Its All Over With!

I have decided to knock this on the head. For the very few people that will see this I am starting a new blog. I am pretty chuffed with my first attempt at doing a blog and I look at Exwhorism as a way I found out what I am good at and where my strengths are in writing. For this purpose it will be over at Gonna Make The Pony Trot where i will continue on with writing about the usual rubbish and talking shit so follow me there if you want. There is no obligation.

Cheers

Oliver

BEN

Watched Willard at the weekend. Really good film. Enjoyed it immensly. Its about a lad and his rats. But there is slightly more to it than my description. It features Hollywood eccentric Crispin Glover. He was ace in Rivers Edge and obviously the Back To The Future Trilogy. He writes books and plays as well. The original Willard from 1971 was followed by a sequal called Ben, after one of the rats in the first story. Micheal Jackson allowed use of his song of the same title to be used in it. Crispin Glover recorded his own version of it for the 2003 Willard.



Crispin Glover has also released an album back in the 90's. Its pretty hard to get hold of and features some quite forced "whackiness" but it does feature Clowny Clown Clown and some other little gems.

MR FREEDOM X

Been on a complete Miles Davis trip for the past few days broken up with bouts of Dio and Nocturnus. Been a fan of Miles for years. His career stretched from the alte 40's through to the tail end of the 80's. He played a part in almost every new stage of jazz if not influencing it himself. His backing band was made up of future greats and legends in there own right, John McLaughlin, Kenny Garrett, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, JJ Johnson, Jack De Johnette, its a pretty impressive list.
Anyway, you can read all about him on the great man's Wiki page, I thought I would upload one of my favourites from his discography. On The Corner is, after Bitches Brew, his best known effort from his electric period.



Smooooooth

He claimed he was influenced by Sly & The Family Stone and Hendrix on this one. Infact there is a story about how in awe of Hendrix Miles was. To quote his biographer " he loved the way he was sticking it to whitey and the man with his guitar playing " Its claimed they even spoke about collaborating but obviously Jimi died. There is a rumour that they recorded some live stuff, I really like to believe that but then it more than likely would have shown up online by now. Just think about what it would have sounded like!
Check out this, I know its a Cyndi Lauper tune but Miles made this something else. The recorded version is good, but the live version is superb. There is a peak in the middle, and the note he hits at 5:40 that goes right through me. Superb.



Enjoy.

Due to computer problems its all been offline recently. For nearly a month! The real world be damned, I have internet again. Getting some stuff uploaded for the next few posts so in the meantime I have the soundtrack to Chevy Chase's best film, after Caddyshack and National Lampoon's Vacation series. Fletch! Composed by Harold Faltermyer. Its not an amazing film by any stretch of the imagination. Its just a Chevy Chase film. You don't write films and then cast Chevy. You write a film for Chevy! Fletch is the best example of his one liners and flippant humour. Go Fletch.

FLETCH LIVES!

x

BACK IN THE HABIT..........

Fo Sho.....

Look how cool I am and the cool people I hang around with.
Real life is shit. Car problems, financial problems, health problems, I got problems coming out my ears. My nose as well if I didn't have this damn lurgy.
So some emotional, violent escapism with a message I reckon.

We3 is a awesome 3-part graphic novel I have just finished. The reliable team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely released this back in 2004 I believe. It tells the tale of 3 household pets. A dog, a cat and arabbit. Appropriated by the goverment for a research project. They are encased in high tech suits, armed to the teeth and deployed as a covert strike unit in dangerous situations. The story follows they're escape and journey home. Avoiding the military and other nasty stuff. Its been described as "Universal Soldier meets Homeward Bound" which is a pretty silly description but does fit it immensly. Its one of the nicest, most heart warming stories I have read in a long time. The range of emotions expressed by the animals in the few words they utter and the detail of the art stands out more than the sudden bursts of violent brutality. I hope you enjoy this....

WOOF WOOF BANG

Allegedly there is a script penned by Morrison being developed with a green light to begin shooting next year. Imagine that.
Cheers to Lucid Media for this one.

FROM THE VAULTS!

I have finally uploaded something that I highly doubt anyone has heard. other than those of us cool enough to get into it on its original release.
There used to be a guy called Kevin Stewart panko who wrote for Terrorizer and some other things. He is still alive, so don't worry. he had a band in his home country of Canada called Association Area. They had 2 bassists, released a 7" and EP, lost a bassist and then created this piece of "art".
Lothsome Deco is a strange beast indeed. Not aligning itself with any particular style. They have a free form approach to song structure. Mixing a huge noise rock element with snippets of grind, surf rock, white noise and whatever they fancied, leaving you with one of my most prized finds. As far as I know its still knocking around on some ditro's here and there and Lunasound Records may still possess copies. other than that, finding any information about them is pretty hard.



ASSOCIATION AREA - Lothsome Deco

Give it a listen, absord it and throw it up again.
x

I'M SWAYZE

Star of such films as Steel Dawn and Point Break, and that one about dancing ( which seemingly intelligent girls will make you watch) and the other one about ghosts.
here is the soundtrack to his, in my opinion, best efforts.



The Dancing Is Over, Now It Gets Dirty!

RIP

RETURN FROM TOUR....NEW THINGS

Tour was, as it always is, better than the rest of life. Despite being only 3 days long. We hit Edniburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow with the superbly heavy Diet Pills. Played with some awesome bands like Holy Mountain, Divorce and Loinstorm and got immensly drunk. We are all now broke and tired. But that is what its like being in a band and I would not change it.
I also got some new things to watch.....

Q The Winged Serpent : Larry Cohen's classic, slightly spoofy, non too serious monster movie. Giant, ritual killing, stop motion serpent terrorizes David Carridine and New York.
Salute Of The Jugger : Post-apocalyptic brutal sports with Rutger Hauer and Private Pile.
Alligator : Another classic from when I was kid. Giant alligator munches its way through the sewer system and eats lots of folk.
Nightmare City : Italian, low-budget disaster/zombie film with immensly shit make up effects but has a charm that I can't deny. Look how bad it is....

Scanners : The old Cronenberg classic on VHS, charity shop find.
Blood Camp Thatcher : a.k.a. Turkey Shoot. Australian, exploitation number. Future prison stuff, the rich hunting the unmates, Big brother, totalitarian society. Has Fifi from Mad Max as a prison warden.
And this horribly creepy rabbit mask we found in a fancy dress shop in Nottingham.
Superb work all round. The only problem is I can't afford to pay rent or tax now.
Thank you to my good friend Si for getting me into this one. Supremly heavy doom/sludge trio Warhorse. Heaven Turns To Ash.

Slow slow slow slow



Yeah
x

IT NEVER GETS BETTER.

Everything always goes well, until it goes bad. Then it upsets all your carefully laid plans. Going off on tour to Scotland with my silly fast band and our very good friends Diet Pills tommorow. Superb. Need the break.
I also bought a load of really great films, but I will tell you about those when they arrive in the post.
So as something that has been keeping me sane and finding I am enjoying here is The Grand Illusion by Styx. Battling cocaine accusations, South Park character covers and satanic accusations is all in a days work for Styx and the classic 1977 album The Grand Illusion.



Come Sail Away

Music does really help to aleviate the inevitability.
Fuck You.

ALBUMS THAT SHAPED OLIVER #4

Just aquick entry before I go off getting tattooed today is this album by Bloodlet. They existed in the late 90's, released a few albums on Victory Records, split up, got back together and released another album before splitting up for the last time.
They where the black sheep of the Victory roster. Dubbed by many as "Evilcore", there sound was a mixture of slowed down hardcore, dissonance, technicality and something approaching noise-rock. Add to this the fretless bass, the lo-fi production and the hoarse vocals and you have an album that is still as impressive as it was when I first heard it all those years ago. Certainly a oddity in the hardcore scene but definatly one of the most influenctial bands for me.

DOGMAN WITH HORNS




YES
x

ALBUMS THAT SHAPED OLIVER #3

Now its not really cool or underground in the slightest. But who cares about gay stuff like that. I bought this from a second hand record store in Blackpool when I was a kid. SOIA really deserve the title of hardcore godfathers in my opinion ( much more than Agnostic Funk ). People understand it, if you don't then you are to young.



WHO SETS THE RULES



x

BACK IN THE DAWN OF TIME..............

..well the 80's to be precise. Saturday morning TV was full of cartoons. Some havn't aged well others have. Sabre Rider was a adaption of a Japanese OAV series. They changed all the dialogue, added extra scenes and scrapped other elements and we had Sabre Rider And The Star Sheriffs, another addition to the line ( Bravestarr and Galaxy Rangers beat it) of space cowboy/western cartoons.
I vaguely remember this. Never to watch it as a kid more just the image of it popped up somewhere. What prompted this post was the discovery of the first DVD ina local second hand shop for the grand price of 100 pence, a bargain you will agree. Well about a year ago I came across the original soundtrack to it by the very talented Dale Schacker and couldn't believe it.



You see, Dale was given compelte freedom of artistic license to do whatever the hell he wanted with the score. He created a huge, sprawling work. Synth and pop elements are present as is a lot of "real" electric guitar. The music itself has the recurring country/western feel as well as a hugely dramatic nature that stands out amongst many other similar animations. Here we have the full OST. Including all the different world versions of the main theme and the many variations and edits/remix's of some tracks. It concludes with a interesting at times boring at others interview with Mr Schacker. I can't get enough of this at the moment.

GIVE HIM A LUBE JOB AND SUGAR LUMP

Enjoy gang
x

IN 2 HOURS.............

...I will be another year closer to death. Depending on who you talk to most bets where made it would happen about 7 years ago. Sadly I have managed to keep going for 28 years.
Happy Birthday me.



x

JOHN HUGHES RIP

Sad sad times.
February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009

HEARTS SLOW DOWN......

Having beenascrabbling for this for some while now, it was with the good fortune of the Raw Nerve board that it finally came up again. I have been over playing this crap, taped copy on C90 for years. It does not do this album justice in the slightest. What album? The unreleased Redrighthand album " They Sang and Chanted For Hours, Then The Locked In Hundreds Set Themselves Ablaze". A true crime on the last decade.
During the Narcosis years our vocalist peet had been doing this band ( they in fact started before he was in Narcosis with a different line-up and many twists and turns to the story) that was eventually recorded in 2004 by our good friend Mr John Kettle. The recording was a bit of a stress and headache but this was the finished product.
But then the label went skint, they couldn't afford to release it, it got shelved save for a few CD-r's and tapes of the recording which have been circulating for years.
The line-up at the time consisted of people that have/are in They Are Cowards, Narcosis, Like A Kind of Matador, Charger, Hard To Swallow and Gruel.
At the time everyone was blown away by this album. It is still to this day a horrible, angsty, drawn out affair. Avoiding the more conventional "rock" element of doom. Instead its replaced with dissonance and pure distorted filth.

REDRIGHTHAND

LISTEN UP!

EVEN WHEN ITS RAINING...........

.........The Polyphonic Spree are pretty good at cheering me, even if they are a bunch of hippies.

NEW PURCHASES

Yes. Arrived the other week. Here we go.
First off, The Last Dragon DVD. You can read my previous post about how much I love this film here so just take my word its sweet.

But slightly more exciting was the Rodney Dangerfield "No Respect" 3-disc set. This is the best visual companion for the Dangerfield fanatic. Featuring all of his specials he did for NBC and Fox, a selection of his own show live from Club Dangerfield, the proving ground for many young stand ups. it features a young Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Hicks as well as the crude but good David Tyree. It also features the Dangerfield episode of This Is Your Life, presented to him live on stage during one of his performances. Its really nice and touching. Dangerfield, what a legend.

Here we go.....

I also purchased a new amp, but that is another story for another time.
I also have come across this on my internet travels that I will share with you.
Been digging this album loads recently. It shouldn't really need any explanation at all, The Butthole Surfers are legends in there own. If you like them then you love them, there is no middle ground at all. This is my favourite album by these oddball legends, the opening sample always raises a smile.

The Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technicain (1987)

Go and enjoy.
x

WAR JOURNAL

I used to love skating when I was a kid. I never tried so hard at something for so long to be so shit at it. Worlds worst skater me.



One of my favourite parts from a Skate vid. Jason Dill and a sweet Radiohead song from the Under-rated Airbag/How Am I Driving? EP. The video is from Alien Workshop's "Photosynthsis" video from way back.
Also from way back is this effort from Cherubs. A fine example of retarded, noise-rock if there ever was. I know people who saw them a round this time. And it makes me sick knowing that. Noisy, ugly rock incarnate.

Cherubs - Heroin Man

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VAULTS....

Finally I got round to uploading these. Despite being sick with the flu and waiting imaptiantly for The Last Dragon and the Rodney Dangerfield Boxset to turn up, I got these uploaded.

CARMEN - 2 Track Demo


From down south ( Kent way), Carmen have been a band that never got anywhere to be hoenst, not for want of trying. We came across them years ago in the Narcosis days. I had known the vocalist Chris online for a while and finally bumped into him at a Doomriders show they ended up playing. They where awesome, a complete car crash. After that we played together quite a few times until Narcosis was put down, then we asked Chris to be the vocalist in Ergon. As far as I know this is all they ever recorded, 2 tracks of noisy, chaotic, screaming fury. Sorta like Breach mixed with Deadguy, sorta. Best making up your own mind.
Secondly, I dug out this little gem. Ix hailed from Scotland and Narcosis played with them quite a few times over the years. First time was in a shop front/anarchist space in Glasgow after a venue mishap. They where using a plant pot as a mic stand.
They played some pretty sweet, drawn-out doom/post-rock. On paper its hard to make this sorta thing sound interesting but if you dig the sounds of Mogwai mixed with Burning Witch then I reckon you fill like it.

Ix - Mythopoeia



Go enjoy dickheads.

HE TOLD SEVERAL OFF COLOUR JOKES........

They are everywhere.......... and wear tuxedo's.


x

IF I HAVE TO BEG OR BORROW..........

This has been my work tune this week...from the scene in Beverly Hills Cop when Axel first arrives in Beverly Hills. Sweet.

LETS TALK ABOUT...........THE LAST DRAGON!

The what? You have never heard of The Last Dragon? One of my all time favourite films? are you some kind of loser?

I first saw this film when I was a kid after my mum taped it offa TV late one night ( this was a ritual and a good reason why I saw so many nasty 80's films that I really shouldn't have at that age) This was a film that mixed martial arts, break dancing, hip-hop, blaxploitation, disco and 80's fashion. What is there not to love about it.
It was the creation of Berry Gordy, he of Motown Records and the evil mastermind behind Micheal Jackson's ascendancy to the stars. He financed this film, which to this day is one of the biggest commercial flops but financialy was off the scale. The plot involved Taimak ( first acting role) and his quest to attain the "glow". Along the way he falls in love, battles lots of bad guys, learns about feelings and how to dance. It featured various future greats. William H Macy has a slight cameo, Chazz Palminteri plays hood #2 and Prince's lady friend Vanity plays the love interest. And it features Sho'nuff. Julius J. Carry III's finest role to date in my opinion, god rest his soul.

Of course Taimak's acting is immensly wooden, he learned to act on the set. But the fights are ace and they have mixed enough comedy into it as they realise how silly the whole concept is. It always reminded me of some arcade beat em up almost. The oddball characters and set pieces.
Good fun facts : Leeroy's younger brother Richie, was the real life younger brother of Sugarhill Gang member Master Gee.
The youngest child of the Brown clan is played by Cosby show mainstay Keshia Knight Pulliam.
Kanye West has since made the Sho'nuff's trademark shades cool. I would say stole his style.
Vanity has been scuttled by Prince, who helped launch her girl band Vanity 6 and if rumour permits James Brown and Nikki Sixx have both been inside her.
She was also a crack addict for over a decade and now requires kydney magic to keep her alive. Due to this she decided to become a born again christian or something like that.
Tiamak, in his own words " I am still training and practising both my martial arts and acting, I will be on the big screen again soon". He has allegedly written a script for a sequel.
Julius J. Carry III is dead.

I bring this up because I was telling a lady friend how amazing it was and tried to find my VHS copy of it but its dissapeared. meaning I can finally move into the 21st century with The Last Dragon and buy the DVD.

DANGER OF DEATH...........

Classic, teen angst incarnate. Everyone enjoys Chris Needham.

MEGADETH ALWAYS BEAT METALLICA

I have always liked Megadeth. As untrendy at times as it is. They easily rank higher than Metallica in my books. I was at Salesbury COE Primary School when I first heard them. My friend Vulture gave me a tape with Megadeth, NWA, Rat Pack, Nirvana and Guns N Roses. I played that tape almost constantly after that. All the way through Secondary school. Despite growing up and realising what a huge tool Dave Mustaine is I still loved that band. What more proof do you need than this video.....

Now, think how degrading it is being that girl that the bra belonged to? Throwing your bra at Dave Mustaine? Nick menza looking heart broken in the background. What a dick.

I did have a desire to go on about some of my equipment I use. But then after being disheartened by the "post your rig" thread on this forum I thought it best not. After reading it gave me that feeling you get when you watch your girlfriend getting her backed knocked out by some one better than yourself and she taunts you about it. All the equipment I use is pretty shit. I wish I could afford something good.
I did intend to do loads of important thing stonight, instead I have listened to lo-fi Black Metal and typed this post. What a waste of a night.
Better waste it with some good music. Dad They Broke Me are from Australia. I really have no information about them other than they sound like a monstrously deformed collision of The Jesus Lizard and Unsane dripped through a doom filter.

Dad They Broke Me - Lack

Give it a wizz. Its pretty good. Better than that girl who threw the bra further up the post. But then, I imagine nearly anything is.

1982...IT WAS A GOOD YEAR.

First off, Coalesce did not dissapoint last night. I know its easy to be disheartened by seeing a band you have loved ( I have been waiting 10 years to see them) who then are shit when you do finally get the chance.
Coalesce did non of this. They played a awesome setlist off a few new tracks and a good selection of the back catologue. Ingram's voice has not changed and is still as powerful. Shame they are only playing 3 dates in the UK and a few European ones. Gutted for the rest of your miserable life if you don't see them.

I recently went on a bit of a Black Flag binge. This has been one of the most played of recent times. According to common lore and fairytale, in 1982 Black Flag where legally restricted from releasing any new material for whatever reason, I don't know. They secretly recorded a load of demo's of material that ended up on My War and Slip It In. Add to this a live interview from some radio sessions they did. It rules for the fact that a lot of these versions sound so much better than the actual album versions. The sound is rawer and more upfront and Rollins has a unhinged vibe to his vocals. Plus Kira Roessler is hot. Here it is for maximum punk points.....

Drinking black coffee..........

YES, YES, YES, YES, YES.........

A DISGUST FOR DETAILS!

Coalesce tonight. Corperation in Sheffield.
So in honour of said event, I am putting the live set back up. Awesome sound quality.
This is from 2005 somewhere in Philly, USA.

Track Listing.....
1- Harvest of Maturity
2- One on the Ground
3- cowards.com
4- Blend as Well
5- Burn Everything That Bears Our Name
6- What Happens on the Road
7- A Safe Place
8- Jesus In The Year 2000 / Next On The Shit List
9- A Disgust For Details
10- 73-C
11- You Can't Kill Us All
12- My Love For Extremes

What More Do You Want From Me.........

THE BEST SCENE FROM LETHAL WEAPON

I used to think it was the torture sequence where Al Leong sponges Mel Gibson. Well after realising that every time its on TV I always miss the first scene that introduces Riggs. It has everything. Mel taking coke, Christmas trees, 3 Stooges impression, some swearing and it also introduces Rigg's trademark roll-over, strafing shooting stance. Never used again, never bettered.

Its the quintessential buddy/cop movie. Influenced Tango & Cash and provided Graf Orlock with a sweet sample. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover had the chemistry. It was wasted somewhat over time as the follow ups piled up and they descended into daft action/comedies and the age rating dropped. They tried the same formula again much later on, minus Mel Gibson and including fishing. It didn't work really.
So in honour of how much I like this film I have got hold of a link to the soundtrack. Micheal Kamen, Eric Clapton and David Sanborn succeeded in creating one of the best lonely drinking albums I have ever heard. I have often got drunk at home on my own lsitening to this. The addition of other people sort of spoils it so its best you get hammered on your own while listening to this one.

I'm Getting To Old For This Shit

Honestly, it is the best music for getting drunk on your own. It might sound a bit depressing but its so good. Just keep repeating to yourself..."I'm getting to old for this shit".

THE GREAT THING ABOUT 90'S FUNK METAL..........

.....the bassist! Yes. As a common point of reference and in-joking between my drummer and myself. We always have a little giggle about 90's funk metal bassists. Or more importantly, the clothing.
You see, I started playing bass when I was a impressionable 16 year old. At the time it was all about funk metal. You couldn't open a music magazine without seeing a bassist wearing bermuda shorts, a vest/waistcoat combo and a bowler hat. Hair was either pigtailed or kept short and the bass was worn quite low down the knees and held upright. This was a fearsome sight to my young eyes. "They must be so talented" I thought to myself. And more often than not they where. But have you ever tried playing a bass that low down for any length of time? Hell no. Your arms end up hurting, your back aches, you slowly take on a more simian posture. Why do you think Robert Trujillo walks like a crab onstage? Its not a act, he is actually handicapped. Poor him. You see the rest of the band could look like metal knobs but the with a bassist looking like that present they had that important "we-don't-just-own-metal-albums" aura around them. Plus there was doubtless one of them wearing a silly shirt as well. Case in point. LAPD, Korn's pre-nu-metal incarnation....

What a bunch of tools eh?
Now I ain't making out I was cool and only listened to Victory Records stuff or anything. I owned some funk metal. As did nearly everyone. Even as late as 2003 America was producing these bands. By that point most had realised the bottom had dropped out of the funk metal genre and had incorporated other styles like reggae, salsa and dancehall into there mess of a sound. Of course most of these people unbuttoned that plaid shirt, hung up the wallet chains and made a proper living of working for Staples or Home Delivery Network. The bassist generally tend to work in music shops now and impress young kids who want to buy a bass with there sick slap bass skills ( believe me, I have been shown this by many a sales assistant with some ethnic beads visible under his shirt collar and his ear pierced right at the top) until the boss tells them off and sends them out back to finish breaking down all that cardboard for the recycling.
This really came up as I was digging round a cupboard that contained all the CD's I hide away so that people who visit don't think I am such a clueless tool. But what a little treasure chest. Infectious Grooves, The Urge, HedPE ( who's first album was the best example of rap-metal at the time), Insolence. of course Infectious Grooves still stands up, at least in my head and have gone onto providing Metallica with some extra income as they don't ahve to pay Trujillo royalties for the music he hasn't played on.
Just to readress the balance, and to get rid of the sour taste of the 90's in your head I have this video of some Poison Idea. They enver really had much of an interest in funk metal.

Isn't it funny how "metal" some punk bands actually looked?

Albums That Shaped Oliver #2

Two posts in one day eh. Well I was waiting for this to upload really.
Anyway. This is "the" death metal album from my younger years. It still takes your face of with each listening these days. Cryptopsy have definatly gone off the boil in recent years. This featured the original line-up with the monstrously voiced Lord Worm fronting them ( he used to feed live worms to the audience). I first heard this when i was 17 round at a friends house. From the opening sample and fearsome blast that sweeps everything away like debris in a hurricane it is unrelenting. The bass playing of Eric Langlois has inspired me more than any other extreme musician. I could never really pick any flaws with the record. It was unrelenting with the blasting and the silly fast riffs, the screams and growls sounded so tortured and the dynamic stop/start nature of the compositions.
All that wanky talk aside, this album has had such a bearing and influence on my own style and writing since I first heard it 10 years ago. The next few albums after this had there moments but None So Vile owns.





Cryptopsy - None So Vile

Jesus Creeping Shit

New Jim Jarmusch film. Some thing about a Spanish hitman. What makes it good before viewing is the combination of Jim Jarmusch + Bill Murray + Earth + Boris. Aye, Southern Lord had a hand in the OST. Interesting I think you will agree....

New toys

Well sort of. As has been a plan of mine for some time now. I needed a new cab. Mine was fine but falling apart. As anyone that has given me a lift with it at gigs or carried it upstairs/across cobbles/out of the van will know. Its a complete bastard.
Its a Behringer BB810. I know people hate Behringer and slag it off rotten quite a lot but its stood up well for the past 4 years. Been on so many tours, used by bands every night. It even survived Dan Lilker playing through it for 8 days in a row. The casing started looking a bit ropy a year or so ago. Original wheels fell off and I fitted these shopping trolley wheels, they have proven to be unsturdy. As well as the wood beginning to fall apart on the bottom. So the time came to get it sorted.

The sides have been removed along with the base and wheels. The electrics are all still fine and intact. The plan has been to build new sides and base with new wheels fitted and easier access for transport.

The sides have now been done, good solid ply. New wheels and axle have been ordered and that is the current position.

So yay to building your own stuff. The project after this is a new amphead. Which I can see being slightly more tricky.
Ah well. I did get hold of the Mad Max OST courtesy of Mackie. So its all going pretty well at the moment. Which is unnervingly wierd. So its bound to go wrong very soon.

Toecutter....you have ruined me!

Last night I was bare witness to a almighty travesty.
Mad Max has always been one of my favourites. Since I was 13 it has. Up until now I have owned the whole series on video. A recent trip to a second hand music/video shop changed that when I came across the original film on DVD for less than two sterlings. Well there are no fancy extras but it was about time I brought my apocalyptic love of australian cinema into the digital realm. So purchased, it has sat on my shelf for a good month until I had time to enjoy it. Last night was that chance.
Credits as usual, stirring, orchestral score sweeps in, opening montage of Halls Of Justice and the sub-title "a few years from now", cut to Roop and Charlie parked up, perving on a young couple fornicating. Its all going swimmingly. Then the radio chatter is suddenly clearer than I remember, you can make out the dispatch voice. Hang on....NO! Un marked on the DVD case, I have been suckered into the original US home video release version. They dubbed there voices. I had heard about this and my friend had fallen prey to this trap many years prior. Now I had to.
Why did they have to ruin it. I could barely make it past the opening pursuit of the Nightrider.
This was, as I learned a few years prior, due to the American Distributors fear that audiences would not take kindly to heroes with Aussie accents. It ruined my night in more ways than one. Avoid this version at all costs. It removes a lot of the grit found in the original dialogue, replaces the slang words with more "american-isms" and spoils your fun.
On a much better note, I started work on my speaker cabinet today. Yes, I am building my own housing for the Cuntstack.

P.S. If anyone knows where I can obtain the Mad Max OST then holler. I have been searching for years.

Albums that shaped Oliver #1

This is the album that set me off. Released in 1991 by Warner Brothers, mostly due to Mike Pattons day job. They unleashed one of the most schizophrenic albums in the alternative rock climate. Mr Bungle took every single style of music they could think of and constructed one of the most musically dazzling, and head fucking bizarre albums I had ever heard. I loved Faith No More, but Bungle took that a step beyond. Every note is so perfect and needed. The instrumentation is beyond approach. I spent a long time learning all the basslines to this album until I got to the stage where I could enarly play along to it track by track. Sadly that talent is no longer with me. its gone downhill since then.
Bungle wore costumes and odd masks long before Slipknot and those chumps. Mr Bungle had John Zorn produce the album..case closed.
Well here is the self-titled debut by this amazing band. Influential without a doubt, especially to me.

Mr Bungle

Get involved. Let Bungle into your life.

Why the 89 version of the Punisher is better than the 04 version.

Following on from my recent charity shop, VHS buy of the 1989 movie adaptation of The Punisher it got me thinking about how much better this version is. I used to rent this from the video shop all the time when I was a kid nearly every weekend. It was The Punisher and The Goonies in rotation.
Now, this is a controversial topic almost. A lot of people would argue the toss over this one with me. But I stand firm in my beliefs that the 1989 version with Dolph Lundgren and Louis Gossett Jr ( my second favourite black man) is far better. The 2004 version starring Thomas Jane and John Travolta(?) lacked the gritty violence of both the comics and the 89 version. Fair enough, his costume was more faithfull to the original and it referenced the comics a lot more, but the addition of the three neighbours spoiled it somewhat for me. The Punisher was far to human or at least showed his emotions far to much. Something that Frank Castle always had under control.
Now the 1989 version didn't have the costume, but Dolph Lundgren's face is lit to look like the skull. His stubble and the two black eyes are the skull. Plus he had no reservation about using guns and violence, something that they toned down so much in 2004. Dolph blows people away left, right and center. Point blank range with shotguns, impaling them with harpoon guns. Its all in there. He looks like he lives in the sewer, he lacks all the fancy gadgets they introduced in 2004.
1989 Trailer.....

2004 Trailer....

Thomas Jane does a decent enough job of embodying Frank Castle but the addition of John Travolta ruined it for me. The dropping of the mafia ( despite the Saints being some kind of crime family) and the bright weather took away any atmosphere the film created. Now the Dolph version of Frank is so much better. He hardly talks, he has a very dry wit that is sparringly used and he has tons of guns..exactly what the Punisher is meant to have. The supporting cast are decent enough, the gangsters are nasty enough and Dolph's Castle is a lot more believable than Jane's. I rest my case.
Well thats it really, just a little rant after I watched both last night. What a pointless post eh?
Fook.

We played a gig in Manchester last night with Melt Banana and Kong. Both bands where sweet. We sucked due to fighting each other onstage. Something that I imagine was pretty funny to watch. So as a ode to fighting here is some top notch fighting music....

Bracewar - Self Titled LP

Angry, mosh-tastic, fast hardcore. Members of Trash Talk included.
Being in a band is so ace/shit.
We are playing The Old Wharf in Birmingham on Sunday 17th ( this week) with Battletorn and Throats. both good. Lets hope we can make it as far as finishing a whole set this time.


FUCK YOU ALL.

Ah Temptation!

The new Coalesce album is available on some blogs. Well ahead of its release. What do I do? I need to hear it but I want to wait, but can I? Anyone that knows me knows how much I love this band. So the chance to hear new material before the release date is proving too tempting, bastards. I have the link sat in my bookmarks, taunting me.
I was exactly the same with the final Cursed album, I of course bought it when I could but I had to hear it before that day. This might be a similar situation.
But Oliver did get some bargains this week. From the unmined, treasure chest of charity shop shopping. Oxfam to be exact. For the price of 10 queen heads, I got....

Paul Simon - Gracelands LP
Rainbow - Rising LP
In/Humanity - The History Behind The Mystery LP + 7"

And 2 classic films for my video collection ( thats right, video collection)

The Punisher, the original not the shoddy Travolta remake...


And Patrick Swayze's best film by a country mile....


Superb you more than likely will agree.
So to readress the balance placed on my feeble mind of the imminent Coalesce album..here is something that I have spent more than a fair share of time listening to. Awesome, lo-fi, male/female vocal ambience. Ida, Will You Find Me. Superb stuff.

Ida - Will You Find Me

Enjoy dickheads.

Willpower

Well, Sean has done it recently and a fair few other folk I know, so Oliver thought "Why not, give it a try myself". "It" is hand made merch. Due to Ergon being in a situation where we ain't exactly rolling in cash ( I would be scared if we where) and all of us sufferring the financial strain placed on us by the goverment I got some ideas together and had a go at printing some shirts.
I studied textiles and fine art at College so I thought it shouldn't be to hard. AND IT WASN'T!

I decided on polo shirts with the ongoing horse head theme thing we have. Got some fabric paints, a roller, made the template and bob's your retarded uncle I had made the very first piece of Ergon merch. Silver on black.

There is also gonna be a olive green shirt with the print in black. These will be charged at 5 queen heads at the next lot of gigs we have coming up. So if your at the Melt Banana or Battletorn shows we will have them. As much as I can churn out in time.
Said show is going to be so good. I have played with Melt Banana almost every time they have been over. You can't fault this band at all. Proof.....



Do yourself a favour and check them out.

Clocked In, Punched Out

Its been a very tiring few weeks. I ain't updated cause no one really reads this. Been working and living life for what little enjoyment it is possible to achieve.
Anyhow I get to play with Melt Banana soon. Which is better than you full stop.

So go and enjoy the best website around at the moment.....

UNCYCLOPEDIA

And download this and listen to it....

Neil Young - Dead Man OST

Hands down Jim Jarmusch's best film. Johnny Depp plays an accidental outlaw in this run-down, backwoods town set in the old west. But it is so much more than that.
Neil Young recorded this soundtrack while alone in a studio, surrounded by instruments and watching the film, he just palyed and threw notes in when he reckoned was the right point. Superb.

Films Where The Trailer Is Better Than The Actual Film.

Example 1 : The Thing With Two Heads.

The only reason to go to the cinema this year.....

..well there are probaly more to be honest. But for me it is to see The Road. Adapted from the novel by Cormac Mcarthy, he off No Country For Old Men fame, its really looking good so far. A few pictures have been released and its looking good so far. Its being handled by John Hillcoat ( he of The Proposition direction ) and with Viggo Mortenson in the main role. Superb pairing.

If you have never read the book ( don't speak to me ever again) then its more than worth you aquianting yourself with it. Its a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and son traversing the Midwest of America after a unnamed global disaster. There is enough evidence in the book to suggest it was a nuclear exchange but it is never made clear. The book follows there plan to reach the South-east coast and the ocean in the hope of some salvation. The book details the barren landscape and brings the devestation and despair to vivid image, it is so well written and possible to see what Mcarthy is envisioning. It really stayed with me for a long time after reading. It is in no way a science-fiction or adventure story. As most people have mentioned after reading its more a love story.

Sadly I don't know how long we will have to wait for its release. It is penned in for a November 2009 release in the States so maybe Christmas over here. But I can't see it being a very popular Holiday film.


So in celebration I have uploaded one of the best Sabbath covers I ever heard. Back when The Dillinger Escape Plan where knocking "Calculating Infinity" out they recorded this cheeky version of Paranoid. Complete with swing breakdown, it was meant for some limited Sabbath covers EP ( not the Hydrahead one) but never happened I am led to believe.

DEP - Paranoid

Now Then!

Rollin Rollin Rollin

Been listening to and watching a load of Rollins recently. Black Flag are good, Rollins Band are good, the guy knows his thing.
I was shown this a while back by Macky, and its really very touching and sad. Joe Cole was a roadie for Black Flag and Rollins Band. Best friend of Rollins.



Sonic Youth had a song about him, Hole dedicated an album to him.
So Rollins. Here is one of my favourite Rollins Band albums.

Rollins Band - Come In And Burn

YES!

Look At This Darling!

Dualit 84200. Self priming 15 bar pressure pump, 0-coffee in 40 seconds, 1.5 litre water tank, cup warming facilities, easy froth nozzle and extra clearance for those bigger cups.

149.99 Queen Heads

One day.

Fighting Talk

I have been on a massive soundtrack binge recently. If OST's where heroin I would be dead in KFC in Blackburn with caffeine and sweetner pissing out all my openings. But thankfully they are not. So I got listening to a selection and realised taht they don't make music like this anymore, do they? Films nowadays are all about some shit nu-metal/rock/mosher music that is bought onto the soundtrack. With a few exceptions its all shit mosher music now. Back in the day when I was a kid and I watched films it was always ace seeing montage/pump-up/getting amped sections in films.
So here are some of my favourites I remember....

Can't find the actual end credits for this song/film but this one does a better job I think. Everyone remembers this. Arnie taking on this whole army single handedly.
Commando - Power Station - We Fight For Love
"I don't need the knife John"


Now a film that loads of folk have seen but most forget. Its a cracker, Stallone, big trucks, arm-wrestling everything you could want.
Over The Top - Sammy Hager - Winner Takes It All


YES, every kid loved this. If they said they didn't then they are a fooking liar.
Karate Kid - Joe Esposita - Your The Best (Around)


Stallone's second entry! Rocky had the market cornered when it came to 80's pump-up montages. Its always hard choosing one, this is probaly my favourite.
Rocky IV - Robert Tepper - No Easy Way Out


And finally this used to be the best part of California Man back in 92. Infectious Grooves! A High School Prom! and then that ace thing where everyone starts dancing together. Sweet. Brendan Frasiers best film in my eyes.
California Man - Infectious Grooves - Feed The Monkey.


YES!
Feel free to let me know if anyone thinks of some more.
Fuck off.

Not Much Money But We Do See Life

Due to the worlds current downhill, economic decline times are hard. Fuck sake, I need more work. I have quite a few skills and lots of knowledge of various scenarios and work enviroments. I am now offering hands on Oliver time, cash in hand, no questions asked and a life times worth of experience.
As it stands I can offer my services in these very diverse areas....

Guest Speaker
Just provide me with transport costs, quantities of booze and a light snack and I will bring my witty banter and stories to your function/social occasion/funeral.

Childrens Party Entertainer
Just provide me with transport costs, quantities of booze and a light snack and I will provide hours of enjoyment for children aged between 6 and 19. Can't do balloon tricks, magic or silly things. But can provide witty banter.

Hostage Negotiator
Just provide me with transport costs, quantities of booze and a light snack and I will bring my witty banter to your hostage situation. Can entertain troops/law enforcment personal or talk would be jumpers/terrorists/criminals into giving up or the line of fire.

Party Ruiner
Just provide me with transport costs, LARGE quantites of booze and a light snack and I will bring my own brand of party annoyance to your gathering. Can provide insults, social awkwardness, guest alienation, physical repulsion and response which will more than make sure your party go's down the shitter fast.

Please contact me on this site or by one of the other means in the sidebar.
I look forward to hearing replies. I don't have anything else to do at all.

Mosh Mosh Get A Wash!

This little post was inspired by the always hilarious Metal Inquisition blog. If you have never read it you most certainly should. Side splitting at times.
As it goes, they have been reffering to a certain brand of extreme music ( used in the loosest term) as "wigger core" or "wigger slam". Now to those uninitiated in this most-awesome-of-awesome genres, its basically the most retarded elements of both Death Metal and shit Mosher metal. Characterised by New Era/Thrash caps, combat shorts, Myspace haircuts and using the term "slam" to describe your music. Now far be it for me to pass judgement on peoples fashion/music/lifestyle choices its a part of modern music that does quite annoy me. You know, death metal and hardcore have been wearing the same t-shirt for years. The 90's saw many death metal riffs popping up in hardcore bands across the world. The entire H8000 scene was built on that very mixing of genres and Victory had one or more bands that crossed the streams as such.
The Red Chord, a band I do rate, had this style nailed from the start, and in such a more proficient way. Since then it seems as if its got more and more watered down. like a taped copy of a copied tape of an original. It gets diluted every time its cloned. I can guarantee what sort of music a kid wearing a New Era cap, combat shorts and a t-shirt with a indescipherable logo will be into when I see them at the bus stop. I'm not that old yet, I still get excited by new music but there seems nothing powerful or extreme about slam-death, wiggercore or whatever you fancy calling it.
Plus its guilt is never clearer than the amount of feckless tools who seem to think its necessary to give lessons on pig squelling ( don't get me started) vocals on Youtube. At least more comedy value for everyone else...just like this tool here....

Its an easy target really. But hey, who cares?

So to combat bad mosher metal, I have got this quite sweet demo of a new Scottish band called Uncalm.

UNCALM -2009 DEMO

Back in the day there used to be a band from Aberdeen called Filthpact. They where ace and played really aggro crusty hardcore. They split and Uncalm rises from the ashes. More grind and power violence afflicted than Filthpact. This is a recording they are offering on there Myspace for free. Download, enjoy and spread the word.

HOLY FUCKIN ROAR....ITS FREE!

Those awesome people at our label have decided to give you scumbags a completly free, downloadable compilation of the current Holy Roar roster plus some cheaky little exclusives and unreleased stuff.

HOLY ROAR FREE COMP

We are on there, but so are Brontide, Holy State, Throats, Tomassi, Jealous and a rare, not heard by anyone cut from November Coming Fire.
So do yourself a favour and download it. And give Alex and Ellen a high five.

Turkish Snowcone.

I was going to have a huge rant about my dissatisfaction with the music industry or at least the way it works. Over the last few years I have noticed certain things and attitudes. I was going to mention it all. But my friend George explained it a lot more eloquently than I ever could at his blog Hot Salvation.
So go read it and then go and buy his ex-bands final album. Its a true classic of UK music. And I more than reckon will become as cult and heralded in years to come.

I also enjoyed this video of a dog sleepwalking.

My Life Is Going Down The Swannie.

I wish it was. Sadly I am still here. Anyhow. Been away playing gigs. Awesome. Why can't I do it more often.
It was on these days away that I realised how good this album is. This album is a lost "classic" from 1983 by one-hit-wonders Warning. This German duo some how manage to bridge the gapping proto-chasm between Krautrock, Synth-pop and Black metal. in my head anyway. The opener "Why Can't The Bodies Fly" was some theme tune to a TV show. But for pure enjoyment and those "horrible monster" vocals you can't beat "Wild Roses For The Exit".

Warning - S/T

God's Good.

Its like watching your a friend cut off there leg to achieve that slight burst of euphoria you get from massive blood loss only to be left bleeding and crippled and stuck for life with the grim reality that you can never take stairs in that wheelchair.

Played a "interesting" gig in Preston on Friday night gone. I think we managed to rub nearly everyone up the wrong way but its all fun. Giving bands lots of free beer over a space of 5 hours is always a little crazy. We are dickheads. Most people in bands are. Its basically a license to act like a scumbag in all honesty. Its been stored in the archives for when the time comes to put it to paper when I am old and senile.

Years Spent On A Unobtainable Goal

I know its a song by some band, but I can't remember who. Any help?
My friend Daz requested this recently so I thought I may as well bang it up here. One of the best releases Relapse ever put out to be honest, or most interesting after a week of solid listening. Buried Inside are from Canada who released a couple of albums before this one in 2001. But "Chronoclast" is the one you need. A concept album about time.

Buried Inside - Chronoclast

In all honesty its really hard to put your finger on what Buried Inside sound like. Its a huge wall of sound that encompasses hardcore and metal but played with a high elvel of drama. Each track segueing into the next one. I am gonna stop trying to describe it. Download and have a listen.

Ground Swell

Because everyone needs some Neil Hamburger in there lives. And you can't beat slagging the RHCP off can you?


And for something to listen to..you can have the pleasure of Weakling. My memory was jogged recently when I spied a Weakling t-shirt ( do they actually exist?) on some kid at a show we played in Bournemouth. Weakling where the best US Black metal band going. All over the place in a good way. The guitarist went onto do The Fucking Champs. Another awesome band. But for now...Weakling - Dead As Dreams.

WEAKLING - Dead As Dreams

Awesome USBM. File as the forerunner to Wolves In The Throne Room. Oliver Recommends.

x

Totally Wizard

As I sit here typing this, the cold Russian weather has blown across our excuse for a country and covered most things in snow. Which, if you live in London then you can't go to work. Even tho during the blitz the buses still ran. Crazy eh?
Anyhow, to avoid and put off de-icing the car I am typing this all out. Ergon has smashed a load of eardrums and laid down some abuse in our recent first excursions out into the public eye. Despite a lack of merch and barely 16 minute set we have made the most of it. Annoying all and sundry in the process. We are taking care of business.
Anyhow, other than that I am hit by financial insecurity again. Lack of deliveries, coupled with nationwide economic struggles means my hours have been cut back at work by 2 whole days. meaning I have a fraction of my income coming in. meaning I now live ona very tight restricted budget. meaning I have to look for another job or something. Meaning I have to chance the pit of shattered dreams and lost souls that is the Job Centre. Gutted.
I decided to offer something to suit the times. Harmony Korine is a pretty good director. Despite the fact I hate Kids ( despite it being seen as a revelation by everyone else) his best effort for me has always been Gummo. The fractured tale of the denizons of a small, post-hurricane town somewhere in America's backwoods.
I could never really fully describe Gummo, you do need to see it.
Here is the soundtrack....

Gummo OST



The soundtrack features some pretty far out stuff for a film. Most of this music being more designed to invoke the mood of the film than actually being in it bar a few exceptions. Still the running order makes it possibly the best soundtrack ever. Eyehategod, Sleep, Bethlehem, Absu, Electric Hellfire Club and loads more.
See............


FUA

x

Past blasting...............

........the archives where calling me. And over the next few posts I reckon i will put up some stuff, that you can't actually get anymore from some awesome UK bands that you have missed now. I got hold of most off these when i have played with said bands. Obviously if your in one of the bands and don't want it up here let me know....

Army Of Flying Robots - Demo 02

This is a band that sadly are finished now, or on hiatus. One of the best UK hardcore bands of the last 5 years easily. hardcore/powerviolence/fastcore/grind whatever. AOFR spanned quite a few sub-genres, they toured this country and Europe so amny times of there own back, released a steady stream of splits and vinyls before there final release "Life is Cheap" on Superfi Records. Go and pick it up, its absolutly banging. In a few years everyone will be bumming them and putting them up there with Reversal Of Man and Orchid and claiming that they where so ahead of there time. Fuck that. They already are. Download this demo then go buy the album.

DOWNLOAD - Army of Flying Robots - Demo 02


Executive Distraction Tasks - EP

They are still around. They sorta dissapeared out of sight for a few years but have been doing a bit more recently. This is from 2005 and you can't get it anymore. So its all good. They had the whole As The Sun Sets/Daughters vibe going on, mega short, spastic, grind influenced noise. But its the actual palying that is the best, so tight and controlled. When peet left Narcosis we replaced him with Jamie of EDT on the evidence of his live vocals and performance. But give it a whirl and go to Leeds to see them play for all of 5 minutes.


DOWNLOAD - EDT -Ep

Anyway. I played my first gigs with The Ergon Carousel this weekend. Absolutly awesome. Leeds and Lancaster where destroyed. Bournemouth is enxt. macky took a load of pics that will make it up shortly.