Worm Crown- Trauma (2015)

I had never heard Worm Crown before until stumbling on it on Bandcamp.  Real glad I did.

Worm Crown is a three piece band from Australia that take their cues from punk music.  Honestly if the guitarist played traditional punk music and the vocalist said Oi a few times, they probably wouldn't have stood out to me.  But fortunately it sounds like the vocalist and guitarist spent less time listening to The Clash and more time listening to Fugazi.  While the end result is a little slower in BPM, the vocals come in clean and the guitars come in dirty.

If you only have time to listen to one song off the album, but want to know what this album is all about, I would suggest "Limbless".  I don't think it is the highlight of the album (I'll let you decide that for yourself), but I do think it sums up the band's sound the best and encompasses the various styles you will hear on the rest of the tracks.

Stream and buy it Here.  Also, feel free to use the comment section to let me/ them know if you wish they released it on any other formats than CD (I know I wished for cassette or LP). 

So Stressed- The Unlawful Trade of Greco-Roman Art (2015)

I decided to revisit So Stressed's 2012 Attracted to Open Mouths prior to writing this, and was surprised at how fresh of a sound it has.  Right from the start the album does a fantastic job of stretching everything out just slightly too long; not so long that it is boring, but just enough that every bit is unsettling.  My biggest complaint with Attracted to Open Mouths was how this tension of sound left after the first couple tracks.

With The Unlawful Trade of Greco-Roman Art, So Stressed bring a much more straight-forward noise rock sound to the table.  While I was hoping their follow up would move towards the more harsh and experimental, it does not.  Despite immediate disappointment, So Stressed's album does manage to refine their sound into a polished, cohesive mess that is worth any noise rock fans time.  Unlawful Trade showcases better instrumentation, vocals, production; everything feels refined to a fully-realized sound. 

If you grew up listening to metal but have a taste for noise rock, this is a great album for you to pick up.  Regardless, noise rock fans looking for a solid 2015 album should take a moment to check out their Bandcamp.  Also, it is for sale on cassette, LP, and CD (I think), so support it if you like it.

Auxiliary Mammals- (DEMO) (2014)

It seems every year I find an album from the previous year that is top ten noise rock albums from that year, and would have been on my list if I heard it in time.  This time it is the 2014 DEMO from Auxiliary Mammals.  Sure DEMO isn't quite an album (its a demo, duh), but it has album art and, most importantly, is very, very good.

While less than 15 minutes, this introduction to the band showcases everything I hope they remain being about.  The vocalist does a great job throughout scream-rambling in a way that feels off-kilter but not out of sync.  Meanwhile the band shows its influences like Arab on Radar without being cookie-cutter copies; they have their own sound all figured out and it works.  Tracks like "Banshee" and "Halo" show they can handle abrupt, immediacy with tact, and really the entire album flows without a single moment I feel should have been left out.

I know Auxiliary Mammals has a 7" coming out soon, so support them and pick it up when it drops.  More importantly, let hope they get around to giving us a proper debut album and don't drop off like so many other "potential" bands (I'm looking at you Gila Monster).

Stream this beast Here.