KILLTHESLAVEMASTER

killtheslavemaster ... the band that I have not shut up about for the past seven years, managed to pull off a reunion show a little under a year ago in which I had to pull out of attending at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. I'm still not over it.

I remembered seeing the band name on the Mr Roboto Project show list website back in 1999/2000 sometime whenever I first started actively attending shows there. I failed to go for whatever reason, yet I managed to stumble upon their EP at the local record store (Brave New World) not long after. I picked it up, found it to be the most evil sounding recording known to man, was extremely upset that I had missed out on the show, did some internet research on the band, and then found that they had already broken up.

The music is somewhere between the riffing of Slayer and Carcass paired with the song structuring and intensity of bands like Abnegation or Racetraitor (which was a very closely related band in which I'm sure I will cover in a future post). Lyrically, the band brought an entirely new perspective to the "hardcore scene"; one in which had yet to be touched up until their involvement. Often labeled as "primitive anarchists", the band conveyed messages of anti-civilization and pro-wilderness through their teachings of distrust for governing forces. Urging others to wage in wars of the agrarian nature and to follow in the footsteps of the luddites before us, the band was considerably thought-provoking to say the least.

This download includes the only thing the band ever released (a self-titled EP) as well as a demo track featuring a different vocalist. There is one other song that the band has recorded floating around somewhere in the realm of hardcore. It was recorded for a Vegan Straight Edge comp to be released by Catalyst Records. killtheslavemaster's contribution was never added to the release due to the fact that they did not strictly adhere to the "ethics of the comp". Form your own opinion on this one. All I want is to hear the track.

The band has had 4 different MySpace pages over the years. Occasionally it would contain news of a potential upcoming split with Peregrine that has still yet to see the light of day. Despite the fact that past pages would sometimes host preview clips of new material, the current site has nothing to offer. Time will tell if the band ever releases another masterpiece.

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DISEMBODIED: (Partial) Discography

UPDATED IN NOVEMBER 2009: This post originally included a collection of their early 7"s and rare compilation tracks. However, since the posting of this upload, Prime Directive Records has taken it upon themselves to release a compilation of the band's early material. Completely re-mixed and re-mastered, the album sounds as good as it looks. Please pick up a physical copy of this release on either CD or LP HERE. Make sure to support this label and release for really biting the bullet and releasing an album by a band who knowingly would only be playing a few shows a year (that's crazy talk by label standards).

Being one of the first bands in the hardcore scene to drop their tuning to the drastic level of A, Disembodied was not a band afraid to try new things musically. Taking equal cues from Slayer and Korn, they somehow managed to blend a style that has yet to be replicated even today. Gradually moving away from their initial screamo roots, the band took a more chaotic and metallic feel on their final full length and split releases. The band broke up not long after the release of their split with Brother's Keeper while 4/5s of the band continued on to form Martyr AD. Heretic serves as an almost seamless transition between the two projects.

Being mimicked ten thousand times over, Disembodied finally returned to playing live in May of 2009. From the first notes of the first show back it was obvious that Disembodied hadn't missed a single step in their nearly decade long absence.

As stated above, I removed the links to the band's earlier material which is now readily available. Listening to the original versions is completely pointless anyhow considering how amazing the remix and remaster of the album sounds. I have now uploaded the Disembodied & Brother's Keeper split as a separate upload. Yeah, I included the Broz Keep songs.

DOWNLOAD: If God Only Knew The Rest Were Dead (1996)

DOWNLOAD: Diablerie (1997)

DOWNLOAD: Heretic (1999)

DOWNLOAD: Oxymoron - split w/Brother's Keeper (2000)

ONE EYED GOD PROPHECY

Just recently found this band out. While going through my daily studying of Disembodied, I found out that they did a brief west coast tour with this band in the mid-90s. I managed to track down the Mp3s of their one and only album and felt the urge to share with the rest of you. This borders in the screamo realm, yet has a power that I haven't felt from a band since possibly ... Disembodied. Thick, layered guitar work accompanied by driving drum beats coupled with searing vocals make up this album that was released on Great American Steak Religion out of Canada.

Nothing else has been said about this band as they appear to have flown rather under the radar moreso than other bands since their inception.

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CIPHER: Protoculture

In my eyes, Cipher stands alongside Earth Crisis as one of the few bands who has managed to maintain the morals and ethics that motivated them to start their respective bands after over 10 years of being together. While Cipher has yet to gain the recognition that Earth Crisis obviously has, I have always felt as though their message has been every bit as relevant and sincere as the aforementioned. Despite the continual release of top-notch music and lyrics, Cipher never seems to get the credit that I so strongly feel they deserve. I mean, I understand why things work the way they do (Cipher actually has a blog on the subject on their MySpace at www.myspace.com/cipher) ... yet it still frustrates me to see a band of individuals as sincere and dedicated as themselves continually get looked over. I fully believe that Cipher will go down in the hardcore record books as being one of the most underated bands of their time.

I continually do everything in my power to further the knowledge on this motivational, intense, and thought-provoking band ... and it seems as though anyone who I expose to the band becomes almost instantly-engaged to the aura that encompasses this group. The band is always well-received in our area and never fails to bring MOSH.

My offering unto you today is their Protoculture EP, which was released in 2000. While the newer releases of the Antidote EP and Children Of God's Fire LP (which are both still available from the band at their shows ... pick them up) show an enormous musical and lyrical progression, the energy and raw intensity on this EP has yet to be matched, in my eyes.

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