12 Weeks, How Many Records? Part 4

So I’m working at a library again and there’s this guy who’s put over 200 CDs on hold. At the same time. That’s led to some discussion about how he’s going to listen to them all. Someone floated the idea he’s a DJ; I like to think trucker. Regardless, there’s widespread doubt he’d listen to them all. Checkouts for three weeks, then you get three renewals – so in theory, twelve weeks to listen to 200 records. And all these discussions got me thinking. I could listen to 200 records in twelve weeks. Right?

Well I decided to keep track. What follows will be every record that I’ve listened to in full over the next twelve weeks, starting August 5th. I’m not gonna include repeats, even though I’ll definitely give a good chunk of these more than one spin; the idea is to see how many different records I listen to, not to count how many times I listen to, say, Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes, in three months.

I’ll break it up into three week segments: 1) initial checkout (8/5-8/26), 2) first renewal (8/27-9/16), 3) second renewal (9/17-10/7), and 4) final renewal (10/8-10/28). That’ll take me up to October 28th. I’ll have a few short sentences about the record and a link to check it out. And so, without further ado, let the great experiment begin!

Post-script: The great experiment is fucking exhausting! Yeah, it was fun to keep track of everything I listened to for a while. It’s neat to notice any patterns that emerge. But it is now March 22nd, almost five months after the counting ended, and about a month after the last segment was posted. You can tell the motivation for this waned. Alas, enjoy the stretch run.

181) Primordial - Spirit The Earth Aflame (2000, Hammerheart Records)
182) Primordial - Storm Before Calm (2002, Hammerheart Records)
183) Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness (2005, Metal Blade Records)
184) Primordial - To The Nameless Dead (2007, Metal Blade Records)
185) Primordial - Redemption At The Puritan's Hand (2011, Metal Blade Records)
186) Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014, Metal Blade Records)
187) Primordial - Exile Amongst The Ruins (2018, Metal Blade Records)

If you’ve been following along on here for a while, you know how much I love Primordial. Every release is epic and grandiose, punctuated with some amalgam of black and doom metal, with a Celtic twist owing to their Dublin roots. A.A. Nemtheanga is easily one of the best vocalists in metal, with a totally unique delivery. There’s standout tracks on all these releases, but your time is best spent putting some headphones on and sinking into a darkened room to enjoy the whole thing.
Listen to Spirit The Earth Aflame on Bandcamp
Listen to Storm Before Calm on Bandcamp
Listen to The Gathering Wilderness on Bandcamp
Listen to To The Nameless Dead on Bandcamp
Listen to Redemption At The Puritan's Hand on Bandcamp
Listen to Where Greater Men Have Fallen on Bandcamp
Listen to Exile Amongst The Ruins on Bandcamp

188) Khemmis - Absolution (2015, 20 Buck Spin)
189) Khemmis - Hunted (2016, 20 Buck Spin)
190) Khemmis - Desolation (2018, 20 Buck Spin)

Continuing the doom is Khemmis, one of the top doom bands active today. They definitely draw from the well of classic bands like Candlemass or contemporaries like Pallbearer, with some sick chops and sprawling compositions.
Listen to Absolution on Bandcamp
Listen to Hunted on Bandcamp
Listen to Desolation on Bandcamp

191) Heilung - Futha (2019, Season Of Mist)

Okay, this is weird and rather hard to describe. Neofolk, dark ambient, soundscapes, and ancient unintelligible tongues (at least if you’re not a medieval-linguist or something), all blend together and this is the result. If you’re familiar with Wardruna, think that. If not, well, now you got something else to check out.
Listen to Futha on Bandcamp

192) Sanctvs - Mors Aeterna (2019, Sepulchral Productions)

Like a lot of Quebecois black metal, Sanctvs is dirty and grimy. The brainchild of one Mortheos, Sanctvs is classic harsh shrieks and blast beats and tremolo picking. And if you’re familiar with black metal, you should know exactly what this is going to sound like by now. And you’re gonna like it.
Listen to Mors Aeterna on Bandcamp

193) The Menzingers - Hello Exile (2019, Epitaph Records)

Shedding some of the hectic and chaotic nature of their earliest releases, the Menzingers have nicely settled into a groove of putting out solid records, with a handful of standout tracks. They’re calmer, with thought-provoking lyrics about getting old – and god how do we all relate to that now. A good follow-up to After the Party.
Listen to Hello Exile on Bandcamp

194) Lagwagon - Railer (2019, Fat Wreck Chords)
195) Strung Out - Songs Of Armor And Devotion (2019, Fat Wreck Chords)

Two classic Fat Wreck bands return with their newest offerings. Much like the Good Riddance record, these two records fit into the classic vibe of each band. It’s like 1998 again! Standout tracks include “Surviving California” (Lagwagon) and “Daggers” (Strung Out).
Listen to Railer on Bandcamp
Listen to Songs Of Armor And Devotion on Bandcamp

196) Sincere Engineer - Rhombithian (2017, Red Scare Industries)

You’ve probably already checked out Chicago’s Sincere Engineer since Rhombithian was our bracket winner back in 2017. And even with the passage of time it still kicks ass. Fun, catchy, snarky, and thoughtful, this is the kind of record that’s coming out with punks who grew up with the Lawrence Arms – if the Red Scare connection didn’t make it obvious.
Listen to Rhombithian on YouTube

197) The Shell Corporation - Mandrake (2014, Paper + Plastick)

It’s fast, it’s got hooks, it’s got some biting political lyrics (which should be a given with the Propagandhi-referenced band name). Fun stuff. And there’s a music video with cats doing cat things.
Listen to Mandrake on Bandcamp

198) Wenches - 3 Song Demo (2018, Master Kontrol Audio)
199) Racebannon - Six Sik Sisters (2011, Tizona Records)

Both projects of a buddy at my last job, I’ve written about Wenches rad rock n’ roll vibe on here before. And Racebannon is one I can’t believe I missed when I was younger. Totally spazzed out, chaotic punk/hardcore. Basically take the golden years of the Blood Brothers and make it heavier and dirtier.
Listen to 3 Song Demo on Bandcamp
Listen to Six Sik Sisters on YouTube

200) Davey Dynamite - Holy Shit (2016, Don't Panic Records & Distro)

Holy shit! We’ve hit 200! Nothing better than doing it with a buddy’s record too. Davey’s been writing thoughtful and introspective music for years, and it’s so cool to see it come together with a full band now too. If there’s any record out of these 200 (and counting!) you need to listen to, it’s this one.
Listen to Holy Shit on Bandcamp

201) Municipal Waste - Waste 'Em All (2003, Six Weeks Records)
202) Municipal Waste - Hazardous Mutation (2005, Earache Records)
203) Municipal Waste - The Art Of Partying (2007, Earache Records)
204) Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressive (2009, Earache Records)
205) Municipal Waste - The Fatal Feast (Waste In Space) (2012, Nuclear Blast Records)

Very few live bands are having as much fun as Municipal Waste. Consequently, you will have more fun seeing Municipal Waste than many other bands. This is the apex of fun thrash. And I’d be remiss if I did not say it – Municipal Waste is gonna fuck you up.
Listen to Waste 'Em All on YouTube
Listen to Hazardous Mutation on Bandcamp
Listen to The Art of Partying on Bandcamp
Listen to Massive Aggressive on Bandcamp
Listen to The Fatal Feast (Waste In Space) on Bandcamp

206) Napalm Death - Scum (1987, Earache Records)
207) Napalm Death - From Enslavement To Obliteration (1998, Earache Records)
208) Napalm Death - The Code Is Red... Long Live The Code (2005, Century Media Records)
209) Napalm Death - Smear Campaign (2006, Century Media Records)
210) Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave (2009, Century Media Records)
211) Napalm Death - Utilitarian (2012, Century Media Records)

Napalm Death and Municipal Waste played in October (holy fuck that feels like a long time ago!), so I made sure to visit some of the back catalogs before the show. The first two Napalm Death full-lengths are grind classics, but I also really like the death metal influenced grind that they introduced on their records in the early 2000s. I got into that stuff back in high school, and those are still some of my favorites amongst their discography.
Listen to Scum on Bandcamp
Listen to From Enslavement To Obliteration on Bandcamp
Listen to The Code Is Red...Long Live The Code on YouTube
Listen to Smear Campaign on YouTube
Listen to Time Waits For No Slave on YouTube
Listen to Utilitarian on YouTube

212) Darkthrone - F.O.A.D. (2007, Peaceville Records)
213) Darkthrone - Dark Thrones And Black Flags (2008, Peaceville Records)
214) Darkthrone - Circle The Wagons (2010, Peaceville Records)

Darkthrone has the cred to do whatever the hell they want by this point in their career. After early black metal genre staples, Fenriz and Nocturno Culto unleash a trio of crust punk influenced records. While their take on black metal here is the dreaded ‘f’ word (shudder… fun), it’s still got that ravishing grimness you’d expect. A solid mid-late career renaissance.
Listen to F.O.A.D. on YouTube
Listen to Dark Thrones And Black Flags on YouTube
Listen to Circle The Wagons on YouTube

215) AFI - Very Proud Of Ya (1996, Nitro Records)
216) AFI - All Hallow's EP (1999, Nitro Records)
217) AFI - Black Sails In The Sunset (1999, Nitro Records)
218) AFI - The Art Of Drowning (2000, Nitro Records)

AFI were one of the very first punk bands I got into a long, long time ago (like 2001 maybe? – I was in 7th grade) and were one of my favorites for quite a while. I didn’t really keep up as their style changed, but these old, more hardcore influenced records are great. Even on The Art of Drowning, where you can see the direction they’re about to head, they still have hardcore blazers (“Smile”). Man, I miss this era.
Listen to Very Proud Of Ya on YouTube
Listen to All Hallow's EP on YouTube
Listen to Black Sails In The Sunset on YouTube
Listen to The Art Of Drowning on YouTube

219) Misfits - Walk Among Us (1981, Ruby Records)
220) Misfits - Earth A.D. - (1983, Plan 9)
221) Misfits - Legacy Of Brutality (1985, Plan 9)

It was October when I listened to these. It’s now fucking March. But the Misfits are still rad and you’ll still find yourself singing along with Danzig. And if you’re listening to this in order, they go great with AFI.
Listen to Walk Among Us on YouTube
Listen to Earth A.D. on YouTube
Listen to Legacy Of Brutality on Youtube

222) Minor Threat - Complete Discography (1989, Dischord Records)

Absolutely fucking classic and influential. Regardless of your thoughts on straight edge, hardcore would be completely different without Minor Threat. Doesn’t hurt that Ian MacKaye is probably the coolest guy in punk.
Listen to Complete Discography on Bandcamp

223) Nest - Woodsmoke (2003, Corvus Records)
224) Nest - Trail Of The Unwary (2007, Corvus Records)

If you’re going in order, this is a total about-face, as Nest is chill ambient, neofolk. Long compositions and nature sounds, these records are the soundtrack for relaxing and imagining you’re in the Northwoods somewhere.
Listen to Woodsmoke on Bandcamp
Listen to Trail Of The Unwary on Bandcamp

225) Dawn Ray'd - A Thorn, A Blight (2015, Moment Of Collapse Records)
226) Dawn Ray'd - The Unlawful Assembly (2017, Prosthetic Records)
227) Panopticon - Panopticon (2008, Lundr Records)
228) Panopticon - Collapse (2009, Pagan Flames Productions)

These two bands fit together so damn well. Absolutely mind-blowing anarcho black metal. Panopticon’s early releases are a lot more blatant in their anarchism (looking at you “Flag Burner, Torch Bearer”), while Dawn Ray’d hold nothing back in their political philosophy either. The incorporation of dynamics in these songs and the use of strings, really set them apart from some of their less imaginative contemporaries.
Listen to A Thorn, A Blight on Bandcamp
Listen to The Unlawful Assembly on Bandcamp
Listen to Panopticon on Bandcamp
Listen to Collapse on Bandcamp

229) Formless Master - First Strike (2019, Self-Released)

Remember what I wrote earlier about Gridlink? That was records 89-91 if you need to go back and refresh your memory. Well mastermind Takafumi Matsubara is back. Formless Master may be a little more chaotic, but the same feel is there.
Listen to First Strike on Bandcamp

230) Savage Master - Myth, Magic And Steel (2019, Shadow Kingdom Records)
231) Smoulder - Times Of Obscene Evil And Wild Daring (2019, Cruz Del Sur Music)

Like Dawn Ray’d and Panopticon, Savage Master and Smoulder just fit together so well. Both are classic, old-school influenced metal, with women with fantastic voices leading the charge. Savage Master, out of Louisville, have a bit of a darker vibe with more of an NWOBHM sound, while Toronto’s Smoulder is a little doomier with more of a fantasy bent. Great guitarwork throughout, if you dig one, the other is right up your alley too.
Listen to Myth, Magic And Steel on Bandcamp
Listen to Times Of Obscene Evil And Wild Daring on Bandcamp

232) Propagandhi - How To Clean Everything (1993, Fat Wreck Chords)

So this isn’t my favorite Propagandhi record. Actually, I like this one the least. Yeah, it’s got their trademark sense of humor and there’s some great songs on here that I really like. But man, when you compare it to basically everything else they’ve done since. Sorry, it just can’t compete. Still, I love “Stick the Fucking Flag Up Your Goddam Ass, You Sonofabitch.” Great song.
Listen to How To Clean Everything on Bandcamp

233) Not On Tour - Bad Habits (2015, Effervescence Records)
234) Not On Tour - Growing Pains (2019, SBÄM Records)

I discovered Not On Tour shortly before our 2015 bracket and had to throw Bad Habits on there. They were one of those bands who hit you immediately; their brand of melodic hardcore punk will hook you and both records barely eclipse twenty minutes. With endless energy throughout these records, it’s easy to hit play and get sucked in and start bouncing around. I listen to these records all the time and they’re always a blast.
Listen to Bad Habits on Bandcamp
Listen to Growing Pains on Bandcamp

235) Erosion - Maximum Suffering (2018, Hydra Head Records)

Who remembers 3 Inches of Blood? Remember on their older records the harsh vocals, all that rad growling? The product of one Jamie Hooper, those rad rasps show up again with Erosion. Playing a crusty, grimy, raw take on chaotic, metallic hardcore this is disgusting. What would you expect from songs liked “Everything Is Fucked” or “Need For Death.” And if you’re like me, you’ll dig it.
Listen to Maximum Suffering on Bandcamp

236) Dreadnought - Emergence (2019, Profound Lore Records)

There’s some bands who throw all their influences into their music and it just sounds weird, like a clusterfuck, and not the good musical kind. Then there’s bands like Dreadnought who mix it all together and it just sounds monolithic. This is music you can get lost in—it sounds huge—with so many different elements to evaluate. Doom, prog, folk music, black metal, flutes, saxophones, harsh vocals, ethereal vocals – the product as a whole definitely delivers.
Listen to Emergence on Bandcamp

237) Agalloch - The White (2008, Vendlus Records)

As I write this, it just started snowing. It’s like outside knew what I was listening to. Leaning hard into the neofolk, Agalloch leave all the heaviness of their doom and black metal behind. There’s still some influence there (“Birch Black” is surprisingly heavy for what largely amounts to an acoustic record), but they let their ambience loose here. It’s relaxing for those cold nights – which we’re apparently still getting in March.
Listen to The White on Bandcamp

238) Oh My Snare! - Høyeste Gang (2015, Say-10 Records)
239) Oh My Snare! - Murk Matinal (2017, Self-Released)

I’ve raved about how awesome Oh My Snare! is on here before (see here and here for the full report). So you probably love the music from our creative friends from Montreal. A unique, fun, catchy, and imaginative take on pop-punk full of self-reflective lyrics, these two full lengths are essential listens.
Listen to Høyeste Gang on Bandcamp
Listen to Murk Matinal on Bandcamp

240) Sect - Sect (2016, Self-Released)
241) Sect - No Cure For Death (2017, Southern Lord Recordings)
242) Sect - Blood Of The Beasts (2019, Southern Lord Recordings)

Talk about right up my alley. Vegan straight edge, crusty grind hardcore. Chaotic and aggressive and in your face, all the Sect releases rip. And they can play with pace, even when they’re at their best going fast.
Listen to Sect on Bandcamp
Listen to No Cure For Death on Bandcamp
Listen to Blood Of The Beasts on Bandcamp

243) Iron Reagan - Spoiled Identity (2014, Decibel Flexi Series)

It’s not cheating! There’s 13 songs here. I get that it’s under five minutes and only three of those songs top 30 seconds. But it’s hilarious crossover with titles like “You’re Kid’s an Asshole” and “Cops Don’t Like Me, I Don’t Like Cops.” Give it a listen, it won’t take long.
Listen to Spoiled Identity on Bandcamp

244) Fucking Invincible - Very Negative (2012, Atomic Action Records)
245) Fucking Invincible - Downtown Is Dead (2013, Atomic Action Records)
246) Fucking Invincible - It'll Get Worse Before It Gets Better (2014, Atomic Action Records)
247) Fucking Invincible - I Hate Myself And Want You To Die (2015, Atomic Action Records)

Another band I’ve written about on here before, Fucking Invincible is incredible. Absolutely vicious powerviolence. There is no pause, no calm in the storm, no moment of respite. Just unrelenting fury. It won’t take you long to blaze through these – because all the releases are so short. Or you’ll know right away powerviolence isn’t for you and hit the pause button.
Listen to Very Negative on Bandcamp
Listen to Downtown Is Dead on Bandcamp
Listen to It'll Get Worse Before It Gets Better on Bandcamp
Listen to I Hate Myself And Want You To Die on Bandcamp

248) Antagonize - Slip Death (2019, Triple-B Records)

I wrote about the Bane discography back in records 140-144. Don’t Wait Up was basically their swan song (and yeah, I am making a reference to the song of the same name on The Note). Well vocalist Aaron Bedard shows up again with Antagonize. So yeah, it’s gonna sound like Bane. But maybe a little heavier and angrier, and most of the songs are shorter and faster.
Listen to Slip Death on Bandcamp

249) Mobina Galore - Feeling Disconnected (2017, Gunner Records)
250) Mobina Galore - Don't Worry (2019, Gunner Records)

Okay, honestly, I’m getting kind of tired of this 250 records in. You can read about Feeling Disconnected from when I reviewed it three years ago here. Don’t Worry has the same tenets, but it’s a little bit more of a mellow record. There will probably be a random record for that up soon, once I reset from all this.
Listen to Feeling Disconnected on Bandcamp
Listen to Don't Worry on Bandcamp

251) We Don't Work May 1st (2019, Don't Panic Records & Distro)

Hooray, we made it! The last one – 251 records in twelve weeks and by now you’re probably tired of reading these. Who are we kidding, you most likely gave up a hundred and fifty records ago. But here we are with an awesome comp of 25 rad Chicago bands, ranging from the blistering hardcore of La Armada or Shitizen through the noise of the Breathing Light or Erzulie to the pop punk of a Turnspit or the Just Luckies. Props to Danny and Paul for putting together such a collection of solid tunes for a good cause.
Listen to We Don't Work May 1st on Bandcamp