Cloud Rat - Threshold (2022)

In the past Cloud Rat has been brilliant when it came to inject some diversity (like post-punk elements, melodies) in their hardcore, and I regret that Threshold (like Pollinator, but this one was released with a very experimental EP) is just Cloud Rat at their most aggressive straight forward. That been said their metallic hardcore bordering powerviolence is once again super tight, super sharp and the fierce female vocals are awesome and as usual it is easily one of the best hardcore albums of the year. I expect even better from them, but this one's obviously recommended anyway.

The BC page.

 

Cloud Rat - Pollinator & Do Not Let Me Off the Cliff EP (2019)

 Cloud Rat is releasing a new album called Pollinator, coming with a bonus EP called Do Not Let Me Off the Cliff. This time their experiment with more melodic or post-punk parts are concentrated on the bonus EP which is not hardcore at all whereas the album, Pollinator, is Cloud Rat at their most aggressive. Problem is this way the album is more "monochrome" more predictable, so I prefer their previous ones. Still once again their super fierce hardcore is extremely well crafted and it well could be the best hardcore album this year.
 What about the EP? It is more diverse than the album, going from neofolk to new-wave and dark ambient, with melodic singing only, but also it is more inequal in quality, some parts are very good and interesting, while some others are less memorable.
I'd like them to keep on creating non hardcore music, I'm curious to hear where it could lead them since there are promising elements in Do Not Let Me Off the Cliff,  but also I'd' like that next time they inject more experiment and diversity in their hardcore songs.

The BC page.

Cloud Rat : split 7 w Crevasse and split LP w Moloch (2017)

Cloud Rat is in my opinion the best metal hardcore band of recent years. These two new splits (a 7 with Crevasse and a split album with Moloch) are another proof of how good they are. At the same time they have the best song of the super aggressive and ferocious kind and also manages to bring in an interesting and original way different elements, more melodic, into their hardcore. Two tracks on these splits embodies this original approach, on the one with Crevasse you have with "Fish in a Pool" a strange D-Beat meets Sonic Youth mix that works out perfectly. On the split with Moloch you find an even more radically different thing with "Amber Flush" which is a very good post-punk / new-wave song. excellent stuff again from Cloud Rat.

Crevasse is a good female fronted hardcore band, their two track are quite enjoyable. Moloch plays a doom metal / hardcore that failed to grab my attention. 

The Cloud Rat / Crevasse split BC page.

The Cloud Rat / Moloch split BC page.

Cloud rat / Drugs of faith - Split EP (2015)

Excellent hardcore split EP from Selfmadegod records. First we have Cloud rat, currently one of the best hardcore band, displaying the wide range of their music in three songs, from pure agression to noisier moments and a touch of melody, with a songwriting ability that makes sure it does not sound like any other hardcore band. Then Drugs of faith, another really good band, gives us to listen to two tracks sounding somewhere between hardcore and some dark and aggressive noise rock. Really good split for people that ask more from hardcore.

The BC page.

Grind pieces & related : the 2015 selection

Like every year I offer you a list of my favourite grind released (and related music) of the year. So here we go again. You'll find old established band (Napalm death!) as well as new bands ( like the demo from Meth Leppard).
Click on the name to go to the review. There's interviews as well (click on "the itnerview").

Captain cleanoff - Rising terror

Napalm death - Apex predator

Antigama - The insolent

Beaten to death - Unplugged

Unrest - Grindcore                     The interview

The kill - Kill them... all

Cloud rat - Qliphoth

Organ dealer - Visceral infection

Cut to fit - Black mouth

Kuroi Jukai - st

Coffin birth - Cult of the technocrat EP

Triac / Sacridose split

Theories - Regression

Gets worse - White horse EP

God harvest - Insulated                The interview

Meth leppard - Demo

Scab - Sounds from the sewer 

Cloud rat - Qliphoth (2015)

Cloud rat used to be a fast rising hardcore band. They are now firmly established as one of the best hardcore bands. This band have something special. not easy to say exactly why but they just are better. Their new album called Qliphoth, even if it's maybe not as stikingly good as was Moksha (perhaps it's just because we're warned this time!) is still a confirmation of their excellency. It does not disappoint, and after Moksha raised so high the expectations it's already a success. Their singer Madison Marshall confirms that she's one of the best hardcore / grind singer, with her versatile and so passionnate vocals. They continue to display a lot of diversity of atmosphere in their grindpunk / hardcore combining with taste and a lot of dynamism agressivity (most of the time) and melodies (with the vocals and guitars). and they're really doing it in their own way. Either the fast raging songs or the slower subtler ones are finely crafted and works very well. With Qliphoth their are another time releasing (with Halo of flies records) one of the most memorable album of the year.

The BC page

Cloud rat - Blind river (2014)

if you're not already into Cloud rat I advise you to begin now because it's the best recent hardcore band. this new release called Blind river, is a compilation featuring both new songs (3 of it) and already released songs (the other 8 songs). the new songs will also features on the yet to be released split with Orgullo primitivo. the already songs are from the Monomaniac comp vol.1 (excellent comp by the way. I reviewed it HERE), the No compromise / earth first comp, and the excellent split with Republic of dreams (reviewed HERE).  with the new songs they carry on bringing us the most intense, tight and relentless hardcore / fastcore and the female vocals are as awesome as usual. they really have one of the best hardcore singer, she combines perfectly agressivity and emotion, in a very personnal way. very highly recommended!

the Bandcamp page.

my 10 favourites 2013 grind and related albums

well, all is said in the title of the post..I'm giving you a list of the 10 grind (or related music) albums that I liked the most in 2013. with the exception of a split I limit myself to albums here, but of course some Ep's splits, etc were also very good. I ive it in no specific order.

-Blockheads - this world is dead        review & interview

-Cloud rat - Moksha                                             review                

-Progress of inhumanity  -economy extortion      review & interview

-Captain Cleanoff / War of the second dragon split       review

-Squash bowels - grindcoholism             review

-Detroit - reality denied                           review

-Inhumate - expulsed                               review

-Agents of abhorrence - Relief                 review

-Ratbomb - Lowcost gangstas                 review & interview

-Cut to fit - The doors of deception          review & interview

Cloud Rat - Moksha (2013)

Their excellent previous records earned them a lot of well deserved attention, and we were many to wait for this new LP by Cloud rat (from Michigan), called Moksha and that will be released in February. And the record justify and confirms their status of rising star of the aggressive hardcore scene. It's once again excellent and it's a new step into the affirmation of their own style. Their raging neocrust has a lot of dynamism and diversity. The use of elements from grind or black metal  adds some more aggression and the melodies creates some epic moments and adds contrasts to the songs. Killer songwriting and a merciless playing (with great vocals) combines to multiply the damages done (is it why they choose to cover "the needle and the damage done" from Neil Young's harvest?).

If you are into this kind of stuff you absolutely have to check this record.

Here's their blog (with the lyrics and free download of their previous releases).

Cloud rat / Republic of dreams split (2012)

if you like really agressive hardcore then this split is a perfect record for you. 
Cloud rat from Michigan (US), plays fastcore / grind with an agressivity that is sometimes comes close to brutal black metal (the kind of blast beats, the dark melodies and the vitriolic female vocals). they are quickly becoming one of the major player in the hardcore / grind game and if you listen to the six songs on this split you'll easily understand why.
Republic of dreams from Germany and Poland plays a screamo with blast beats that is really well crafted and can appeal to people not usually into screamo / hardcore.

check their blogs :

Cloud rat blog (you can download their music from it)

Republic of dreams blog