Minority Unit: 'C.M.F.'

Minority Unit are a band from Los Angeles, made up of members from Rotting Out, Sleepwalkers and Soul Search. There are eleven members in total (I think anyway, I have completely lost count). C.M.F. (Clear Minded Fury) is the brand new 6 track EP which is the follow up from their 2010 Demo. Just like their previous release, Minority Unit play rapid, aggressive straight edge hardcore which could not sound any better! By having so many vocalists, the delivery of the lyrics is amazing and sounds like a total explosion of emotion and energy. After listening to this EP a few times I guarantee you’ll be shouting along too!

C.M.F. is an essential modern hardcore EP to own and will have a dominating effect on you after listening to it. The songs still remain short, but this works to their advantage as I feel their bold statements come across more effectively. From the first track So be it to the last track Shattered Youth the fast paced guitar riffs do not stop, along with the catchy drum parts – this is a definite memorable record. On the track Unsure you can hear just about all of the vocalists getting involved and there is a short vocal part towards the end of the song sounding very ‘old punk’ style, which I thought fitted in well. This is closely followed by the track The Few which clocks in at an amazing 39 seconds and contains just as much aggression as any other track does.

My favourite track has to be MYB (Mind Your Business) which packs a huge punch of aggression, emotion and passion. Fast paced guitar riffs and rapid drum beats kick this track off which eventually results in a small break with loud and bold vocals. An overall entertaining and enjoyable record, just like their older Demo. Minority Unit deliver exactly what you expect from them and produce a flawless EP.

If you like fast, catchy hardcore then this is exactly the band you should be listening to. This is just what I was expecting this band to produce and it’s just as awesome as I thought it was going to be! I can’t wait for Minority Unit to come over to Europe so that I can see them as their sets look so fun and energetic. If you loved their demo then make sure you get this record here.

Etnies: 'We're Waiting On You, Dude'

Check out Etnies tour that took place during the summer period which follows Albert Nyberg, Jose Rojo, Nick Garcia, Sean Malto, Julian Furones and Devine Calloway. Travelling through Scandinavian Europe the Etnies crew deliver some awesome tricks and all I can say that Albert Nyberg was my favourite, especially his mad tricks down stair sets. Hope you enjoy!

Holy Roar Christmas Party Tonight

If you're in London this evening then get yourself down to The Old Blue Last  in East London. Holy Roar Records are putting on a Christmas Party show which is completely free. This is a great opportunity to see Maths as they haven't played many shows this year and there are some great support bands including Crossbreaker who have recently released their latest EP Lows, Pariso, Veils and also Desolated. Should be a fun filled evening so make sure you don't miss out!

Unfold: 'Cosmogon'

Recently I was contacted by Domino Media Agency marketing and communication company for metal/hardcore bands. I was pleased to find out that they had sent me the new Unfold record Cosmogon and have now returned after a seven year hiatus. This album was released a few weeks ago on Division Records. Unfold are a six piece Metal/Hardcore band from Switzerland and formed in 1996, and after releasing a new album are still going strong after their absence.

After listening to both of their previous releases, Pure and Aeon-Aony, both containing a fierce mix of sludge, metal and hardcore, I didn't think these albums could be topped, however Cosmogon proved me wrong, and it’s as prime as their previous efforts. This record contains 6 brand new tracks of heavy style sludge/hardcore which are not to go unmissed. Throughout the whole album there is a great anger that is evident through the tremoring vocals. This band has put out all the stops resulting in their best and heaviest release yet.

If you’re into bands such as Cult of Luna, Callisto and Amenra then you’re definitely going to like Cosmogon without a doubt. They mix a promising amount of hardcore with just enough metal to pull of their a strong sound. Listening to the first track Erebe you gain an instant feel to their style which pans out the image for the rest of the album. What I really like about this band is that they have enigmatic lyrics that stretch your imagination and leave you to make your own decisions on the complete meaning of each song. There is a consistent array of colossal drum beats combined with bulky, sludgy sounding guitar riffs which can especially be heard in the songs Hystrion and Eschaton.

This record is a more diverse approach to their sound including using some pleasant piano tunes in the introduction track, shorter and harder hitting songs and also the use of cleaner vocals. They combine all these newer elements with their older individual sound to pull out an excellent sounding album. This is an album that will get stuck in your head and will have you listening to it over and over. I am glad that they have returned with such a brilliant album which you should check out for yourselves.

Coins as Portraits: 'Form and Structure. Storm and Fracture.'

The second band released on Romania’s Fading Halo Records, Coins as Portraits play an exciting experimental mix of mathcore music. Although mathcore isn’t as exclusive as it once was, I still find that listening to new bands who the sound quite appealing. Coins as Portraits debut record Form and Structure, Storm and Fracture is far from regimented as the title suggests and is one to be listened to.

Playing a crazy mix of extreme guitar riffs and bursts of drum beats, left, right and centre, this will make your head want to explode! The EP kicks off straight into some intense guitar musicianship with heavy sounding chugging riffs, mixed with steady rhythm parts and technical melodic lead tunes. The first track Great Numbers pulls no punches and jumps straight in with a frenzy of instrumentals flying around everywhere, combined with some deep throaty growls and high pitched screaming. The idea of song structures goes completely out the window and everything is executed perfectly. The Curator’s Bush and The Plot also contain a substantial amount of fiddly lead guitar parts and blasting drum beats which definitely suits their style of music. There is a steady amount of stop/start riffs which leaves a split half a second gap to realise what’s coming next!

It takes very talented musicians to create this style of music which is has a notable flow and rhythm, plus with strong lyrical content. The themes that Coins as Portraits have incorporated are the philosophy and knowledge of people’s roles in life, giving references to their personal impact on society. This band certainly aims to play provocative music, and the vocalist screams his lungs out on every track over the scrambled instrumentals bellowing every statement they want to get across.

One concern I have is that the record is hard to navigate through as each track seems to jump straight into another, and after listening to the record a few times it leaves you somewhat disorientated, often felt with the mathcore genre as a whole. A lot of attention has to be paid when trying to piece together favourite parts from each song, as it will fly past without you even realising. This is definitely a record for mathcore fans out there, plus people with perhaps short attention spans, as this record never slows down and maintains the rapid speed throughout. A captivating record, which I would recommend for you to check out.

12 Bar Tonight

If you're around London tonight then do not miss out on the monthly Rucktion Records hardcore night at the 12 Bar Club. This is Ninebar's long awaited record release titled '999.' With some awesome support bands as well you really don't want to miss this!