Review: Modern Life is War - Fever Hunting

Modern Life is War

Fever Hunting

Deathwish Inc.

It’s good to see that some bands still have it.  In an era where the band reunion seem increasingly inevitable, all too many times it’s nothing more than a half-assed final grab at the brass ring, but it looks like Modern Life is War (MLIW for those too lazy to type four words) isn’t fucking around.  After about 5 years since they called it quits, this group of Midwestern ne’er-do-wells don’t miss a beat with Fever Hunting. In fact, this is some of the best music that MLIW has put out, period.  While I would still consider Witness their untouchable masterpiece, this record comes in a close second. 

I’m actually hard pressed to find a negative thing to say about this record....I guess there is an odd amount of repeating vocal lines, but that fades into the background and becomes a non-issue after a few listens.  Besides that it’s just MLIW being MLIW....the desperate sound that comes from coming from a region whose glory days are far behind them, a dissonant sound that is often imitated (La Dispute, Defeater, Touche Amore, I’m looking at all of you) but is never quite captured like it is by this band.  

All of the above AND probably the best, most concise song writing that this band has put forth so far.  “Health, Wealth & Peace”, “Media Cunt”, “Fever Hunting” are ragers that never fail to get stuck in my head immediately after listening.  Also, how good of a song name is “Media Cunt”? 

To summarize: Modern Life is War is back in a big way and is arguably better than ever.  Pretenders should take notice and see if they can’t learn a thing or two along the way.

Buy it here (Warning: Shipping to Canada is fucking ridiculous, so hopefully they come by on an upcoming tour....fingers crossed.)

Podcast: Ep. 52 - This is the End

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 52: This is the End

Well folks, it's been real.  Here at Lost Tribe we don't pride ourselves on much, but we are proud of the fact that we have been able to give you a quality podcast each and every week.  Come hell or high water we've always delivered a podcast that we've been proud of, and we aren't about to start half-assing things now.  As a result, this will be our last podcast for the time being.  Life just gets too busy sometimes and with a slew of weddings, second/third/fourth jobs, vacations, etc. there is no way that we can keep delivering a podcast every single week.  For the time being we will be going on 'hiatus'.  What that means, I'm not exactly sure, but it does allow us to return at a future date if we are so inclined, and maybe get in on some that reunion tour money (Judge and American Nightmare doesn't deserve it all).  And for anyone wondering, yes, we will still keep the website going, and will probably be a lot more active posting reviews there as we no longer have the podcast to discuss the music/movies/comics/video games/politics/etc. that we do or do not like.  So enjoy this final episode, where the boys talk about not-so-sexy gangster rap, World War Z, and a whole bunch of other cool shit.  It's been a lot of fun, so thanks for listening.

If you are looking to download older episodes, get them while they are hot...we will be removing them from the interweb by Sept. 1st.  You can currently download all 52 episodes and just listen to them whenever you want, but as of the end of the summer they will no longer be available.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 48: The Future is Now, Motherfuckers!

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 48: The Future is Now, Motherfuckers!

In this episode the boys discuss awesome local hardcore shows (RIP Purity Control and hurray for Pick Your Side) and revist the Rob Ford crack smoking scandal.  The majority of the episode is dedicated to the return of Arrested Development and how season 4 stacks up against previous episodes (hint: we like it, but lets not go overboard, it wasn't THAT great).  Following that, the boys discuss how the future is here, and it's going to watch you in your living room! Xbox One, PS4, etc. are all on their way and while their technology is impressive, it may also turn out to be invasive and downright creepy.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Review: Heartless - Certain Death

Heartless

Certain Death

Halo of Flies

I had never heard of Heartless.  I didn’t know they were from Pittsburgh, I didn’t know they were playing Maryland Death Fest, and I didn’t know they had a new 7” coming out on Halo of Flies (which is a label I actually do know and respect).   Usually I’m ok with the fact that I’m slowly falling out of touch with what’s new/noteworthy in heavy music, but I’m kinda kicking myself that I didn’t know about Heartless earlier than now.  Certain Death is an incredibly heavy 7” that blends hardcore, metal, and grindcore in an astoundingly impressive way.  This is music to destroy property to.  The production value is there, the ability to seamlessly blend styles is there, and obviously genuine nature of this band’s aggression is consistently front and centre.  

I don’t know who decides which bands get jocked hard and which bands have to slog it out on their own, but it really doesn’t make sense that this band doesn’t enjoy the notoriety and success of bands like Nails.  Since I can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound or dedicate billions to developing a super high-tech cave, I’ll have to live out my superhero fantasies by trying to get a band like Heartless the recognition that they deserve.  Fortunately, Certain Death is the destructive force of nature that will hopefully allow Heartless to gain the recognition that they deserve.

Pick up the 7” over at Halo of Flies.

Podcast: Ep. 47 - You're the Wrong Kind of Nerd

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 47: You're the Wrong Kind of Nerd

In this episode the boys discuss the comedic-live-theatre genius that is The Book of Mormon and what a frustrating clusterfuck trying to buy live theatre tickets can be.  In terms of music, old Nails and new The Wonder Years albums get discussed and praised while I See Star's cover of Bane gets properly ripped apart.  At this point the discussion turns to the boys' nerdy youth, when Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering ruled their girl-less nights.  Also, how fucking cool are 20-sided dice?

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 45 - Slayer!!!

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 45 - Slayer!!!

This week the boys begin by discussing Iron Man 3 (dont' worry, no spoilers) and happy-go-lucky music that seems to have an appeal during summer time. From there the majority of the episode focuses on the passing of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman and what it has meant to the metal community and to each of the boys themselves.  This was a musician who was a true juggernaut, and almost single-handedly transformed what Trash Metal guitar playing was.  He wrote Angel of Death.  He wrote Reign in Blood.  And now he's dead.  Fuck.  RIP.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Review: Spaz out - Demo

Spaz out

 

Demo

Self-Released

It most likely some form of nationalism speaking, but I honestly believe that Canada puts out a disproportionate amount of good hardcore/metal/punk bands.  As a country that is a mere 10% the size of the USA, we pump out consistently great, groundbreaking, and fun bands that end up making an impact despite being from the frozen North-Western corner of the globe.  While Lost Tribe is centered out of Toronto, and we all consider TOHC to be our hometown music, I once lived in Ottawa and still hold a fair amount of love for the nation’s capital.

It was this geographic affection that caused me to check out Ottawa's own, Spaz out.  Now, beside the fact that it should be spelled “Spazz” in my opinion, I love everything about this band.  The demo sounds raw (it is a demo of course), but the intensity and fury comes through clearly on every song.  “Tangled” and “Cut the Shit pt. 2” bring a style of early 2000s hardcore that I will always love best.  “Blind to the Truth” is probably my favourite song, mixing killer hc riffs, metal dive bombs, and a gang-vocal breakdown.  What’s not to love??!!  “Losing Grip” speeds things up and adds some metallic and punk roots to the release that fit perfectly. 

Look, I know we usually don’t do track-by-track breakdowns of what we review, but every song on this release is good in a different way, so blanket statements are kinda hard to come by.  Furthermore, when a new band puts out something this impressive it’s worth taking a step back and appreciating each track....jesus, now it sounds like a want to blow this band.....and I do....musically.  Only musically.

Get a free download of the demo here, and buy a physical copy whenever that becomes available.

 

Podcast: Ep. 41 - Drinking Like Don Draper

Lost Tribe Podcast

Ep. 41: Drinking Like Don Draper

In this episode the boys talk about American Nightmare's impending Canadian show and how weird it was that the internet didn't catch on fire when tickets went on sale.  After discussing how good the new Paint It Black is and the return of Game of Thrones.  Next, there is much discussion about how shitty fat suits are, but how great old fashions taste when Mad Men becomes the topic of conversation.  To end things off on a high note every one complains about the end of Weeds, the movie This is 40, and just how fucking depressing living in Canada during the wintertime can be.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 40 - The Marshall Mathers Episode

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 40: The Marshall Mathers Episode

In this episode the boys talk about awesome hardcore (Incendiary, Rotting Out and Shai Hulud) and our decline in the interest in rap battles (for a cornucopia of reasons).  The conversation then drifts towards some rappers inability to write full records and just how incredible Eminem was and probably could still be if he would just stop putting out utter nonsense.  Also, the boys apologize for the utter shit music that Canada is known for putting out (we have good music I swear!  We had(ve) No Warning!  Cursed!  Fucked Up! Stompin’ Tom!) .  Then everything gets insanely sad when the documentary The Invisible War is discussed.  

Get it on iTunes or here.

Podcast: Ep. 38 - Don't Be a Sperm Jacker

Lost Tribe Podcast

 

Ep. 38: Don't Be a Sperm Jacker

On this weeks episode the boys talk about GI Joe, growing up in the country, and all of the fucked up things that come with growing up in the sticks.  We discuss the types of things we'd do for cash when we were little, and a few disturbing things that have happened to us with social workers...and it's not what you think.

Get it on iTunes or here.

Review: Call of the Void - Dragged Down a Dead End Path

Call of the Void

 Dragged Down a Dead End Path

Relapse Records

Relapse Records has always been my favourite place to go for one-step-above-indie metal.  That kind of metal that isn’t going to fill arenas, but that also wasn’t recorded on someone’s four-track and then distributed on a cassette-only label out of Denmark.  This in-between level is by far my favourite, with the likes of Pig Destroyer and Fuck the Facts confidently leading the Relapse line-up (on that note, why the hell is Fuck the Facts so criminally underrated? ...I’m sure I’ll write a separate post about that some day).

So when I caught an animated banner on some metal forum promoting Call of the Void’s Dragged Down a Dead End Path I took notice because Relapse was putting it out.  Now, I don’t love everything I hear coming from Relapse, but I always feel that I owe each band at least one listen, and it’s times like this that it completely pays off to do so.  Previously known as Iron Horse (a band name that I like more, but I’m sure they had to change it because of some other band threatening a law suit or some such shit), Colorado's Call of the Void delivers an impressive mix of metal/hardcore/crusty d-beat that bands like Rise and Fall have popularized. What makes this group stand out are the riffs that they use throughout this record.  A lot of bands playing this style of metal/hardcore always seem to favour a barrage of sound over distinctive riffs and an element of groove and dynamics.  Call of the Void recognizes the need for a little variety and it really helps shape each track and gives the entire album a more diverse and less monotonous feel.

This album is dirty, mean, crushingly heavy, and impressive from start to finish.  Songs like “The Liar’s Heart” and “Bottom Feeder” stand out as particularly great songs, but there really isn’t a significant low point on this album.

In short, you should buy it here.