For garage rock fans, New Hampshire’s The Connection are a band that needs no introduction. For everybody else, here’s the skinny: they’re much loved by Little Steven Van Zandt and get regular play on his Underground Garage radio show and they count Andrew Loog Oldham among their many fans. That seal of approval should be enough for the curious to take a listen, but more than that, these are musicians with a pedigree. The hardest working gang in the state, The Connection features Brad Marino (also of the New Trocaderos), Geoff Palmer, Craig Sala and Kris “Fingers” Rodgers (all of whom have served time as members of the Kurt Baker Band and Wimpy and the Madallions). Their music is retro, but often much friendlier on the ear than so many garage rock outfits, since they’re often keen to mix in a hefty dose of power pop, and on ‘Labor of Love’ – their second full-length – they’ve got choruses and musical hooks aplenty…
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THE HOWLING VOID – Runa EP
The earlier releases by Texas-based The Howling Void explore an almost pure doom metal sound – all Sabbathy riffs played at funeral pace, only occasionally lightened by slow piano motifs. For doom fans, each presents interesting listening, but this fifth release ‘Runa’ is epic in almost every sense. The purer doom elements have been tempered by a greater inclusion of keyboard sounds, often lending things a more symphonic style. Yes, it is more symphonic, but nothing here would appeal to fans of those over-hyped, reasonably marketable indenti-kit symphonic metal bands who’ve spread across Europe like a plague. ‘Runa’ isn’t concerned with mixing metal with the embarrassingly twee while some woman wearing a leather corset wails incessantly; fear not – it’s just more a natural progression from previous recordings, blending the doom with a smattering of ambient black metal a la Wolves In The Throne Room. Those who want the huge and the doomy certainly won’t feel like the band has somehow sold out. This isn’t really a band, either, of course. It’s the work of just one man – the mysterious “R.” plays everything on recordings released under the Howling Void name (and he probably doesn’t wear a leather corset). The fact that a one man army could compose and perform a work as complete sounding as ‘Runa’ often does is truly astounding.
THE MESSENGERS – The Messengers
This self-titled record by Cincinatti punkers The Messengers was released on PunkCore Records in the spring of 2005. Since PunkCore often leant more towards the aggressive mohawked end of things, with The Casualties as one of their flagship bands and a tendency to sign acts in the spirit ofThe Varukers, their support of The Messengers seemed somewhat of a sidestep. The Messengers are a punk outfit, sure; they’ve got the speed and some serious chops, but their music leans far more towards the Californian punk-pop style. Still, it could never be said that Punk Core’s faith in The Messengers was in anyway misplaced, since this self-titled release is an absolutely fantastic record.
ZEIT – Trümmer EP
Formed in 2010, German metal duo Zeit set about expanding the boundaries of black metal with a distinctly DIY approach. Following the release of their first EP, they expanded to a trio with the addition of a bass player – something pretty much essential in adding weight to their ferocious noise. Their third EP, 2015’s ‘Trümmer’, brings five intense slabs of noise, not so much in the traditionalist black metal vein as much as an unholy hybrid of black metal, doom and grindcore. Naturally, that description has already piqued the interest of a few while simultaneously frightening the living scheiße out of the rest of you.
DOT DASH – Earthquakes & Tidal Waves
Although the name might not necessarily be familiar, Washington DC’s Dot Dash is a band with an impressive musical pedigree. Vocalist Terry Banks was previously a member of St. Christopher and worked with Julie Ocean; with the latter, he also worked alongside future Dot Dash bassist Hunter Bennett. Drummer Danny Ingram was previously a member of hardcore punks Youth Brigade and Sweredriver, while guitarist Steve Hansgren served key roles within Minor Threat and Government Issue.