DEMO REVIEW: BS Bone - Inside Insanity

BS BONE (Italy)
"Inside Insanity"
(Independent)
Release date: October 31st 2019
Genre: Hard rock, stoner rock, punk rock, grunge rock

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From the Molise region in southern Italy comes a three piece ensemble that has played together since 2017. The nucleus of what was to later become BS BONE took shape after Vyper (bass/vocals) and Steve Grind (guitar) decided they wanted to blast the dust from their amps, and started working on riffs with the intention of creating new, original material.

Eventually, BS BONE became a reality after the addition of drummer Leo, and the band recorded a four track demo during the summer of 2019. This very demo is today's subject for review here on the Subterranean Noise blog, so let's have a look, shall we?

"I Don't Give a Fuck" is the welcoming title of the opening track, and it starts off nicely with a riff that has a raw, dirty and catchy Motörheadish drive. The rhythm section joins the game with an almost funky, midtempo groove that immediately sends this listener's thoughts back to Rage Against the Machine in their early days. A good, consistent choice for an opening track, and it holds nothing back on showing the attitude that these three Italian dudes have.

"99 Lions in a Cage" takes the band in a slightly different direction. The guitars seem very inspired by Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters and even Iron Maiden. More melodic than the opener, but an interesting track that proves that BS BONE in terms of style certainly appear quite versatile.

This writer's personal favorite is "Dysfunctional Souls", a furious little bastard of a track that brings the band back into their punky raw mode, making "99 Lions in a Cage" seem like a ballad in comparison. A suitable reference could be Suicidal Tendencies, and their "Join the Army" album from 1987.

The demo concludes with the slightly heavier "Rant", filled to the brink with powerful riffs and pounding drums. A wah-wah seasoned chorus riff gives this closing track a Black Sabbath/Kyuss type of vibe, thus making it a worthy ending of BS BONE's first introduction.

The only thing I am struggling with are the vocals. They very quickly get rather tiresome, and (for this writer's personal taste) put quite a damper on the material overall. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to hearing how these songs, and hopefully many more, will sound in a cleaner production. That being said, "Inside Insanity" sounds fairly decent for a demo. It was recorded and produced by the band themselves, and I would say they did a good job shaping it into the product it became.

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Tracklist:
1. I Don't Give a Fuck
2. 99 Lions in a Cage*
3. Dysfunctional Souls*
4. Rant

*Added to the Subterranean Noise - 2019 playlist on Spotify.

LINE UP:
Vyper - bass and lead vocals
Steve Grind - guitars
Leo - drums and backing vocals

SINGLE REVIEW: Veislakt - Sonic Reducer

VEISLAKT (Norway)
"Sonic Reducer"
(Hillstump Records)
Release date: August 16th 2019
Genre: Punk rock, hardcore, heavy punk
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VEISLAKT have become quite a phenomenon within the borders of our lovely little Norway. Initially a one man band that developed into a full line up after the release of the "Hommersand" EP in 2014, and they have continuously added releases to their discography ever since, and their third and most recent album, the humorously conceptual "Sandnes Undergrunn Circus & Kabaret" came out in 2018.

This quintet's most apparent trademark is that they are singing in "jærsk", a dialectic form of the Norwegian language with a very distinctive character that is particularly used in the Rogaland region far south-west in the country.

However, let's put phonetics aside and talk about what matters the most, shall we?

VEISLAKT (or "roadkill" as translated into English) are a very heavy punk oriented band, and they have been predicted to be one of the next big four bands in Norwegian rock. Needless to say they have already made a name for themselves, after only a few years of existence.

Most likely as a homage to one of their influences, VEISLAKT will very soon release a cover version of Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer", and it is this track that is our topic of discussion today. This writer must humbly admit that VEISLAKT is a new listening experience for him, but now that the inevitable has happened it is fair to say that it has been yet another pleasant discovery.

Their cover version of this already 42 year old punk rock classic has all the elements that the original had; rawness, ruthless energy and an attitude that leaves no doubt that if you come too close, fists will fly. They just do it with a more modern twist, but without losing an ounce of honesty. Production wise it is what you would expect from a loud rock band in 2019, and it only adds more to the raw energy that the song already produces on its own.

★★★★★★★★★☆

LINE UP:
René Undem - lead vocals
Mads Arild Hamre - lead guitar, backing vocals
Thord Gilje Hamre - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Stian Askeland - bass
Tommy Utsola - drums

ALBUM REVIEW: Lesser Known Character - No Equal Exchange

LESSER KNOWN CHARACTER (England)
"No Equal Exchange" (Digital album)
(Independent)
Release date: May 1st 2019
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Whenever I hear the term punk rock I am usually not the most enthusiastic person in sight, but after creating this page I have found myself willing to open up more for new genres, whereas before I stuck to music I was already familiar with. But, this young lad (cough...) doesn't shy away from a challenge, so I decided to give the British punk quartet LESSER KNOWN CHARACTER a chance.

I was not given much information about the band these Bristol based gentlemen has formed together, other than that about this brand spanking new EP they just released. Their debut three track EP entitled "Calamity" was released in August 2016, and after having given it a spin I must say that too is an enjoyable piece of work.

But today's topic is the band's newborn EP "No Equal Exchange", which according to the band themselves is more technical and heavy than the debut. Here we have six songs clocking in at about a quarter of an hour in playing time, and it is amazing just how much Carl, Nick, Matt and Pete manage to present during these few minutes.

Be sure, this is not just traditional punk rock. Whereas the debut was heavy and melodic, this new effort is far more frantic in its expression, possibly influenced by the topics in their lyrics in these half a dozen songs.

"This record sees us exploring lyrical themes including how shit Brexit is, toxic masculinity, and the depressing growth in the use of hate speech online", says the band when they explain where they find inspiration to the lyrics on "No Equal Exchange", and the obvious frustration one might get from said topics should fit perfectly in this genre.

The band plays fast, and they're tight. Traditional punk rock would have more emphasis on basic chords, but LESSER KNOWN CHARACTER allow themselves to experiment more, bringing more color to their otherwise raw and unpolished expression. Lead singer Carl spits out his lyrics with an archetypical British accent, as if Johnny Rotten himself was behind the microphone, and thusly brings a genuine authenticity to the attitude their music displays.

Given the fact that I had a very limited experience with the punk genre prior to this release, I am pleased to discover that "No Equal Exchange" is a delightfully frustrated piece of work, completely devoid of compromise. Whereas "Calamity" was a bit more polished on the production side, this is dirtier and messier, and it's bloody wonderful!

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Tracklist:
1. Separation Anxiety
2. Less Tightrope, More Tripwire
3. Be A Man
4.Constructive Dismissal
5. A More Pallid Palette
6. Fake News

LESSER KNOWN CHARACTER:
Carl, bass
Nick, guitar
Matt, drums
Pete, guitar