Autonomy - The Art Of Work In The Age Of Digital Reproduction (2012)

Artist: Autonomy
Album: The Art Of Work In The Age Of Digital Reproduction
Release: 2012
Label: Dirt Cult

Tracklist:
1. Homostasis Stasis
2. Public Faith
3. Dumb Punk
4. Contemptus Mundi
5. Library of Alexandria
6. No Need
7. Kistvaen
8. Gods Die
9. Work Order
10. Monuments Men
11. Fear Hate
12. Culture Tomb

I've been anticipating this LP ever since I first got my hands on Autonomy's 2011 demo and it was well worth the wait. The production is more clear, the songs more polished, and the energy and atmosphere of the demo intact. Frantic and dancable, this record takes from a spectrum of punk and post-punk influences, landing somewhere between the fuzzed-out, political Crass records tradition, and more dark atmospheric new wave. Don't pass this one up, you'll regret it:


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Sin Dios - Alerta Antifascista (1993)

Artist: Sin Dios
Album: Alerta Antifascista
Release: 1993
Label: Potencial Hardcore

Tracklist:
1. Alerta Antifascista
2. La Huelga
3. Hambre Negra, Expolio Blanco
4. Cancion De Amor (Celda De Aislamiento)
5. Las Carceles
6. Poema
7. Imigrante Ilegal
8. Unas Flores Con Sorpresa
9. La Historia Que No Cuenta
10. Actua
11. Nuevas Generaciones
12. No Queremos Paz Sino Victoria

Sin Dios are a hardcore/anarcho outfit from Spain that formed in the late '80s and have been around through the aughts. This particular full length was released in '93 and is mostly full of straightforward hardcore. Here and there other influences will peak from behind the torrent of power chords, a bit of ska here, a dark riff there. Even some traditional Spanish guitar finds its way onto this release. While I'm not always in love with these departures, when they work they work well, and they definitely bring a diversity to this release that sometimes is lacking on hardcore LPs. Check it out:



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Crass - Stations Of The Crass (1979)

Artist: Crass
Album: Stations Of The Crass
Release: 1979
Label:  Crass Records

Tracklist:
1. Mother Earth
2. White Punks On Hope
3. You've Got Big Hands
4. Darling
5. System
6. Big Man, Big M.A.N.
7. Hurry Up Garry
8. Fun Going On
9. Crutch Of Society
10. Heard To Much About
11. Chairman Of The Board
12. Tired
13. Walls
14. Upright Citizen
15. The Gasman Cometh
16. Demoncrats
17. Conaminational Power
18. Time Out
19. I Ain't Think, It's Just A Trick
20. System
21. System/Big Man, Big M.A.N./Banned From The Roxy/Hurry Up Garry [Live]
22. Women/Shaved Women/You Pay/Heard To Much About [Live]
23. Angels/What A Shame/So What/G's Song [Live]
24. Do They Owe Us A Living? [Live]
25. Punk Is Dead

Obviously Crass needs no introduction, so I'll forgo the usual background and simply point you towards the omniscient Wikipedia. I would do such an influential band no justice anyhow. What I can say is that 'Stations Of The Crass' is the band's second full length LP, and is full of the noisy, hectic, politically obsessed sound that has made the group so iconic. I'm still exploring their vast discography, so I can't really accurately rank the release, but if you're like me, and have put off Crass for too long, this is definitely a great place to start.


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Dirt - Object Refuse Reject Abuse (1981)

Artist: Dirt
Album: Object Refuse Reject Abuse
Release: 1981
Label: Crass Records

Tracklist:
1. Hiroshima
2. Unemployment
3. Democracy
4. Dolls of Destruction

Four tracks of muddy, unrelenting early 80s anarcho punk from Crass contemporaries Dirt (Death Is Reality Today). Nothing much more to say than that. Highlights on this debut include squealing female vocals and the fact that there's not one dud on this thing. Not one to miss.

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Conflict - The Serenade Is Dead (1983)

Artist: Conflict
Album: The Serenade Is Dead EP
Release: 1983
Label: Mortarhate Records


Tracklist:
1. The Serenade Is Dead
2. The Positive Junk
3. The System Maintains

Conflict is a classic UK anarcho punk band that first put out material in the early 80s, starting with their debut, 'The House That Man Built,' on Crass Records. Although the band has seen many line-ups, they continued to put out records into the early aughts, and are still together today. 'The Serenade Is Dead' is one of their earlier releases, and was put out on Conflict's own Mortarhate Records. While Conflict has always been a proponent of animal rights, anarchy, and peace, this EP focuses solely on frustration with the larger social system that surrounds us. Enjoy the numb hymns kids.



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Belgrado - s/t (2011)

Artist: Belgrado
Album: s/t
Release: 2011
Label: Discos Enfermos/Static Age/Oficyna Paranoja


Tracklist:
1. No Exit
2. Clockwise
3. In My Head
4. No Answer
5. Those Times
6. Dead Generation
7. Lies
8. Zapomnijmy
9. Koszmat
10. Visions of Massacre


Belgrado are a dark post-punk group from Barcelona. Their self-titled LP consists of ten tracks of female-fronted, dancey, forlorn tunes, that fans of other contemporary anarcho groups are sure to enjoy. Their sound is akin to much of the Portland dark punk scene especially.

It's a solid release, and lucky for you there's a free, totally legal download on their bandcamp. If your itching to grab a copy, visit any of the labels that released it (links also on bandcamp). Enjoy the numb hymns.



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Arctic Flowers Summer 2012 Tour & 8/14 Show w/ Foreign Objects, Bloody Gears, Cleansing Wave

The female-fronted anarcho-punk outfit Arctic Flowers (featured previously on this blog here) are touring the East and Midwest this summer supporting a new 12" EP, Procession*. Residing in Portland, OR, they don't necessarily get out to this side of the states very often, so for fans on this side of the Mississippi, I would check out their full tour schedule here. Most likely they're coming to a haunt near you. 


If you can make the Boston show, August 14th at What We Talk About, I recommend it.  I'll surely be there, as the line-up is killer, and showcases some of Massachusetts' finest (Foreign Objects, Bloody Gears, Cleansing Wave). As a preview to this dark ritual, I thought I'd share a few releases to give those unfamiliar something to look forward too:

First up is Arctic Flowers. Catchy, dark, anarchic, touring. Demo CS: Download

*new track off new Procession 12" EP that will be available on tour




Foreign Objects: Also female-fronted, straight punk rock. Great stuff. Demo CS: Download



Bloody Gears plays catchy garage/punk with dark post-punk influences. They just released an LP this year, Landscapes of Disease. Here it is: Buy, Download
  

Cleansing Wave: Fantastic noisy D-beat. They just released a s/t 7" on PRGNT records, pick one up here! Demo CS: Download



Remember, if you like these bands they are all current, so find a way to support them! Come say hi on August 14th, I'm the tall, dark, and gangly one.

Flux of Pink Indians - Neu Smell (1981)

Artist: Flux of Pink Indians
Album Neu Smell
Release: 1981
Label: Crass Records


Tracklist:
1. Neu Smell
2. Tube Disasters
3. Poem
4. Sick Butchers
5. Background of Malfunction


Fantastic quirky British anarcho punk on Crass Records. This EP is short, with an intro and poetic interlude making up two of the five tracks. But it's packed full of great lyrics, covering the pitfalls of nuclear experimentation, humankind's species chauvinism, and the evils of consuming meat. I have yet to explore their later works, but from what I have read they differ greatly from this record. So get your fill of this great dark punk release, and thank Crass once again for their impeccable taste.



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Permaculture - s/t CS (2012)

Artist: Permaculture
Album: s/t CS
Release: 2012
Label: s/r


Tracklist:


1. Silent Service
2. Blindfolded
3. Fear & Contempt
4. Beg For More


Permaculture is an anarcho-punk band out of Boston. Female vocals over crunchy amps, intense riffs and booming drums. All the instrumentals are done by one guy, which makes this an impressive release. All hail god of tapes, Terminal Escape.


Download/Tapes/Topple Capitalism

Antisect - In Darkness, There Is No Choice (1983)

Artist: Antisect
Album: In Darkness, There is No Choice
Release: 1983
Label: Spiderleg Recordings


Tracklist:
1. They (The Eternal Myth and Paradox)
2. The World's Biggest Runt
3. A Midsummer Night's Dream
4. Channel Zero (Reality)
5.Yet They Still Ignore
6. The Ghost of Mankind
7. Tortured and Abused
8. Education or Indoctrination
9. In Darkness
10. Heresy
11. Hallo There...How's Life?
12. The Buck Stops Here


This post is somewhat redundant, as this record can be found on many other blogs, but considering Antisect is one of the more influential anarcho-punk outfits to come out of the UK, I think its definitely warranted. Much of the dark punk/goth thing happening now is definitely informed by this band. Antisect's only full-length, this record is chalked full of dark, murky riffs, and at times is both atmospheric and driving.  If you haven't heard it, this is not one to miss. You can even still get the repress.

Repress
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Rudimentary Peni - Farce (1982)

Artist: Rudimentary Peni
Album: Farce EP
Release: 1982
Label: Crass Records


Tracklist:
1. Sacrifice
2. Cosmetic Plague
3. Subdued Violence
4. Only Human
5. The Bile Ball
6. Farce
7. Bloody Jellies
8. Mice Race
9. Defined By Age
10. Zero Again
11. Bubble

Friends and scene-mates of fellow deathrock outfit Part 1, Rudimentary Peni were an anarcho-punk group out of the UK who played a brand of energetic punk that seems to border hardcore in some respects. They self-released several of their records, but this particular EP, "Farce," was released on Crass records, sharing the label with similar acts like The Mob.

Vocals are what make this band. The sound of a broken man. Don't miss this seminal release.



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Part 1 - Discography (1982-1985)

Artist: Part 1

Album: Funeral Parade EP

Release: 1982

Label: Paraworm Records

Tracklist:

1. Funeral Parade

2. Graveyard Song

3. Tomb

4. Ghost

5. Salem

6. Funeral Parade II

Part 1 are incredible, and at this point an internet phenomena. They've been chronicled as the influential anarcho-punk band that they are on cvlt nation, and are motivated enough by their new audience that they've even discussed reforming and reissuing their small catalog. This is the first of two releases in this discography. Consisting of three trance-inducing, dark post-punk tracks, Funeral Parade is fifteen minutes of impending gloom.

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p.s. Special thanks to Atomic Age Distro for making this available.

Artist: Part 1

Album: Pictures of Pain

Release: 1985

Label: Pusmort

Tracklist:

1. Possessed 

2. Black Mass

3. Pictures of Pain

4. The Corpse

5. Incest

6. Ghost

7. Hymn

Part 1's full length is at least as good as their first release. It's less noisy than the EP, but the songs are more developed. A staple for any dark punk fan.

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PDX Compilation Volume 2

Artist: Various
Album: PDX Compilation Volume 2
Release: 2012
Label: Blackwater Records


Tracklist:
1. Crusaders + Banshees (Arctic Flowers)
2. Tension Building (The Bellicose Minds)
3. With You (Funeral Parade)
4. Mortality (Moral Hex)


Great comp of the best in Portland dark punk. I can't even say there is a highlight on this album, its all just too damn good. All of these bands have other releases, and as you'll definitely be interested in other material by them, you'll be excited to know both Arctic Flowers and The Bellicose Minds put out records last year, Reveries and Whisper in Darkness respectively, that you can still get your hands on. Demos and such from all of these bands are also worth looking into. Unfortunately physicals are harder to come by, but completely worth the hunt. Happy searching.

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Autonomy - Demo CS (2011)

Artist: Autonomy
Album: Demo CS
Release: 2011
Label: Cut the Cord Records


Tracklist:
1. Homostasis Stasis
2. Fear Hate
3. No Need
4. Kistvaen
5. Schism
6. For What Cause
7. Public Faith
8. Gulag Romeo


"Dark melodic anarcho post-punk. Somewhere between The Mob (UK) and The Cure." Definite hardcore influences make this release stand out as a stripped down, more aggressive take on the current dark punk/goth trend. This demo is a must hear, and you can still get your hands on it.

Buy

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