Work Ethic Records

Blackhole - Deeper

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Genre: Hardcore

Year: 2014

Tracklist:

1. Intro/Deeper

2. Not Cool Enough

3. Keep Spitting

4. Art Extortion

5. Lost Sight, Start A Fight

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Blackhole are a band from around Springfield MO, and these guys have been posted here a few times, like last year we posted their release before this Ledges, be sure to check that out as well. This time around they've made their sound even more heavy, fast, and angry. Another highlight of this is the lyrics, sending out messages like in Art Extortion, where its about people who are just making music for money and how they are fake. Overall this release is sounding great, I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Lion House - Drancy

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Genre: Emo/Screamo/Post-Hardcore

Year: 2014

Tracklist:

1. Support The Army; Not The Assholes

2. Come Back With All Of Your Faculties

3. Dooty Pooty

4. "I'm All Out Of HP"

5. Please Return My Daniel Johnston Record

6. AGAPE? Fuck That, PHILOS.

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Lionhouse are a band from Kansas City, MO. Playing a twinkly sounding style of emo combined with the brash melodies and speed of screamo, Lionhouse pulls off a very admirable and solid release. This album is chock full of sad lyrics and pretty riffs. It reminds me of older bands like Mineral and The Casket Lottery, but combines it with sounds of newer emo bands like The Reptilian or even PBTT. Impressive release, definitely check this one out as well. 

Get both of these albums and other merch here!

-Jacob Rice

No Outlet - Victim of the Void

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Genre: Hardcore
Year: 2014

Tracklist:

1. Annexation

2. Victim of the Void

3. Struck Down

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No Outlet are a Hardcore band from Fort Worth Texas, this is their second release (I reviewed their first release a while back, go check out that release as well HERE). On this time through No Outlet is coming through with a more heavy and memorable song structure, i'm loving parts like the end of Struck Down where everything is just switched into complete anger. This album will definitely keep your attention, it is rad riff after riff and great throughout. -Jacob Rice

PS. I hope to get back to posting once or twice a week, Sorry if this review was not so good, I am very rusty on reviewing. Definitely check No Outlet out.

Ground - Under

Genre: Powerviolence

Year:2013

Tracklist: 

1. Deceive//Neglect

2. Dyke Spike Domestic Goddess

3. Minimal Effort

4. Combat Cocktail (F.U.B.A.R)

5. No Sympathy 

6. Dog Face Skank

7. John On the Prowl

8. This One's About...

9. Led Astray

10. Hate When You Speak

11. CUNTsumer

12. Thoughtless

13. Slave To Me 

14. Supposed To Rot (Nihilist Cover) 

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14 tracks of blisteringly fast powerviolence, mixed in with slow grooves and beatdowns and everything else you could wish for in a release. Heavy, aggressive and massively underrated, make sure you check this out, its unmissable. 

-George Inman

Companion - Walk Away

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Genre: Hardcore/Post Hardcore
Year: 2013

Tracklist:
1. Strangers

2. Judges

3. Sleepless

4. Walk Away

5. Question Master

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Hey guys I am back and today I have decided to post Companion, which is a local band from my area Springfield Missouri. This is Companion's first release and I am enjoying it quite a bit! Companion play a emotion filled style of hardcore and all the essentials are there; melodic riffs, energetic drums, and anger filled vocals. That isn't what stands out to me most though, it has to definitely be the lyrics, they are very sincere and something that I could easily relate to and get into. The energy that the band exerts on this EP is something you would have to see live to get the full feel. Overall, I think these guys did a great job and am excited to see what these guys bring to the table into the near future.

PS. Hopefully this internet stays up and I can continue posting for you guys.

-Jacob Rice

Mangle - Split 7" With Bite Down

Genre: Powerviolence

 

Year:2013

Tracklist:

1.)Bile Caster
2.) Weak Facade

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Not posted for a long long time so sorry if this is a bit sloppy, but this release is off the hook. The MANGLE side of the Mangle/Bite Down split. Fast and furious with a perfect blend of the slower bits. My personal favourite 'Bile Caster' features an absolutely murderous beatdown only 6 seconds in. Happy new year everyone! and Enjoy.

-George Inman

I.E.D - Deathdealer EP

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Genre: Hardcore/Metal/Down-tempo
Year: 2013

Tracklist:

1.Deathdealer
2. Intestinal Fortitude
3.Shellshock
4.Total Devastation

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Heavy as sin hardcore/metal emerging from the currently thriving Chicago beatdown scene. Slow, chunky and full of riffs, these are 4 absolutely massive tracks.

-George

Volatile - Chin Check

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Genre: Hardcore

Year: 2013

Tracklist:
1. D

2. The Matter at Hands

3. Play For Keeps

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Volatile are a Hardcore band from Preston/Norwich Connecticut. Writing powerful and anger pent up Hardcore music, this album comes out as a very satisfying experience. There is one specific part of the album that sticks in my brain a bunch and its the ending to "The Matter at Hands". Its so full and I just love the lyrics to this song. This album flows from song to song very well and just flys by, great effort by this band. Can't wait to hear shit in the future from this group. -Jacob Rice

Misery - Disease Ridden

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Genre: Hardcore/Powerviolence

Year: 2013

Tracklist:

1. Paranoia

2. Pale and Gray

3. Night Terror

4. Disease Ridden

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Misery are a Hardcore band from Grand Rapids that just play an overall just heavy as fuck style of hardcore in the vein of bands like Harms Way, Weekend Nachos, and Nails. This album is chock full of slamming riffs, blazing and bellowing drums, and vocals filled with anger and misery. Honestly some of the coolest riffs i've heard recently, especially in the songs Night Terror and Disease Ridden. MOSH -Jacob Rice

Meth Mouth - Bleach Bath

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Genre: Powerviolence

Year: 2013

Tracklist:

1. Nothings Shocking // Falsified Convictions

2. Violent Solution

3. N//V

4. Vicarious Struggle

5. Anarchy Illusion

6. Compelled To Hate

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Second release from Meth Mouth, this is their new 7"/cassette Bleach Bath. Meth Mouth is a Straight Edge Powerviolence band from Miami, I first heard them about late April of this year with their first Demo. This 7" expands on the chaos and of course the noise. Just as mean and raw as the big daddies of powerviolence like Spazz, Failure Face, and Vaccine. The lyrics on this album are smart, aggressive, and the truth. This album screechs in about 5-7 minutes of feedback and pure aggression. Great release. -Jacob Rice

Kato - Buried With The Rain

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Genre: Hardcore/Sludge/Post Rock

Year: 2013

Tracklist:

1. Yet His Shadow Still Looms

2. And All of the Rats Gather

3. Dust of Earth

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Sometime last year I reviewed this bands first release named Came With Nothing / Left With Nothing and it was and still is one of my favorite submissions. This is their new release and let me tell you, this one is quite a project. The first song on this "Yet His Shadow Still Looms" begins with a cacophony of guitar distortion, feedback, brown note bass work, and the drummer pretty much just smashing his kit. This slowly turns into a haunting and eerie interlude part with clean guitar and finally it kicks back into the dissonance again but this time with some ear splitting vocals just to top off this wonderful track. Which honestly starts out this album as perfect as it can get and pretty much shows you what you're in for for the rest of the album.

We move on to the second track named "And All of the Rats Gather". It starts with a creepy sounding wind tunnel like noise that the guitarist is pulling off and there is a quote playing by Robert Oppenheimer which adds a certain feel of hopelessness to this track. This track also ventures into more of a hardcore feel. With riffs sounding like they came from Converge and pounding floor toms all over this track. This is a mean track.

Last but not least is the track "Dust of Earth". To me this tracks puts off a feel of just being alone all by yourself on Earth. Packed full of melodic guitar parts and standalone vocals this ends up being my favorite tracks of all on this record. This song really brings out the whole post-rock/post-metal feel. The riff near the end of this track is just fucking awesome as well by the way. 

This band honestly needs more attention and doesn't get enough credit for how awesome and creative of music they are releasing. So please give this one a chance.

-Jacob Rice

New Morality - No Morality

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Genre:Hardcore

Year:2013

Tracklist:

1.Intro

2.No Morality

3.Disease

4.Mental Prison

5.Stranged to myself

6.Sad Eyes

7.Dead End Path

8.The Last Laugh

9.Love to Hate

10.The Future is Ours

11.Anything But This

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A European straight up hardcore record: No Morality comes charging out of amsterdam like a steam train. Make no mistake these are 11 balls out, intelligent riff filled anthems, perfect for fans of bands like Frustration,Turnstile & Bitter End. The album also features heaps of impressive metallic influence with solo's and hooks apleny. Check it.  

-George

Dejection - Dead Earth

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Genre: Metal

Year:2013

Tracklist: 

    1.Combustion

   2.Dead Earth

      3.Bio Diversity

 4.Extinction

5.Rebirth

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Something a bit different for this post, in the form of djent/metal project "Dejection". Riffs aplenty and shit loads of technicality, and all written and recorded by a single guy too. Making the "Dead Earth" Ep an even more impressive feat of musicality.

Drawn In - Life Of Sin

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Genre: Thrash/Hardcore

 Year:2013

Tracklist:

1.Cycle of Sickness

2.Life Of Sin

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Some really impressive crossover thrash/hardcore from this band, with tapes being released on Lockdown Records. So so catchy and the vocals take this release from being really good to downright unstoppable. One of my favourite releases this year so far. FFO:Power Trip, Leeway & Earth Crisis 

-George

Dirk Frazel - Randy's Bacon

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Genre: Emo

Year: 2013

Tracklist:

1. $20 1/2 8th Club

2. Stylish But Illegal

3. Plymouth Blue Horizon

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I have finally made my return, after all the setbacks I am back for good i'm fairly sure and am more than ready to start posting again and continue work on the compilation! What better to post than an emo band that I fully support for my return to the blog? Dirk Frazel is a local band from my area (Springfield, MO). I saw these dudes first show (I think) a while back at a house show that Victor Villarreal (Cap'n Jazz) and these guys really killed it. Put on quite an energetic performance. Anyways, about the music, its like a wave of instrumentation. Very raw sounding, especially the vocals, but that works extremely well with the sound these dudes are putting out. Some of this stuff is even delving into some skramz with the drawn out cathartic vocals and those clean but nasty melodic guitar parts. I am very rusty on writing about music right now so sorry if my writeups are a little shitty for a bit. This band is awesome though, support them and Drunk Dad Records. DIRK -Jacob Rice

Crowd Control BD - Demo 2013

Year:2013

Genre:Down-Tempo/Beatdown

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1.Intro

2.Napalm Death

3.Death Camp

First Release from a newly formed UK beatdown band. With slow chugging riffs throughout, and plenty of slams and breakdowns to keep the aggression high throughout the record, this may be what the UK scene has been looking for; a straight up beatdown band who sound heavy as FUCK. definitely one to keep an eye on. Grab a tape out on Slow it Down records, or get the download for free on their bandcamp.

-George

Pulled Under - Demo 2013

Year : 2013

Genre : Hardcore, 90's Metalcore

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Pulled Under brings to the table a punishing blend of metal and hardcore, heavily influenced by 90's metalcore outfits such a Martyr AD and Disembodied. Coming out of the thriving DFW (Dallas-Forth Worth) scene, the band just finished touring with their North Texas brethren Sold Short. 

The demo opens up with a crushing, double-bass happy intro, reminiscent of Integrity's "Vocal Test." From there, the demo moves on to "Depression" which melds frantic metal riffs with chugging guitar breaks. The vocal track alternates between shrill, hellish shrieks to spoken word, creating an evil sounding contrast between the two. (think "Gone" by Disembodied.) The well-recorded vocals spill over into the final track "Born Again," where the song climaxes with layered vocals howling "If hell is real, I hope to god you burn." 

In summary, Pulled Under isn't doing anything that hasn't been done before, but they do it extremely well and the incorporation of 90's metalcore influence is fantastic and formidable. I foresee this band blowing up in the near future and you should give this demo a listen.

-Tucker

Pariso - Consanguinity

Year:2013

Genre:Powerviolence/Metal

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This release is mind-blowing. Truly. One of the most memorable and enigmatic bands in this style of music ive heard for a long time and this album further cements them as a genre crushing force to be reckoned with. Hard to classify and hard on your eardrums. Brilliant stuff from the lads in Pariso, and its free.

-George

Dead Weight - Cut Loose EP

Year:2012

Genre:Hardcore/Metal

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1. Cut Loose

2. Cornerstone

3.Life In Spite

Check out these bruisers from the UK, double pedal grooves and uber tight riffing make these more than just a hardcore band. Something really cool about this release, and if their 2013 single 'Iron Fist' us anything to by, these boys are just getting started. 

Backbiter - Cut Your Losses

Year: 2012 

Genre:Hardcore/Punk

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1. Cabin Fever

2. Shelbern

3. Shadow

4. Tragic Life

Next to Water Torture, this is my favorite band from Buffalo NY.  Four short, loud, and angry tracks on this demo leave you wanting more. They'll be releasing a new EP soon hopefully, which from what I've heard of it, is going to be awesome. Keep an eye on these dudes.

FFO: Violence Violence-era Ceremony, Nails, Magrudergrind

- Jared

Damaged Goods - Terminal EP.

Year: 2013
Genre: Powerviolence

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1. Resolutions

2. Paper Thin

3. Forced Gravity

4. Growing Pains

5. Disguised

6. Permanent Solution

New Jersey kids doing PV right. FFO: Iron Lung, Crossed Out and high school. Get into it.

-Jared