Dis-consin’s (Wisconsin’s) defenders of metallic d-beat crust are back with a new 7″ titled “Extinguish The Cross”. This record captures Dresden at their best. They offer up two epic ragers that pound with crushing intensity and shredding guitar solos. Their lyrics attack hypocricy and the KKK. Recorded by Tom Tom Burt (In Defence/Garmonbozia) and mastered by Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise). Amazing artwork by Jeremy Clark (aka HUSH). Grab your copy before it’s gone! ORDER NOW!

(THE FOLLOWING WAS TAKEN FROM THE CVLT NATION SITE.)

PROFANE EXISTENCE
MAKING PUNK A THREAT AGAIN

Posted In Blackened Crust,Crust,Dis-beat,Hardcore,Music,Positive Punk,Reviews,Thrash

Minneapolis based label Profane Existence came into being during the late 80′s. Comprising of a print (and now also an online) publication, distro and sweet as heck label, the collective’s mission was, and still is, as simple as this – to make “…punk a threat again.”

It’s probably best to get the lowdown from the group themselves:

The Profane Existence Collective was formed in 1989 by a group of people with the common goal of building a stronger and more politically active punk movement. As a collective, we are a small group of individuals that have joined together our ideas and abilities to work on numerous projects as part of a single entity, in an overall struggle against tyranny and oppression. Everyone likes to pigeonhole and this is how we prefer to look at ourselves: Our politics are anti-state and anti-oppression (anarchist if you prefer) and our community is from within the DIY (“Do It Yourself”) punk rock movement.

Hit the jump for a brief look at what’s in store.

Releasing incredible records from some of the best bands in the scene today, Profane Existence know no bounds. This is a label with something to say and their voice most certainly needs to be heard. Channeling their vision through their own magazine, literature and the bands that they deal with, this collective are an important part of the DIY community.

7″‘s, LP’s, complete discographies and compilations are all part of the label’s make-up. From the anarcho-crust punk of Appalachian Terror Unit, to the 80′s hardcore tinged d-beat of Against Empire and the tongue in cheek political humour of the thrashy In Defence, the label’s roster is as tenacious as ever and is going from strength to strength with every piece of music they put out.

It’s safe to say that each of the bands mentioned above, and many others adorning the hallways of Profane Existence’s proverbial office, have a lot to say about the world and it’s current failings. Political references abound and the voice of the oppressed is vocalised throughout multiple releases.

Take a glimpse of the artwork forAppalachian Terror Unit’s upcoming 7″Black Sands. A knowing nod to recent and ongoing oil-spill disasters and ultimately the destruction caused by man on the natural world and on his own life. Take a closer listen toDresden’s Extinguish The Cross 7″ and their intense crossover take on the state of their nation. Delve into the discography of crust influenced Wartorn, and submerge yourself in the most exciting compilation of the year so far – Welcome To Minneapolis – featuring the aforementioned In Defence, plus five other excellent bands from the Minneapolis area.

The plethora of upcoming releases is almost overwhelming, the Welcome To Minneapoliscomp itself a goldmine of established and upcoming talent. Highlights being Kontrasekt’s doom influenced punk style and how it’s completely at odds with Varix and their terrifying ferocity. All the bands featured play an active role in the punk community, whether that’s by supporting the live branch of the scene or by being politically aware and all for the messages they portray. It’s exhausting stuff, the six bands bashing through a track each and still the run-time doesn’t even hit the ten minute mark.

Against Empire deal in huge blackened crust style mantras, with a hint of group vocals and plenty of spite and disgust. Somehow able to swing between super quick barely there tracks and more fully realised tunes, Thieves And Leeches is a fine example of a band living for a cause. They even throw in a cover of aCrucifix (a massively influential hardcore band around in the 80′s) track, just because they can.

Labels such as Profane Existence are extremely important. Not only are they giving a voice to the disenfranchised, they are educating their audience in the process. It’s crucial, now more than ever, that people are aware of just how fucked this world is. Profane Existence – the people, the bands, the community – are here to make a stand. They are here to be involved, to enforce progress. To make punk a threat again.

SUPPORT

PROFANE EXISTENCE

You know what’s awesome? When a record you knew nothing about comes through the post because your girl ordered it to your address so she could hear a vinyl-only demo recording of a song unavailable anywhere else, and needs to take over your record player to hear it. Thats how I came to be in possession of this little beauty.

Considering it’s ‘just’ a 7″, you get a lot of bang for yer buck, as it features four bands, flyers, a patch, and a lyric sheet. I’m always interested in hearing bands I haven’t before, so I’m going to start with the three I’m unfamiliar with: In Defence, Opposition Rising, and Embrace The Kill.

Minneapolis’ In Defence are up first with their track ‘United Farces’, which according to both the lyric sheet and the gang vocals, is about corporate bailouts, a subject most people are pretty angry about these days, perfect lyrical fodder for pissed-off hardcore.
This is hardcore verging more on the crossover side, with a few thrashy sections in the verses, and a few scuzzy solos thrown in. These guys should come over the pond and tour with Liverpool’s SSS.

Opposition Rising, from Boston, continue the theme with ‘FTW’, which gives you a pretty good idea of what their viewpoint is. Fast-paced hardcore backs barked words of misanthropy, the chorus, somewhat obviously, being Fuck The World gang-shouted over and over. The music is tight and muscular, which is a bit of a stupid description, but it’s what coems to mind listening to this track. It chugs along for a couple of verses before the pace slows for a breakdown before speeding back up for the final blast of fuck the worlds. Not usually my bag, but this was pretty damn good.

Embrace The Kill open the other side of the record with a fucking BIZARRE flamenco-sounding intro to their track ‘Blacklisted’. The flamenco gives way to a bouncy rhythm with some tremolo picked guitar, which goes on for a few bars before another weird stylistic shift occurs. The vocals kick in, sounding like taking-the-piss black metal or something. Well, for one line anyway, before the vocal duties seem to split between two members, call and response style, the other voice having a guttural cookie-monster vibe. The first verse ends (I think, this song is impossible to keep up with), and there’s a thrashy divebomb before another punked-up black metal-ish section kicks in. These guys clearly couldn’t decide on what kinda band they wanted to be, so decided to do EVERYTHING. It doesn’t exactly make for easy listening, but after a couple of spins, I appreciate it.
There’s even a little Minutemen-esque jazz bass couple of seconds before the tempo lurches between mid-paced and a powerviolence blast. If you want to hear about a million ends of the punk spectrum, listen to this song. These guys must be fucking exhausted, and exhausting, when they play live.

Hellmouth sound like they couldn’t have come from anywhere but the decay of Detroit, and they were the band that this record was purchased for. Their track is a demo version of ‘Amen, Assholes’, an anti-religious burst of bile with the crust-tastic chorus of ‘No Gods, No Masters, Bow down to no bastards’.
I’ve heard the album version of this track countless times, but this version sounds rawer, looser.
The opening burst of rat-a-tat machine gun drums gives way to a ripper of a verse, ex-Suicide Machines vocalist Jay Navarro using his torn throat to lay into all religions, not just content with being antichristian, his words are equal-opportunity destroyers. No deity is safe.
I might be biased, but this is easily my favourite song on this split, it’s short, sharp, and to the point, pulls no punches, and doesn’t outstay it’s welcome at just over a minute. Fucking great.

If you want a copy, there are still plenty available over at Profane Existence. While you’re there, check out the rest of their catalogue too, there’s a lot of great bands in there.

Check out each of the bands’ sites too:
http://www.cultovhellmouth.com/
http://www.indefence.org/
http://www.oppositionrising.com/
http://www.myspace.com/embracethekill

Pick up an AGAINST EMPIRE t-shirt HERE.