Closet Witch

Closet Witch are a four-piece grindcore/mathcore band from southeast Iowa that formed in 2014. They got their start by releasing a pair of self-recorded EPs, and have since continued with a steady stream of releases, all containing their distinct blend of abrasive, chaotic grind and raw, and visceral energy and emotion. Their sole LP, 2018's self-titled album is a must-listen for fans of the more chaotic side of aggressive music, it's tangibly explosive output from a band that's made a known for themselves being high-impact. They released a full discography as well a few years back (that included everything released up until then), so if you don't want to go through each release, that's your best bet. Enjoy.

Demo (2014)

1. Great River Medical Center

2. Secane

Ergot (2015)

1. Great River Medical Center

2. Teen Rot

3. Once Desolate Now Omega

4. Hospital Violence

5. Gimme Gimme Gimme (Black Flag cover)

Black Salt (2015)

1. Black Salt

2. Ode To Queen Doris

3. Once Upon A Time

4. Secane

5. Love From,...

6. Territorial Pissings (Nirvana cover)

National Hero/Closet Witch (2015)

1. Closet Witch - Black Tongue

2. Closet Witch - Bug Bites

3. Closet Witch - Your Grace

4. National Hero - A Better Place

5. National Hero - Hort (Spazz cover)

Euth/Closet Witch (2016)

1. Euth - Violent Reprieve

2. Euth - Blind Rotters

3. Closet Witch - Funeral Regrets

4. Closet Witch - Civil Necessity

5. Closet Witch - Nekhbet

Cokburner (2017)

1. Cokburner

Closet Witch (2018)

1. Blood Orange

2. Moonstomp

3. Eyelids Of Horus

4. Brother

5. It Doesn't Feel Free

6. Rule By Bacon

7. Spell Of Giddiness

8. Wind Whispers

9. Your Grace

10. Daylillies

11. Personal Machu Picchu

12. Great River Medical Center

13. Lost And Unidentified

Neckbeard Deathcamp/Closet Witch/Racetraitor/Haggathorn (2020)

1. Neckbeard Deathcamp - Spit Shine

2. Neckbeard Deathcamp - Ok Boomer

3. Closet Witch - A Happy Kettle

4. Closet Witch - Ace of Cups

5. Closet Witch - Abstinence, But Not

6. Closet Witch - The Squash Rotting

7. Closet Witch - Solar Lullaby

8. Racetraitor - Part One: Sarcophagus

9. Racetraitor - Part Two: Subordinate

10. Racetraitor - Round Lake

11. Haggathorn - Awakening

Complete Discography (2020)

1. A Happy Kettle

2. Ace Of Cups

3. Abstinence, but Not

4. The Squash Rotting

5. Solar Lullaby

6. Arlington Cemetery (Demo)

7. Abstinence, But Not (Demo)

8. The Squash Rotting (Demo)

9. Blood Orange

10. Moonstomp

11. Eyelids Of Horus

12. Brother

13. It Doesn't Feel Free

14. Rule By Bacon

15. Spell Of Giddiness

16. Wind Whispers

17. Your Grace

18. Daylillies

19. Personal Machu Picchu

20. Great River Medical Center

21. Lost And Unidentified

22. Cokburner

23. It Doesn't Feel Free

24. Daylillies

25. Rule By Bacon

26. Funeral Regrets

27. Civil Necessity

28. Nekhbet

29. Black Tongue

30. Bug Bites

31. Your Grace

32. Black Salt

33. Ode To Queen Doris

34. Once Upon A Time

35. Secane

36. Love, From...

37. Territorial Pissings (Nirvana cover)

38. Great River Medical Center

39. Teen Rot

40. Once Desolate, Now Omega

41. Hospital Violence

42. Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (Black Flag cover)

43. Great River Medical Center (Demo)

44. Secane (Demo)

Mellification (2021)

1. June 11th, 2006

2. Dogs Running

Chiaroscuro (2023)

1. Intro

2. Constantly Problematic

3. Haunting

4. and Releasing (feat. Frankie Furillo)

5. My Words Are Sacred (feat. Dylan Walker)

6. Infinite Imbalance (feat. Stu Clines)

7. You, Me And My Venus In Decay (feat. Dan Lee)

8. Side 1 Outro

9. Arlington Cemetery

10. Well Fed Machine

11. We Met On The Park Boundary Trail

12. Funeral Flowers

13. To The Cauldron (feat. Stu Clines)

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Me And Him Call It Us

Me And Him Call It Us were a three-piece (later four-piece) mathcore band from Atlanta, Georgia that formed in 2003 and broke up in 2007. They put out two full-lengths in their initial run, with a decent amount of demos and unreleased material being shared by the band posthumously. On their debut, the band unleashes explosive, charged shrieks of ear-splitting noise, alongside heavy, choking riffs with shots of sharp dissonance, all delivered in unbridled blast-beat chaos and neck-snapping syncopation. With fuel only lasting for short bouts, the album is broken up by ambient, atmospheric interludes that are more impending doom than sweet serenity. The follow-up, Loss, takes the sound founded on their debut and widens their dynamic range, with elements of more "conventional" powerviolence, grindcore, and screamo being apparent in the mix at times. Both projects are definitely worth your time, especially if you're a fan of bands such as The Sawtooth Grin, Ed Gein, or As The Sun Sets. Members of Me And Him Call It Us also went to form some incredible bands, most notably Dead In The Dirt and O'Brother. Enjoy.

The (C:) Drive Of Love Stories (2004)

1. Number One

2. There Is No Question Mark Button On This Computer

3. I: The Hollow Anchor's Despair

4. Innocent Bystanders Watched In Horror As Peter Jennings Drew His Murder Weapon

5. II: The Suspense, Prorogation, And Finally Descent Of Edwin Daunterbury

6. Infrared Light; Don't Talk To Me About Quantum Physics

7. III: The Pale Ghost At Sea And The Fingers Aquiver

8. A Rotten Set Of Bagpipes Can Make A Fantastic Mini-Skirt If Sewn Properly

9. IV: May The Tide Companion Thee To Shore 

Loss (2006)

1. Sarsaparilla

2. Cut-Throat Cardiac Arrest

3. "Mayday! Mayday!" Cried The Captain

4. Just Can't Function No More

5. The Anticipation Is Killing Me

6. ...Into Troubled Waters I Sink

7. Headache

8. Innocent Bystanders

9. P.S. I Love You

10. Loss

11. The Sea Swallowed Us Whole

12. My Heart Beats In Blast Beats

13. That Ghost Is Breathing Again

14. Encirclement Of The Dancing Scarecrows

Me And Him Call It Us/The Blue Letter (2006)

1. Me And Him Call It Us - The Weight

2. Me And Him Call It Us - Frostbit

3. Me And Him Call It Us - Seasick

4. The Blue Letter - March Of The Romans

Friends Applaud; The Comedy Is Over (2012)

1. Sincerity Is A Hard Thing To Come By These Days

2. Greener Grass

3. The Worst Part

home demos (2020)

1. stay (demo)

2. the weight (demo)

3. charcoal (demo)

4. seasick (demo)

5. pallbearer (demo)

6. frostbit (demo)

Meadow Drive Sessions (2020)

1. Pallbearer

2. Charcoal

3. The Interim

4. Leaden Strides

5. Stay

6. Tragedy

Loss 1.0 (2022)

1. cut-throat

2. anticipation

3. mayday

4. sarsaparilla

5. headache

6. peter jennings

7. p.s.

8. blast beats

9.  can't function

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Curl Up And Die

Curl Are Up And Die Are a four-piece metalcore band from Las Vegas, Nevada that formed in 1998, broke up in 2005, and reunited in 2019. The band went through a number of line-up changes in their early years, and were at one-time a five-piece. As a result, their sound changed and evolved quite a bit. Their early material is a lot scrappier, with sharp shifting riffs and very throaty vocals, if that makes any sense. They signed to Revelation Records in 2001, and released their debut full-length the following year. Sonically, it contained quick, thrashy bursts of dissonance and a more guttural, visceral vocal howl. It wouldn't be a surprise if this band was paying close attention to things like early Converge and Botch. They released a series of two EP's in which they really hit their stride as a band, both of which I highly recommend starting with if you're new to this band. 

Their final album, The One Above All, The End Of All That Is was released in 2005 and is decidely more matured and nuanced in sound. It's got massive riffs, and hits heavier with a slower pace, taking it's time to blend in more melodic elements and build up its tracks. The energy is still there, just used sparingly to really drive home the effect. It's an incredible record and one of metalcore's more underrated, so do yourself a favour and check that out as well. Enjoy.

Demo (1999)

1. Watch Your Face

2. How About I Eat Your Kids

3. Worn

4. Wanted Shit

Demo 2.0 (2000)

1. Hella Vegas Kids Say Hella

2. If I Wanted Shit Out Of You I'd Squeeze Your Neck

3. Kissing You is Like Licking an Ashtray

4. The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug

5. How About I Eat Your Kids

6. Bullet (demo)

7. Hardcore Since 10

The Only Good Bug Is A Dead Bug (2000)

1. And Then The Robots Were Killed

2. Absolute Denial Of The Ultimate Nullifier

3. Hella Vegas Kids Say Hella

4. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Select, Start

5. Proclaimed Bat Hunter

6. Nest Of The Face Hugger

1998 (2001)

1. If I Wanted Shit Out Of You, I'd Squeeze Your Neck

2. Watch Your Face

Unfortunately, We're Not Robots (2002)

1. We

2. Are

3. All

4. Dead

5. 100 M.P.H. Vomit Dedicated to Jon

6. On the Run from Johnny Law Ain't No Trip to Cleveland

7. Ted Nugent Goes AOL

8. Total Pandemonium

9. Doctor Doom, a Man of Science, Doesn't Believe in Jesus, Why the Fuck Do You

10. You'd Be Cuter If I Shot You in the Face

11. Make Like a Computer and Get with the Program

12. Your Idea of Fascism and Global Intervention Makes Me Puke

13. I Lost My Job to a Machine

14. Kissing You Is Like Licking an Ashtray

15. Rich Hall (Runner Up in a Carson Daly Lookalike Contest)

We May Be Through With The Past... (2003)

1. I Hate Almost Every Person I Come in Contact With

2. Damn Girl, That Shit Is Deep Like the Ocean

3. China Part Breakdown

4. .. - ... .- ..-. ..- -.-. -.- .. -. --. - .. -- . -- .- -.-. .... .. -. .

5. Utah: The Whoopie Cushion of America

6. I Don't Give a Shit If I'm in Outer Darkness, I'll Make Friends

But The Past Ain't Through With Us (2003)

1. Nuclear Waste? Bring That Shit. (We Want A State Full Of Radiated Super Heroes)

2. If This Band Thing Doesn't Pan Out We're Joining the Army

3. .. - ... . - ..-. ..- -.-. -. - .. -. --. - .. -- . -- . - -.-. .... ..

4. God Is in His Heaven, All Is Right With the World

The One Above All, The End Of All That Is (2005)

1. An Uncomfortable Routine

2. Antidepressants Are Depressing

3. Ultra Carb Diet Carpooling Stupid Fucking Life

4. The One Above All, The End of All That Is

5. Instrumental

6. Black Out

7. There Ain't No Can't in American

8. Zero MPH Fallover

9. There Is Never Enough Time to Do Nothing

10. I'm Trying To Fly To The Moon

11. Blood Mosh Hips Hair Lips Pills Fuck Death

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Sender Receiver

Sender Receiver are a four-piece grindcore band originally from Knoxville, Iowa that were around from 2006 to 2008. When they reformed in 2010, they had relocated to Detroit, Michigan. In their initial run, they released one EP, a split, and a sampler. There was word of new material being recorded after they reunited, but nothing ever came of it. Regardless, we're left with this minimal but noteworthy discography, with its crowning achivement being Plague Notes. It explores all the bombastic and chaotic aspects of extreme music that leaves a lasting impact in its 4 and half minute runtime, and doesn't need any more than that to do it. Highly recommended, enjoy!

Summer Sampler (2006)

1. The Human Torch Was Denied A Bank Loan

2. I Guess We Wont Starve As Long As We Have That Old Oak Tree

3. Shut Up, Incest Is Cute

Sender Receiver/The Muzzler (2007)

1. Sender Receiver - The Sudden Realization

2. Sender Receiver - Putting The Sensual Back In Non-Consensual

3. Sender Receiver - This Pillow Tastes Like I'm Choking

4. Sender Receiver - This Could Be The Very Reason Keith Richards Cannot Be Killed By Conventional Warfare

5. The Muzzler - The Loose Cannon

6. The Muzzler - Pass The Buck

Plague Notes (2007)

1. Putting The Sensual Back In Non-Consensual

2. This Pillow Tastes Like I'm Choking

3. The Ocean Is No Place For A Squirrel

4. The French Have To Unhinge Their Jaws To Express Emotion

5. This Could Be The Very Reason Keith Richards Cannot Be Killed By Conventional Warfare

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Ed Gein

Ed Gein was an American interior designer were a three-piece grindcore/hardcore band from Syracuse, New York that formed in 2001 before amicably breaking up in 2018. Its members reconvened shortly thereafter to form Shadow Snakes, a new project that veered away from the legacy of their former band. Sonically, Ed Gein were chaotic and discordant while remaining distincly rhythmic, with throat-shredding vocals and heavy, trebly riffs. Fans of bands such as The Number Twelve Looks Like You. Heavy Heavy Low Low, or As The Sun Sets will definitely find something to love here, even if those aren't exact comparisons. Despite their lengthy tenure, their release schedule was pretty sporadic. With only three-full lengths, two EP's and a demo, it doesn't take long to get through their entire discography. If you're looking for somewhere to start out, It's A Shame... is probably their most mathy/grindy, while Bad Luck is the closest they get to straight-up hardcore, so depending on your tastes either of those might interest you most, though Judas Goats & Dieseleaters is also a good option with less polarity. Enjoy.

Ed Gein (2002)

1. Bathed In Orange

2. Score One For Team Bitch

3. Willie Loman

It's A Shame That A Family Can Be Torn Apart By Something As Simple As A Pack Of Wild Dogs (2003)

1. You Suck At Life... And I'm Not Talking About The Board Game

2. The Marlboro Man Is A Douche Bag

3. A Way To Kill Old People

4. Nice Shoes... Wanna Fuck?

5. I Wish You The Best

6. And By Best I Mean Worst

7. Beating A Dead Horse

8. What Is This Monstrosity?!

Judas Goats & Dieseleaters (2005)

1. Robert Flaig

2. Small Towns, Small Minds

3. Killing A Co-Worker

4. Pee Wee Herman/Paul Reubens

5. We're Drowning In It

6. Amen

7. Christianity As Foreign Policy

8. United Ninety Three

9. Bastard

10. A Conflict Of Interest

11. The Wool Is Pulled

12. Guilty As Charged

13. This Ends Now

14. Breed (Nirvana cover)

Bad Luck (2011)

1. Intro

2. Wage Slave

3. The Wraith

4. Bullet Dodger

5. Captain Shit

6. Into The Fire

7. She Creeps

8. Moth Collection (Into The Freezer)

9. The Spectacle

10. VIP's

11. Wasted Life

Smoked (2016)

1. The Legion

2. Build A Wall Around D.C.

3. Tarrare

4. Dragged

5. Like Rain

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Drowningman

Drowningman are a five-piece metalcore/mathcore band from Burlington, Vermont that were around from 1995 to 2002. They reunited between 2004 and 2005 for a tour and new album before breaking up again. They played a few reunion shows in 2014, and offically reformed in 2021, with their first new material in over 15 years being released this year. Throughout their tenure, they've gone through quite a few lineup changes, with vocalist Simon Brody being the one constant member. They've also worked with a ton of great labels, including Hydra Head, Revelation and Equal Vision. 

Sonically, Drowningman came off the heels of metalcore pioneers like Unbroken and Deadguy, with heavy, dissonant riffs, agile rhythms, and throat-shredding vocals. They often paired with this with a keen sense of melody, even early on at their heaviest. It wouldn't be surprising to find out they were big on post-hardcore acts like Unwound or Refused, as those angular, melodic aspects do encroach in their sound quite a bit. If you're looking for a place to start, I think their debut Busy Signal At The Suicide Hotline is probably their best, though I do also have an affinity for the EP's How They Light Cigarettes In Prison and Still Loves You. Highly recommended stuff, they are an absolute classic of their respective genre. Enjoy.

Weighted And Weighed Down (1997)

1. Weighted And Weighed Down

2. Static Mouth

Busy Signal At The Suicide Hotline (1998)

1. Condoning The Use Of Inhalants

2. High School Slow Dance

3. Busy Signal At The Suicide Hotline

4. Sadder Than Saturday

5. Mail Order Kidney

6. Trouble Breathing

7. Supermarket Riot

8. Clothesline

The Dillinger Escape Plan/Drowningman (1999)

1. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Jim Fear

2. Drowningman - My First Restraining Order

How They Light Cigarettes In Prison (2000)

1. Black-Tie Knife-Fight

2. Radio Turned To The Sounds Of Hearts Breaking

3. A Quick Prayer To The Patron Saint Of Dirty Rest Area Bathrooms And Clean Getaways

4. How They Light Cigarettes In Prison

Rock And Roll Killing Machine (2000)

1. When People Become Numbers

2. Last Weeks Minutes From The Meeting Of The Secret Society Of Your Friends Who Actually Hate You

3. The Truly Dangerous Nature Of A Man Who Doesn't Care If He Lives Or Dies

4. Rock And Roll Killing Machine

5. Code Breaking Hearts

6. My First Restraining Order

7. This Years Most Fashionable Sense Of Weakness

8. If God Loves A Winner He's Going To Want To Fuck Me In A Minute (Born To Break Even)

9. Angels And Defenses

Still Loves You (2001)

1. The More I Get To Know You Less I Like You

2. The Unbearable Burden Of Always Being Right

3. Weighted And Weighed Down

4. Living With The Awful Truth That We're Not As Cool As We'd Like Other People To Think We Are

5. Surveillance Footage Highlights

Learn To Let It Go (The Demos) (2004)

1. Weighted And Weighed Down

2. Dial

3. Static Mouth

4. Your Eyes Look Like Candy

5. Red

6. Kiss The Canvas

7. Where The Heart Is

8. Wellwisher

9. Contagious

10. Open Book Test

11. Kerosene

12. Burning Buildings

Don't Push Us When We're Hot (2005)

1. Yeah, You're Pretty But Do You Think You'll Really Get Away With It?

2. John Cougar Mellancamp Is The White Devil

3. Dude Status; Revoked

4. Today's Special: Still Beating Hearts

5. White People Are Stupid

6. Drowningman Dance Party, Bring Your Own Bodybag

7. "Dear God, Life Is Hell"

8. The Last Honest Man Sells Out

9. Major Disappointment Reporting For Duty

10. Luck, Love, Life Time Guarantees And Other Things Assholes Believe In

Black On Black: A Tribute To Black Flag (2006)

6. Loose Nut (Black Flag cover)

Later Day Saints (2022)

1. Navigating Grief And Loss In A Pre-Apocalyptic Landscape

2. It Will End In Cops

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