Ain't the Devil Happy..

Jeru The Damaja's first and best. Also some of the best hip hop to come out of New York. Produced by DJ Premier, also some of his best work to date. Check it out.

DL

Dave Witte is a God Amongst Men, Part 1

we here at Above the Clouds... think Dave Witte is an absolute beast (Alan and I have had multiple discussions about Dave Witte and how great he is). here are 2 albums that came out this month that he drums on:



"Burnt By the Sun has returned with the staggering new and final album Heart of Darkness. Heart of Darkness pushes every aspect of this legendary band to the limit: crushing riffs rain down like cement blocks, drums explode like gunfire and strident vocals howl against a modern dystopian society that besets us all, echoing the music's sonic sentiment. Burnt By the Sun saved their best for last."

BBTS have always been absolutely crushing, and this one is no exception... you know you wanna hear this

MySpace
DL





this band almost singlehandedly started the modern Thrash movement, and this is their newest record.... they will fuck you up

MySpace
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CAPTAIN PLANET AND SHIT

Lowell, MA's The Summoned are techy stuff like Between the Buried and Me, Psyopus, or Necrophagist without any BREE BREE BREEEEEEEE... this is a 3-song demo of their new material

we played their tour kickoff about a month ago, and they were great live

MySpace
DL

REPRESENT.

Coke Bust. DC straightedge. Members of.... Sounds like DRI, Scholastic Deth, SSD and everything in between. Newer LP out on Six Weeks. Hometown hardcore done right.

Myspace
DL

Since Alan's on a Hip Hop kick lately....

.....I might as well join the crowd



MF Doom's latest, and I think its his best under the MF Doom name. while the Danger Doom and Madvillain records are better, this one is still extremely good

MySpace
DL



from Brzowski's Myspace: "BRZOWSKI's music contains many truly atypical aspects: lengthy songs, techno/industrial influenced beats, literary and visual culture references, a touch of the defiance of early 90's punk rock, and a dark cloud behind every silver lining. Winning poetry slams, consistently ranking in the finals in mc battles, tour stints with Sage Francis, Epic and Galapagos4, as well as playing to packed clubs opening for the likes of Hangar 18,Busy Bee, Killah Priest, Atmosphere, Sole, jdwalker, Murs, Dalek, Brother Ali, Doug E. Fresh, Josh Martinez, Grand Buffet, DJ Vadim, Astronautalis, Sleep, Moshe, K-the-I???, members of the Shapeshifters, and myriad others have cemented BRZOWSKI a reputation for quality live performance."

very good MC out of Portland, ME that does alot of experimentation. definitely worth your time

MySpace
DL

A rhyme ain't a rhyme if it ain't crime related...

...before The Infamous, before Illmatic, before 36 Chambers, before Ready to Die, there was Enta Da Stage. Enta Da Stage came out 2 days before my 8th birthday. Produced by the Beatminerz, Black Moon is primarily 18 year old Buckshot with verses from 5FT, Havoc of Mobb Deep at 19, and the debut of Smif N Wessun. Although not widely known like the aforementioned NY Hip Hop gems, Enta Da Stage kills.

DL

The two best nights of summer.

Suicide File (TIH 2009, Phase 1) from hate5six productions on Vimeo.

Reach The Sky (TIH 2009, Phase 1) from hate5six productions on Vimeo.

Sugar, Flour, and Napalm......

from Zombifying Venom's MySpace: "you want to know about us? we are the pissed off generation that can't stand it anymore. come to a show. steal from walmart. support humans. stop being a lazy celebrity obsessed american cunt. help your community. talk about why you cant have a life. or.... go to work. do what your told. pay your taxes. pay social security. get a credit card. buy an expensive car. watch tv. fucking lemmings.... atwa"

Zombifying Venom are ex-members of As the Sun Sets, Umbrella, 40 Second Love Story, and Necronomitron...gooooooooooooooooooooood shit

MySpace
DL

Vanitas.

From grotesquemusic.com: "Awesome MCD debut of this american Brutal Death Metal band in a perfect mixture between brutality and technic. In the vein of bands like SPAWN OF POSSESION and HOUR OF PENANCE, but more brutals!!"

if ya dig tech death, download this...good dudes from Boston

MySpace
DL

What is the Best in Life?

"To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."



Graf Orlock are a movie themed Grind band from Cali...this is their latest record, the third part of a trilogy (GET IT?)

this stuff is catchy shit, and the movie quotes they use are entertaining/amusing...it'll definitely get your head bobbing

MySpace
DL

Kids like us will be alone forever

Panic's discography, somewhat...includes Dying For It, their s/t EP, and a couple of demo tracks

Panic are one of the most underrated hardcore bands from Boston's extremely crowded scene. angry, fast, loud, and catchy, what more would you want?

MySpace
DL

Grab a bib and some wetnaps......

*LOOK OUT FOR DROPPING NAMES* Mark Fucking Richards (Composted's guitarist/vocalist) told me to spread this around to as many people as possible, so I'm just following orders

Slam Death Metal with a good sense of humor (which more Death Metal bands need IMO). current and former members of Terminally Your Aborted Ghost, Revocation, Sexcrement, Noosebomb, Children of the Dying Sun, etc.

MySpace
DL

Killingsworth strikes again

demo from a Western MA stright edge PV band featuring Will Killingsworth (Orchid, Ampere, Failures) on bass. 5 songs, a little over 2 minutes long total.

Blog
DL

*insert Lambgoat cliche here*

Sup ladies and gents,

This is my first post. My name is Mike, but I am known as Rusty. I've known Alan for a while, and I asked him if he wanted another contributor, and well here I am.

As the first of what might be many shameless attempts of self-promotion, I sing for the Boston area band Heisai Yasokawa's Empty Orchestra (MySpace) Here's our music video (cause you ain't cool unless you have a music video):



Well anyways, hope ya dig what I post.

-Rusty

Per Request...

Blank Stare's Refuse Records 7". Boston hardcore at its finest. Pissed off and well executed, the way it should be.
Download
Download/Buy

Hip-Hop, you the love of my life...

..and with that, I haven't posted nearly enough hip-hop to even satisfy the name of this blog. So in addition to Pharcyde, here's some more hip hop. Group Home, affiliated with Gang Starr dropped their debut "Livin' Proof" in 1995. Because of their affiliation with Gang Starr, Group Home thrived on DJ Premier's sick beats, some of his best to date. This album still holds up though, Lil Dap specifically does a good job of holding his own even with Melachi the Nutcracker alongside and appearances from Guru, Jeru, and Big Shug. If you're missing this, I recommend it. And if you've never heard it...

Download

Creatures- I, Lucifer...

Creatures are from Cali. They play a style of hardcore very similar to bands like Iron Age, Meltdown, Shipwreck, Cruel Hand, Lie and Wait, etc. It's heavy, trust me. Eulogy may have found themselves something here, sometimes the vocals sound so close to JD from Shipwreck you can't even tell the difference. This is their 2009 Eulogy debut, "I, Lucifer". Check it out.

Myspace
Download
Buy

Surrender.

Paint It Black's follow up to Amnesia, Surrender has 4 new songs. Arguably the most consistent band in hardcore.
Buy
Download
Myspace

NATURAL SELECTION FAILED.

The Rival Mob. One of the best bands in hardcore right now. Don't sleep.
"The Rival Mob bring a style of HC back to Boston that has almost become a distant memory. Playing at breakneck speed, reminiscent of old DC/NY hardcore bands meshed with big riffs that will stick in your head. The lyrics go hand in hand with the sound, spit like bitter vile through a buzzsaw." - Lockin' Out.
Myspace
Download
Support

Reach The Sky.

Because I can't stop listening to this record after seeing Reach the Sky at This is Hardcore, here's So Far From Home....

"Reach the Sky found a way to rise above the sometimes stagnating worlds of punk and hardcore by combining the best of both worlds with a feverish pitch, sweeping melodies, and unforgettable choruses. They create a natural progression from the raw unbridled energy of hardcore; to the pulse of power pop punk and the hook of straightforward rock."
Download
Myspace
Buy

Extinction of Humanity.

New Mammoth Grinder LP. This band kills. Already mentioned and hyped on here because I fucking love this band. Austin, TX. New stuff is way heavier and more focused in my opinion. An older post has their other material. Released through Cyclopean Records and available through REVHQ

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Listen
Buy

I believe you'd get your ass kicked for saying something like that...

...but should you have a case of the Mondays this morning, Death of Your Perfect World. Late 90s Buffalo heavy hardcore with hardcore warrior Scott Vogel if you didn't know. Whatever you're at war with, here's the soundtrack.
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