Finally got to see Quicksand since them playing at the Roseland in NYC with Deftones. Seattle didn’t know what hit them!!

Pics by  Carrie Whitney

TITLE FIGHT

QUICKSAND

1. Burning Love - Rotten Thing to Say  (Southern Lord)

This is one of those records that will make you grind your teeth and get through a hard situation without breaking a sweat.Sort of like What Hope Con did on Endnote. This what the doctor ordered trying to get through a NYC summer while trying to move cross country.Burning Love is a touring machine so , of course they’re going to write one of those machine driven hardcore record. with that passion  and this sound, they’re this generation’s Motorhead.

(The rest in no particular order.)

Aeges-The Bridge (Maylene Sheath)

You’ve been on the LES on a Tuesday night and you’re greeted by your friends randomnly in some dive bar off Rivington St. and you have no where to be tomorrow. This is the true tell story  of that band telling  how Lo Angeles is like through a Qucksand/Die 116?/Shift amp. want a blast from the past these guys really throwback a sound where at least  me, A New Yorker has missed since so long ago.

Empty Flowers- Six (Translation Loss)

Take  ex-members of CABLE , throw in the band with some seasoned musicans and industry folk. Watch what i am pretty sure could be defined as Mark Lanegan singing for Lungfish/Skull Defekts It’s one of those weird combos that when you listen it’s pretty much settled once the first chords strike on the opening track. The seven inch has a remix from CRONE who is Jeff Caxide a former member of both Cable & Isis.

Narrows - Painted (Deathwish)

This of course , is a sure one to pick as a top favorite of the year for myself if anyone. Add this great lp and the tour  that i got to tag along on. It was one of the best experiences/soundtrack  that was needed for a wonderful year i had in 2012;. Fist pumping distorted punk in ” It’s the Water”, Chaos fury vocals in “Greenland . Which both features Ben Verellen (HELMS ALEE, HARKONEN). All in all a record to tear someones heart out and then hug back it in later on.

Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph)

Holy shit what a ripper of an album. Coral Blue, Aimless Arrow,Predatory Glow  just crumbles everything in it’s path. some lsow, some fast. just a plain ol’ ripper that Converge knows how to pull off.So etimes when i Pay this record , it’s unfair to play anything else after that and just bask in the glow of it .

Neurosis - Honor Found In Decay ( Neurot)

I’m surprised alot of people didn’t like this alot more. It’s a general irection a band like Neurosis gets. The older a heavier band gets i think the bitterness of that band’s fans that  it goes in a new direction. Over the last five years scott Kelly and Steve Von Till took the heavy  to a raw  sonically acoustic sound. I’m glad they brought that rawness over to the band. Because ,It definitely defines them as an ever growing ,maturing being of aural destruction and emotion.With out having to find it through  the noise and distortion of yesteryear.

Kowloon Walled City -Container Ships (Brutal Panda)

To be completely honest. I  was waiting for this to conclude my top ten. Deftones didn’t really do it for me and the all the other records that were released i felt it was too late to really get into and listen to. But for KWC i’ve been a fan for a long time and hd to give it a chance. Once I got it in the mail, i threw it on and listened to it three times.It’s the in a class by itself with whole record being a  late  favorite. of 2012. I’ve given it a comparison of an more mature Unsane, like Neurosis has gone . a elder , wiser sound with out losing it heaviness. Live they just crush with out going over the top and being a tightly knit force.More People need to check them out.

Old Man Gloom - NO (Hydra Head)

 Heavy.Just plain and simple. I think Regain/Rejoin is 2012’s heaviest song to me at least. The drums are so minimal but yet so devastating .It makes you jump around and want to throw shit like..well.. a gorilla! Yeah i said it .Live ,which the band did a n east coast and a west coast tour is truly devasting as well.Just one of those projects you have hoped for to play more shows and did.Hopefully they’ll release a record that won’t take 8 years to ocme out next. but if it does. It’ll be well worth the wait.

Regents - Antietam After Party (Lovitt)

Witnessing the development of the artwork before you heard the record it’s really tough to see if it’ll match the vibe the band is going for. I’m glad hearing the record with the complete artwork made a total package. The songs played former members of Sleepytime Trio,Frodus. and other spazzed out thinking cap required hardcore. Keep bringing what they knew best to the present. Live the band makes you hold on to the imaginary school bag you’re holding and beat your fist on your chest. Total fun fest with band participation and everything . The whole record blows by you  wishing there was more then slows down at the beginning with a soothing Syrian Orthodox chat to refocused then hit you harder to end the record.

Early Graves - Red Horse  (No Sleep)

What a great rebirth from a band that witnessed and experienced tragedy amongst it’s ranks. This record unleashes fury and emotion stemming from the first song all the way through the record. Wanting and hungering for just one more riff. I hope it doesn’t stop there and in 2013 they drive the Red horse stampede across the u.S. and Europe 20 times over.

Top  things I’m looking forward to in 2013…

Getting married to my lovely lady  Carrie Whitney

My first art show here in Seattle.

Cleanteeth - Pushing Rope Lp (someone needs to sign this band!!!)

seeing Quicksand & Neurosis in the same month!

There’s more, I know.. but these are the tings I am truly looking forward to as of now!!

So basically i begged and begged and pleaded with the misses  if we can go to this show. so the day finally came, Just getting the new Container Ships Lp, Kowloon released on Brutal Panda. I was so anxious to get up there and see the dudes. I love Ian and Scott. always a pleasure to hang around those two. We first met in the fall of 2010 when the band toured the east coast with Batillus and had the pleasure of doing 2 shows with them in NYC and BK .I’ve always been a fan , they were my top ten release of 2009 with Gambling the Ricter Scale and sure enough Container Ships is on my top ten of 2012

ok,enough of me rambling.. 

Pics by Carrie Whitney 

KOWLOON WALLED CITY

HELMS ALEE

by Carrie Whitney