Friday, December 23, 2011

Neon Christmas from No Funeral

With the holiday season upon us and with 2011 winding down, I'd like to extend a fond season's greetings to the No Funeral readership. I can't believe there still is a readership after all this time, so thank you very much.

2012 stand to be the most exciting year yet for No Funeral. Wait until you see what's in store for SXSW. In the meantime, here's an early Christmas present for you: the most exciting electronic act in Texas, the mighty Neon Indian. Enjoy!

Neon Indian
Era Extrana
Static Tounges/Mom+Pop






Neon Indian - Era Extrana



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Monday, December 19, 2011

Beyond Gods and Empires - Descolada EP (*No Funeral exclusive*)

Beyond Gods and Empires
Descolada
self-released



This is Beyond Gods and Empires; one of Austin's more cerebral and literate metal bands. Their EP Descolada is filled with the rhythms, riffs, and structures similar to challenging bands such as Botch and Burnt By The Sun. Long-time No Funeral readers who are familiar with my taste and the taste of this website, you've got to trust me on this. Beyond Gods and Empires is about to become your new favorite band.

I'll be interviewing vocalist and lead raconteur Marcos tomorrow and the interview will be posted later this week. In the meantime, please enjoy the Descolada EP; another No Funeral exclusive. I hope you enjoy Beyond Gods and Empires as much as I do. Stay tuned...




Beyond Gods and Empires - Descolada


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SBS - 2011 Demo (*No Funeral exclusive*)

SBS
2011 Demo
self-released





Greetings weirdos! It's time for everybody out there to get hip to Central Texas hardcore powerhouse SBS. Current Indisgust members Crudo (vocals) and Zach (guitar) team up with new rhytm section Marty (drums) and Nick (bass) to dish out circle-pit-inducing riffs and skull-cracking breakdowns. SBS takes a more straight-ahead approach to metallic hardcore than the previously-mentioned No Funeral favorites.

For those not familiar with the geography of Central Texas, two smaller cities named San Marcos and New Braunfels are situated in between Austin and San Antonio. With each of the four SBS members claiming residence in a different one of these four cities, SBS can truly claim to be a Central Texas band.

Recorded in New Braunfels, the three-song 2011 Demo shows SBS as a band mixing the best parts of Satisfaction... era Hatebreed and the new(er)-school East Coast stomp (Madball, Most Precious Blood, Indecision, etc...) and taking this sound in a new direction. This is an exciting demo from an exciting band. Stay tuned this spring for an SBS studio report as the band records its new EP.

No Funeral is proud to bring you this demo for the first time on the internet. Tell your friends that you heard it here first. Then tell your friends about SBS. Seriously, this is the underground. Give all your ding-dong friends the link to this post. Burn copies of the demo and give them to people at school or at work. Tell the people!




SBS - 2011 Demo



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Sunday, December 11, 2011

Bloodlined Calligraphy - The Beginning of the End

For those keeping score at home, it was six months back when I promised "big news" within the "next two weeks." Well, the big news is that I've relocated to Austin, Texas and No Funeral will be redesigned and relaunched "soon." "Soon" actually means soon this time; 30-60 days away. In the meantime, new content will be posted on the old site. Think of this as batting practice before the game. As always, you can reach me at no-funeral@hotmail.com. Now, down to business...


Bloodlined Calligraphy
The Beginning of the End
Facedown/Strike First





The last time Rocky Riddell (law student/liberty advocate) and I hung out before we both moved away from Huntsville, we ate lunch in Conroe. Upon the successful devourment of chicken-fried steak, we walked over to Hastings and pawed through the dollar bins. That where and when I found The Beginning of the End.

I’d heard the band off and on over the years but I never owed one; so I took a one dollar gamble that paid off. Bloodlined Calligraphy play destructive, solid metalcore in the vein of a Midwestern Indecision. The Beginning of the End is filled with melodic guitar work and jackhammer breakdowns, sprinkled with crushing blastbeats. For that early to mid-2000s metalcore sound, the clean singing is kept to a minimum.

Bloodlined Calligraphy was a Christian, straight-edge band who’s members never acted like glassy-eyed fundamentalists nor flag-waving crusaders. They simply offered an uplifting message for the positive youth and the more open-minded old fucks standing over by the bar. Also worth mentioning is Bloodlined Calligraphy’s hometown in the decidedly non-living-nightmare part of Michigan known as Ypsilanti.

Vocalist Amy French pullsw off a Great Lakes miracle by delivering a vocal performance not at all reminiscent of Candace Kucsulain; she of regional superstars Walls of Jericho. Speaking of regional superstars, The Beginning of the End was recorded and produced by none other than Ryan “Bart” Williams of the Black Dahlia Murder, so there’s your daily dose of death metal trivia.

Although an official announcement has not been made, it is unlikely that Bloodlined Calligraphy will continue as a band following the death of bassist Eric Cargile in 2010. It’s a shame they never got their due. The Beginning of the End is the middle ground between All Out War and All That Remains.

Overlooked. Forgotten. Recommended.

Bloodlined Calligraphy
The Beginning of the End


Before I go, I'd like to take a moment to thank all of the grinders and thrashers in the ATX for making me feel at home. You guys welcomed me with open arms and I'd like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Back from the Dead

I've been on the U.S.S. Enterprise, playing space-chess with Chewbacca. He started getting lame so I beamed back down.

Big news is coming soon (really! check back in about two weeks for rad news!). In the meantime, here's a record that will blow the walls off of the joint. Right here.