Nomos/The Men Split Tape

Six songs straight from two of Brooklyn's finest acts right now, split right down the middle between Nomos and The Men. Each group delivers two fresh tracks along with a classic punk rock cover for everyone's listening enjoyment. The packaging on these is fairly appealing as well, including red pro printed tapes, j-card with artwork on front and back, topped off with a double sided fold out with lyrics (for only the Nomos side) and gritty black and white photos.

My initial reaction is to the distinct change in Nomos' sound, both musically and vocally, which at first didn't seem comparable to the demo that blew me away on the first couple listens. The similar dark nature and lyrical themes are still there, but the overall sound appears to be heading in a different direction from the more straightforward approach to the demo, and deeper into noisy hardcore. Each song pummels away at a similar pace, while the guitars and drums pulsate together, combined with lower, raw barking vocals to round out their style, which is still growing on me each time through this tape.

Just when Nomos are at their evilest, darkest sound yet, they launch into a jaw-dropping cover of Black Flag's "Nothing Left Inside." This is seriously one of the better covers I've heard in a long time, with the vocals and guitars squealing together in a manner so haunting the lyrics begin to drip with torment and anger.

The Men are always an interesting band, especially combined with Nomos, due to their unpolished, experimental sound. Their songs are much longer, lingering around the four minute mark, filled with heavy feedback, distortion, and shouting vocals that cement a complete wall of sound that threatens to wash you away with them. "Twist the Knife" is a fascinating, angry blast from The Men, which left me immediately wanting to hear more. I was even further surprised by the three-piece's ability to keep me interested through lengthy songs, while many bands tend to fall into the trap of droning on with boring filler material. Cap this all off with a surprisingly well done cover of The Breakaways "Walking Out On Love," and you've got a split tape that begins to reach the realm of "essential."

It's tough to choose a favorite here, although I'll ultimately give the edge to Nomos, with both sides holding their own in respectable fashion. There's plenty to explore musically on each side, and each band has a distinct, aggressive style that excites me for more. Vinyl Rites' copies are already sold out, but the bands had some on tour recently, although they're probably gone as well. This is another one that's pretty easy to locate for download though.

Vinyl Rites 
Nomos Blog
The Men Blog

Raw Nerve/Vile Gash/Nomos/No Coffin @ Ava House 3/26/10

First off I'm going to have to start this one by saying I REALLY liked this venue. It's been way too long since I went to a house or basement show, and this spot reminded me of some of the grungy punk venues I used to frequent in high school. It took me a few minutes to find the place, but once I found the door, the location was actually pretty obvious. I was really psyched on all the bands, and for $5 this is easily the cheapest thing around on a Friday night in Philly.

Walking up the stairs, the hallway was littered with empty PBR cans, tagged in graffiti, and smelled of stale cigarette smoke. Upstairs, everything opens up into a large, empty space, except for old couches most likely found on the side of the road, and band equipment. Kids are skateboarding around the hardwood floors, while people crack open 40 oz's and light up Camels. The place could actually be a really swank apartment for some rich dude, but this is a far better use of the space.

Locals No Coffin was starting to play just as I came upstairs, along with other people filtering in for the night. Their sound was definitely unpolished, with a slightly unsure feel, but still decent for a first show. They have a somewhat droning, yet pleasantly noisy approach to their songs, and I'm looking forward to a demo so I can hear it better.

Raw Nerve. If you don't know about them yet, you've been sleeping too long. Fast, raw, frantic hardcore from the Midwest. These guys set up and roared through a set in probably about eight minutes, playing songs from all of their releases, including some new stuff from the LP on Youth Attack Records. The vocals were a little low, so the singer wasn't very audible, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. People raged back and forth during their songs, smashing from side to side as beer sprayed onto the ground. Their singer writhed around while howling the lyrics, while the rest of the band thrashed their instruments into submission. Great stuff; short and sweet.

Brooklyn hardcore punk act, Nomos, were up next. They performed most of the songs from their demo EP, which is an absolute monster for a debut recording. Fast, hard, angry music, with well formed songs and some old school hardcore influence makes these guys one of my favorite newer bands around. Nomos rips it up live also, shredding through their set in experienced, confident fashion. Do not miss out on this band next time they're in your area.

The final audio assault of the evening was Columbus, Ohio's Vile Gash. Similar to Raw Nerve, they came on without saying a word and immediately launched into a song. Their singer looked like a man possessed, furiously spitting the lyrics and punching people that came within striking distance. The set was a bit marred by some technical difficulties though, as the guitar kept cutting out, and there also seemed to be a problem with his distortion pedal. Either way, I was stoked on this performance too, and Vile Gash put a nice cap on an awesome night.

Ava House is easily one of the best DIY house venues I've ever been too, with a PA and gear that actually works, and a chill, friendly environment to hang out in. The show was basically a party, with plenty of people hanging out, drinking, and listening to music. Also, I made some nice vinyl pick ups, including the Raw Nerve tour press, a live tape, and Vile Gash's new EP. Thanks to the Hartford dudes I met for sharing some of their beer with me, and thanks to the promoters and people at Ava House for putting on a top notch show. I'll definitely be back again.