it not selling without the band touring in support of it. For a limited pressing of less than 500 copies I was surprised to see how many of these were still available through various online distributors. Moo Cow owner James Burnham also goes on to say that "If I could give out one record to people when they ask what Moo Cow is about, it would be this one, if I had the copies to give." Yes, this record is as good as Moo Cow describes it and I seriously hope that some of you go out and discover who Song Of Kerman were.

From "The Unamerican Sounds Of..."
And Then I Made The Weeping
The Waltz
Perception Is A Deity
The True Gift Of Life

Yes this record is still available and at very cheap prices from Moo Cow and Very.

Scapegrace: Fall Off The Face Of The Earth

My facts are going to be shot to shit, because it has been ages since I needed to get them straight, but the only important thing to remember is that Scapegrace fucking ruled.

I am gonna go with 1991, Steve Driscoll (Ethnic/LaMagna) screamed his ass off for the first time with Manny Alonso, Eric Grijalva, and Paul Joyce. In his head, he sounded like Roger Miret, in fact he sounded nothing like anything that anyone had ever heard before. His unbelievable and incomparable vocal styles set the standard for a million bands to come. People still try to rip him off and just cant do it. If I had to make a comparison it would be Rob Fish (108/Ressurection) with a ton more balls. Not that Rob Fish is lacking balls, just that's how insane this dude was!

It is 15 years later and I still can't put into words exactly what "Prayer" makes me feel. From the chugga top to the Praaaaaaaaaaaaaaayer to the infinite detest. Plead is an insane seven inch. It doesn't end there. Every little piece of vinyl this band graced, is a fucking gem! Personal fave is Enzymes. The second song on their contribution to Framework Records "Anger & English" 2x7 compilation. That shit will knock you down.

Here's some brief history: When Scapegrace started playing shows, there was nothing going on. NOTHING. A few bands playing here and there, but nothing with the scene defining qualities of Scapegrace and the bands that followed (1.6 Band, Halfman, Milhouse, Edgar). This is all they had, so they just did it. Their own records, their own shows. No booking agents, no show promoters, no rock venues. No camera phones, nothing. Just Scapegrace.

I know, right, I am terrible at this. They eliminate any use for words. I can't tell you how much I love this band and how much they mean to me. I am gonna name my kids after them. Normally, I could talk for hours, but with Scapegrace, I just want to shut up and listen. Please! Please get into them. And check their shit on myspace -Guest written by Neil Rubenstein

From the "Plead" 7"
Suck The Dead
Prayer

From the split 7" with Conniption
Crumbs

From "The Ones Who Fall Off The Face Of The Earth" 7"
He Thinks I'm Stupid
Food For Worms

Most of these 7"s can easily be found at such distros as Very or Armageddon for a fairly cheap price. Be sure and grab these last remaining copies before they are gone for good.

Cast Iron Hike: No Longer Visible

I am not going to lie, the only reason I purchased the self titled 7" from Boston, MA's Cast Iron Hike was because of the design. Maybe that was the one great thing about vinyl, you could always take a chance on a band, after all it was usually only 3 bucks. So when I got home and placed the needle to the record I was instantly blown away by the music that blasted from the speakers. The track "Boxed" blared out loudly, Quicksand styled post hardcore guitar riffing and when their vocalist Jacob Brennan started singing I was instantly reminded of Jonah from Only Living Witness. His vocals was melodic, abrasive, emotional and down right moody. Cast Iron Hike's music portrayed a hardcore bands sound with a rock and roll attitude and they pulled it off damn well mind you. Could they have been hardcore's equivalent to AC/DC? Possibly. Cast Iron Hike were just intense in every sense of the word. Their music was down right urgent and while the sound was slow and brooding at times, it was also fast and aggressive the next. Sure their sound wasn't for everyone but if Only Living Witness, Quicksand, Into Another or Helmet is your bag then you need to discover this band.
While the Trustkill ep was my first introduction to Cast Iron Hike they had apparently gotten their start on the now defunct label Big Wheel Recreation. Shortly after the Trustkill record they released a split 7" with Miltown and in 1997 would sign to Victory Records and release their full length entitled "Watch It Burn". The CD was every bit of anger and energy that the band portrayed on their previous releases however this time they had a quality recording to back it up. "Watch It Burn" never let up through all 12 tracks, one song more powerful than the next and a re-recorded version of "Boxed" that just about floored me.
I cannot be certain as to why Cast Iron Hike disbanded sometime after the release of "Watch It Burn" and subsequent google searches have not given me any answers either. What I do know is that guitarist Michael Gallagher is now a member of Isis (as well as an ambient project on Neurot called MGR), rhythm guitarist Christian Pupecki is with Doomriders, Vocalist Jake Brennan has a solo career going which is quite a departure musically from his previous work with CIH and bassist Pete Degraaf is now a member of The Black. Cast Iron Hike still maintain a myspace page that offers more information on the band and their new projects. You can still grab both the Trustkill and Victory releases for relatively cheap prices at Amazon and Interpunk, so be sure and buy a copy or two if these downloads strike your interest.

From the self titled Trustkill 7"/CDep:
Boxed
From the "Watch It Burn" CD:
Reach For The Floor
Swimming Through Sand
Stopped Up And Starving

Early Grace: Running Into Walls

Sometimes all you need is a split record with the right band for your own band to simply catch on with masses and sometimes it doesn't help at all. Unfortunately it was the latter for Tampa, FL's Early Grace. After a split 7" in 1996 with Boston, MA's Cave In it seemed that Early Grace would quickly become a band that people started to take notice of and would perhaps share some of hardcore spotlight. For whatever reason, Escape Grace faded into obscurity.

Their material was a lot like Cave In's very early material mixed with some Instil (pre-You and I) and Reversal Of Man. The fact that Cave In and Early Grace shared the same 7" (just different sides) made it even hard for me in the beginning to decipher who was who without looking at the labels on the record itself. The only real variant was that Early Grace were not as metal and seemed to be drawing from a different influence altogether. They seemed to have a lot in common with the screamo scene and bands like Indian Summer, Inkwell and Puritan. The screams were slightly higher pitched, their guitars weren't as chugga, the singing vocals were often a bit out of key and most importantly their songs were altogether heartfelt. There was something immediate about Early Grace's sound, something that made it feel quite sincere. Sure they had the cliche "what this band and scene means to us" paragraph in their booklet like the other bands of their time did, but with Early Grace it was something much much more than that and the fact that I recently learned that the members were only 17 years of age at the time makes it even more mind blowing. Perhaps that's why to this very day their songs sound so raw and honest.

The band's discography consists of a split 7" with Cave In, a self titled 7", and 7 song 10" entitled "And All I Run Into Are Walls You Have Built" all of which were released on Florida's Independence Day Records (Bright Calm Blue, Reversal Of Man) The CD version of the 10" also contained the self titled 7" as bonus tracks. Quite stunning in appearance, the CD featured a hand screened folded cover with a printed sheet of lyrics and personal statements from the band as well as being hand stamped out of 1000. It looks very Immigrant Sun Records circa 1995.

From the "And All I Run Into Are Walls You Have Built" CD:
Soupcan Listeners
A Fictional Serial Killer
Song 13
Civil Talk

The band also has a myspace page that briefly explains a bit about their history and their current projects. Unfortunately I cannot find any online distributors with the CD still in stock, so try your luck on eBay or some smaller distros.

Also, I know a lot of you are reading and downloading, so please post a comment. Its nice to know that people are out there, so let me know your thoughts and opinions on the bands and the music.

Corrin: On Plutonian Shores

In my opinion New England was at the forefront of the metalcore scene in the mid 1990s. Bands like Overcast, Barrit, Cave In, Converge were all building up steam and it was not long before they would become a household name in the hardcore market. There was however one band that fell by the wayside during the frenzy and their name was Corrin. Fronted by Jesse Leach (former Killswitch Engage, Nothing Stays Gold and now Seemless) Corrin were certainly as good as the latter bands mentioned, though for one reason or another, they went completely overlooked.

When I first arrived in Providence in 1996, Corrin were a sound that I had never heard before. Yes they were heavy, they clearly had metal and hardcore influences, but what made them different was that they sounded altogether evil. Similar to Overcast, Corrin were musically far more melodic and Jesse's vocals had a far more simple approach than his recent bands display. A sound that seemed to be a staple in the New England area at the time, Corrin would roll through mid paced metal chugging and seamlessly fall into dark melodic instrumental intros and outros. Often the band sounded rather unhinged, not clearly letting a particular part or pattern breathe for too long. Its a listen that while not compelling, is certainly unique in both style and form.

Corrin would release a 7" entitled "Despair Rides On Angels Wings" on Hydra Head in 1995 and a split 7" with Arise from the same recording session. They would go on to record 4 more songs in 1996 that would never be released until the release of the CD "Plutonian Shores" on Infidel which compiled the last material as well as the previously released material from the 7"s and various compilations.

After Corrin disbanded Jesse and guitarist Joe teamed up with former members of Roswell to form a band entitled Needles and shortly thereafter the two founded Nothing Stays Gold. Bassist Chris formed a band some time later with former Corrin drummer Brian called The Game. It was also rumored for awhile that guitarist Chris formed a band with the former Temperance vocalist though I cannot verify if he did or not.

From the "Plutonian Shoes" discography CD:

Corrin - Winter Souls
Corrin - Seed Of Cain

I was surprised to find that there still appears to be a few copies remaining at various distros like Interpunk & Very, so if this band is your jam then go grab one before they are gone.

Gabriel: Connecticut's long lost secret

Apparently it's quite likely that this demo belonged to my former college roommate and its seems possible simply because I have no idea exactly how I got my hands on it. One thing that is certain is that this demo is by far one of the best. Though I know little about the band's short history, Gabriel hailed from Connecticut in the late 1990s. A time when the CT scene was thriving with young and original bands like Cable, In Vain, Faultline, Hatebreed and Cornerstone.

The band's lineup featured some of Connecticut's veterans with Jeremy "Bubba" Braddock on guitar (who also played guitar for In Vain and currently 100 Demons) as well as Jason Labbe on drums (who later joined The Weigh Down) Unfortunately other than that I have very little information on the band.

What I do know is that Gabriel style was aggressive and melodic, much like In Vain or Council Of Five Nations, who all seemed to share members. By today's standards I guess you could maybe pin it down to a style similar to early Hopesfall or New Day Rising, minus the singing. Gabriel's vocalist Kyle had quite a set of lungs while the backing vocals remind me somewhat of Tripface in that it comes off almost gang styled. They never truly overpowered you, but more seemed to be oriented around a groove much like post hardcore bands of their time. While Cable were noisy and In Vain were far more melodic, Gabriel seemed to be falling right in between. Clearly a band that would have been labeled screamo had they come out a few years later.

I really wish I had more information to pass on, but what I will leave you are the MP3's of their entire demo. Hopefully you will enjoy this as much as I have all these years.

Gabriel - Shank
Gabriel - Hour Glass
Gabriel - Stript Gear
Gabriel - Pond