“We went on tour in 2012 and played Philly. We had never played there before and I think that’s how Relapse found out about us. I’ll speak for myself, but I think I’m speaking for all of us when I say we were very surprised when they contacted us!” While much of the music industry cognoscenti will beak off until they’re as blue in the face as they are in the balls about the irrelevancy of record labels in the digital age, Lesley Wolf, bassist/vocalist for New York blackened sludge trio Mortals, begs to differ. Their debut full-length, ‘Cursed To See The Future’ may not hit the streets until July 7 and their collective blood dripped onto Relapse’s dotted line may be their first real experience with the industry part of the music industry, but Mortals, at the very least, have the venerable label to thank for motivating them to get to where they are. “It definitely changed the game,” explains Wolf. “We were writing stuff without any real plan. We were maybe going to find a band to do a split with or eventually record a full-length, but there wasn’t anything definite. When Relapse stepped into the picture it definitely put … Read More

“The name comes from George R.R. Martin’s ‘A Song Of Ice And Fire’; it’s a region beyond the Wall, beyond the Frostfang Mountains,” Josh Zoerner of newjack Indiana black/crust stranglers Thenn explains of his band’s unusual moniker. “We tried to stray away from names that were overt subject matters because we didn’t want to pigeonhole ourselves with a name that resulted in an overarching ‘theme’. Thenn, while a reference, is fairly ambiguous, and the ambiguity leaves room for us to change and evolve without seeming like we’re betraying a genre.” So no Nuklear Wargoat or Dripping Entrails for this lot, then; they prefer to intrigue rather than bludgeon, and we’re entirely alright with that. Their innovative take on an already mangled sound sets them apart from the trendier “blackened crust” kiddos out there, and their earnestness and genuine passion is impossible to ignore. Thenn caught our battered ears earlier in 2012 with their first release, ‘Threshing The Golden Fields’. The EP’s five songs were offered for free download on Bandcamp, and Zoerner’s anti-capitalist reasoning behind the decision is a nice reminder of their crust roots. “We decided to give it away for free primarily because we felt as though charging money … Read More

Within ten seconds of pressing play our immediate thought was, “Damn, these dudes got some swagger.” That’s not a typical thought to bubble up when you’re confronted with the kind of grinding hardcore/desperate sludge alloy that Liverpool’s Corrupt Moral Altar have banged out on their first EP, but, there it was, just the same. “I guess a lot of that comes from our love of rock ‘n’ roll,” guitarist John shrugs. “Just trying to keep it super simple and have catchy songs. We all come from backgrounds of playing in super fast, technical bands and the whole idea of this band is simplicity, and being able to play the tracks when pissed out of our heads: playing brutal music and having fun with it!” They certainly nail the “brutal” part. ‘Luciferian Deathcult’ (out January 8 via Baitin’ The Trap Records) is positively rank, browbeating its poor listener into an absolute pulp. Ten seconds after first blush, we needed a drink – and so did they, probably. “The four members got together through their mutual love of getting fucked up and cider,” we’re told. “The band was formed in Merseyside in 2012, all members have been around for years in various other bands, some … Read More