Reviews: Split with xCANAANx and 30 Seconds Until Armageddon
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Fracture (#23)
I just saw xCANAANx play a packed-out pub in Ashford. It was so full that I ended up watching them from outside the window. Every so often some passers by would stop to peep into the window to see what all the racket was, then they"d walk off, stop, turn back round, and look into the window again, with a "what the FUCK?" type of look on their faces, as forty odd kids moshed and climbed over each others heads in one incredibly tight space. To the untrained eye it must have been like looking at a window straight into Hell itself. A Startling glimpse of an underworld where the kids wear odd clothes and draw strange slogans on their hands. Anyway, finally xCANAANx commit their two best songs to vinyl for this release. The first being "From Blood To fire" which you may have heard a patchy demo version of on the recent Blackfish Records compilation. It's redone here with harsher vocals, thicker guitars, harder drumming and even more venom. Their second song, 'sometimes Death Is Better" highlights the shift in direction the band has taken recently, owing more to ALL OUT WAR and MADBALL than the early edgemetal rumblings of the MCD. What I love about xCANAANx is that they take that stereotype that says that straightedge kids are supposed to be happy, positive types and they smash it into the fucking ground. The motives here are hatred, revenge, pride, and of course, the X. THIRTY SECONDS UNTIL ARMAGEDDON offer up two recent tracks, "Drone" and "Lost". Both are huge, churning monoliths with spiralling guitars, acidic vocals and overbearing drums. "Drone" is short and blunt and negative, "Lost" is more lurking, menacing and chaotic. I got to see these guys twice in the space of 5 days recently and although these tracks are fucking great on wax, you really need to see them live to fully absorb the power of their monstrous and destructive live set. This 7" is selling for £2.50 and if you move fast enough you might be able to score one of the coloured ones, so look lively.
In At The Deep End
Fucking hell this is a great little release, nice packaging, and two superb UK Metallic Hardcore bands. I think all thse tracks are exclusive to this release, xCanaanx supply 'From Blood To Fire' and 'Sometimes Death Is Better' the first track beign slightly more chaotic and the second more in line with the metallic hardcore sound, both tracks are nasty as hell and heavy as fuck, greta stuff, the other side, Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon supply 'Drone' and 'Lost' and though TSUA come from a similar point of view as xCanaanx they have more of a doomy intensity about them. Neither badn are better than eachother and this is a great release if your on the market for some metal as hell hardcore anger management.
Stuart Brenton at Decavity Fanzine
Ignition is really onto something here, two of the UK's best hardcore/metal bands giving us 2 track each on a coloured 7". Amazing artwork, amazing tracks, and amazing production, xCanaanx really impressed me with their "Gehenna Made Flesh" mini-cd and this is even better, according to the band they"ve written some new stuff since this which they think is even better, I can't see how this is humanly possible. This is the first time I"ve heard TSUA and they impress me as much as xCanaanx especially on the "Drone" track, this record takes pride in my vinyl collection and should in anyone else's.
Marcel at Silent Stagnation (http://www.silentstagnation.com)
Two new songs by every band and finally something new of Canaan. The first side is owned by Canaan and those two songs are even better than the songs of their EP which were released more than one year ago! They are able to put more pressure into their sound and it's much thicker now. They still play heavy and ultra-metallic Hardcore and contrary to their EP the music is much more varied and they added more different elements. Their fast forward played metal passages are also interrupted by very nice playfully guitar melodies and brutal breakdowns, like I said it's all much more varied now. The singer isn't screaming all the time he also has some great spoken word parts! The two songs are well balanced and the different passages are all right placed and I don't miss their aggression, they really kick asses! High-quality straight edge Metal combined with some Hardcore influences with a little bit pathetic lyrics. I'm really waiting for a full length of them! Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon own the second side and just for such a name they must be honoured. After one EP, two Demos and two Splits here is the next Split and this is the first thing I ever heard of them! They offer great metallic Hardcore whereat their sound has much more to do with Hardcore than Canaan's sound. The whole sound has a big rocking touch, don't get me wrong they got a big metal touch but through the staccato guitar riffs all gets a rocking feeling! But also they play some Black Metal passages combined with thick mosh and the vocalist is screaming his lungs out about depressive themes. Take some double-bass attack and some background choirs and you get Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon. 4.5 / 6 stars
Woys (http://www.woys.com/florian/)
Here is an awsome new split 7" out right now on Ignition Records. When you're going to listen to this you may put a banner on your door with the message: Count the fucking days until you crawl into your graves and don't bother me anymore. Both bands are taking the best elements of hardcore and metal to create their sound. Slashing riffs, massive breakdowns, there's everything that your heart needs. What else can I say? This split 7" rips and will please fans of extreme music. They had UK tour supports with 18 Visions, Throwdown, Himsa, Reaching Forward. This is an amazing release for Ignition Records, xCanaanx and Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon.
