Cursed - "I"

Its been awhile since I gave Cursed a spin! However, I was at a party tonight where there third album was thrown on the record player and I got inspired to post my favorite album by this amazing, intense band.
Featuring members of various Canadian DIY punk bands, Cursed played a really unique blend of abrasive hardcore punk with the addition of chord bends, metal riffing, and the ability to actually slow down the tempo of there songs. One thing I've always noticed as a musician is that the music I find to be heaviest and most memorable is neither completely fast nor droningly slow; it ably mixes the two, drawing out chord progressions and imbuing them with emotion before bashing you over the head with intense blasts of noise. Almost like a rollercoaster, taking you up and bringing you crashing down. The value of melody can never be forgotten either! Sure, a punk band can go ahead and hit me with a 30 second blast of aggression and noise... but if I can't hum along to it, hard as it may be, its not going to stick around in my head. What I love so much about Cursed is the fact that they value all these elements without compromising one bit of aggression or emotion in there music. Cursed is a weapon, attacking your ears and leaving no room for quarter, but its every bit as musically relevant as it is hard and fast. These guys are real musicians with an ear for the melody of there music, even when it seems like nothing more then a crunching wall of noise. Blending in almost metal-core style break downs, sound clips, ambient vibes, enough blast beats to shake a mountain, and INTENSELY personal lyrics...
Big word-y analysis aside, Cursed fucking RULES!
Aggresive, abrasive, emotional, varied, unique... what more could you want?! Put this on and thrash hard, my friends!

01. Polygraph
02. God And Country
03. Promised Land
04. Bloody Mary
05. How Great THings Happen When You Give
06. 1974
07. Negative Two Point Five
08. Guilt Parade
09. Another Day
10. Opposable Thumbs
11. Pariah

DL Link here!

G.A.T.E.S - "Total Death"

In between creating crazy comics and encouraging freaky sex fetishes, Japan churns out some seriously solid punk music, music so aggresive it hits you like a bulldozer! From the lo fi hatred of Disclose to the menace and swagger of Gism, its a whole world that oughta be recquired listening for anyone getting into punk music! G.A.T.E.S throws a biker hat into the fray with a rocking sound that brings to mind Discharge, Tank, and Motorhead, all d-beats and solos just long enough to crack open another beer! I cant emphasize the Motorhead influence enough here, and in no way do I mean that as an insult. In fact, the "Overkill" cover on this album could easily be mistaken for the legendary band and pounding bass metal punk assault will make you wanna throw back a shot of whiskey and jump on the nearest bike! I hope you dig it!

1. G.A.T.E.S.
2. Sacrifice
3. Demon Crusade
4. Night Howl
5. Filth
6. Long Live the Evil
7. Overkill (Motörhead Cover)

DL Link here!

Agent Orange - "Living In Darkness"

All you gotta do is listen to the chorus of "Bloodstains" to know whats up; "I lost my sense I lost control I lost my mind" Agent Orange cried, echoing the discontent that many kids of the 80's felt. It was a time of change, of stupid music scenes, judgemental folks, bright lights, and cheap wine. Agent Orange is a perfect snapshot of this chaos!
Playing a unique brand of surf/punk/skate/metal music, Agent Orange bursted onto the punk scene in 1981 with this underrated gem. Noone paid attention. The fact was Agent Orange consisted of three kids, not really caring for there clothing or who they played for, playing this strange music, covering surf classics like "Miserlou" in punk fashion and just straight up not giving a shit. It was... unique. You gotta realize this was at the dawn of the 80's, the segregation of scenes was commencing and punk fans were becoming more judgemental by the day! Gone was the old pipe dream of art school drop outs and washed out stoners all coexisting in peace; in was the brigade of identical mohawked, boot laced, studded punk kids, shoving there ideals and music tastes on anyone who didn't fit the description. Agent Orange didn't fit the description, they just happened to be amazing.
I love this album and I hope you do to! "Bloodstains" and "El Dorado" remain classics in my ear.

01. Bloodstains
02. Too Young to Die
03. Everything Turns Grey
04. Miserlou
05. The Last Goodbye
06. No such Things
07. Cry for Help
08. Bloodstains.mp3
09. Living in Darkness
10. Pipeline
11. Breakdown
12. Mr. Moto
13. America
14. Bored of You
15. El Dorado
16. Agent Orange Interview

DL Link here!

Dystopia/Skaven Split

Right then, lets start on a good note.

This is a fucking killer split! Released in 1995 (I believe, dont quote me on that!) this is a really good place to start if you've never really listened to crust punk before. Its crunching, heavy, even slow at times... yet, its got that angular edge that defines crust punk on a whole. Not to mention, look at that freakin' album art!

Dystopia is iconic. Really smart lyrics, angry as fuck vocals, really heavy production. This is what your gonna listen to if you wanna go postal on cops. If you haven't heard them before, you got some learning to do. Listen in awe.

Skaven, who I hadn't heard of prior to listening to this, is actually really fucking sick. Lots of slowed down tempos, an evil vibe, and a vocalist who has an almost black metal like way of singing. Its throaty, coarse, and raw as fuck. Hugely influenced by Amebix, methinks. Dig it!

DYSTOPIA
1. Instrumental
2. Taste Your Own Medicine
3. Jarhead Fertilizer
4. Anger Brought On By Disease

SKAVEN
1. Like The Worms That Crawl The Earth
2. Fleshy Curse
3. Abcess
4. Plague Wind
5. Reflective Skin


DL link
http://www.mediafire.com/?9kkysyxlzyn