- Needed to end this Sunday with some musical epicness. KRALLICE do not disappoint. The only thing I don’t get about this release is that when almost all of your songs push 10 minutes, why even bother with a less than two minute interlude track? Ya can’t just stick into another song? It’s not like anyone is going to notice the difference..

- Twenty song sampler featuring material from Relapse’s epic slate of 2012 releases. PIG DESTROYER leads off with “The Diplomat”, which appropriately sets the tone for this rollicking ride of grind, death, sludge, ambient and progressive forms of metal goodness. Play it loud. Full tracklisting and more details here.

- I’ve liked every release Animal Style has put out for some time now, maybe since they started even. Not a weak tune on this sampler. Huzzah to you Animal Style, huzzah to you.

- Debut six-song EP from this New Jersey hardcore band featuring members of NORA, TORCHBEARER, BLACK KITES, TROUBLEMAKER, and YOU AND I. The sound is definitely abrasive, late 90s hardcore with shouted vocals, in the vein of ENSIGN, ONE KING DOWN, and FOR THE LOVE OF. “Franny and Zooey” is awfully epic for a song that doesn’t even run for two and half minutes. Hell yea, I’m wind-milling at Pastepunk HQ…

From the inbox:

Topshelf Records will be releasing OCTAVES’ first record Greener Pastures on vinyl for the first time in early 2013. Originally released by Hotfoot Records in 2010 via CD and digitally, the vinyl version will feature all-new artwork.

In its review of Greener Pastures, Alterthepress.com described it as, “…technical and dissonant, yet surprisingly melodic hardcore that impacts like a fist-fight but has impressive depth beyond its initial immediacy.”

Release date and additional details will be forthcoming. The Baltimore noise mongers, who have been compared to such bands as Dillinger Escape Plan and The Bled will be heading out on a short fall tour to Fest and back.

- I liked this record quite a bit when it came out, but they fell off my radar quickly. Sounds like a good time to give them another go-round.

- Debut full-length from this New York melodic punk/hardcore band. They had the stones to compare themselves to BAD RELIGION in their email pitch, so I had to verify, and opener “Wrong Track” definitely hits the right guitar tone/style, along with the ooozin/ahhhs. The rest of the material? More like 88 FINGERS LOUIE (also a self-comparison, but on the mark too), especially on the fourth track “Single File”. Against the latest modern recording standards, the recording sounds a little thin, but not in a bad way, and definitely in a manner that stays true to mid-to-late 90s melodicore recordings. Well worth checking out if this genre sets your heart and ears aflutter.

- It’s only been seven months since SHARKS released “No Gods” on Rise Records, but it feels much longer to me. I’m not sure what to make of that. “Luck” feels very de-toothed from the band’s earlier material. Not necessarily worse, but I listen to it and think, “Awww c’mon guys, why so sad?”

- New full-length of messy, noisey, post-punk/hardcore from Dave Laney of MILEMARKER. Released by Germany’s Gunner Records. Lovitt Records has released a 4 song limited 7″ with material from the full-length, which also comes with a digital download of the entire record. More details can be found here.