UMUR "Agoraphobic Nosebleed" is an EP release by US grindcore act Agoraphobic Nosebleed. The EP was released through Bovine Records in 1996 and is a re-release of the band´s 30 song demo from 1995. It´s the band´s first label release. Agoraphobic Nosebleed was formed in 1994 in Springfield, Massachusetts and at that point it was a one-man project featuring Scott Hull (guitars, programming). The vocals on the EP are delivered by various vocalists.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed are often referred to as a drum-machine grindcore band, as a consequence of the drums being programmed. That´s just one of the components which make up their sound though, and often people focus way too much on that feature when describing the music. So let´s get it out of the way. Yes the drums are programmed and no it´s not that apparent as Hull is a skilled programmer, and the drums are produced in a way where they sound relatively "normal".

Stylistically the music on the 30 track EP is aggressive and fast grindcore with raw distorted shouting vocals. Often the tracks are only a few seconds or maybe half a minute long, and it´s a release that is best enjoyed in full instead of track by track. It´s a relatively one-dimensional release but you´re still kept on your toes throughout the playing time as a consequence of the short bursts of insane brutality and raw aggression. The few times the pace is slowed down a bit, it feels like welcome breathers, but those moments are few and far between. The lyrics are typically sparse and often repeated words instead of longer meaningful sentences, but you´ll get an idea of what they are about from songtitles like "Eyes Like Two Pissholes in the Snow", "Fucking Move, Prick", and "If You Thought Elvis Was Good Live (Wait 'Til You See Him Dead)". These guys are pissed, but still deliver their message with a bizarre gleam in the eye.

The sound production is decent for the genre, and suits the music well. Raw, unpolished, and "In Your Face" like it´s supposed to sound. Overall it´s not the most exciting or original sounding grindcore release out there, but it´s obvious there´s some thought and talent behind the compositions and that counts for something. A bit more variation and more compositions which last for more than a few seconds could also have been nice, but as it is, the EP is still an interesting listen, and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Arc" is en EP release by US grindcore act Agoraphobic Nosebleed. The EP was released through Relapse Records in January 2016. It´s the first in a planned four part series of EPs by the band representing each individual member´s influences and impact on the band´s music. "Arc" is the vision of lead vocalist Kat (real name Katherine Katz) and shows a much heavier sound than what we´re used to from Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed is predominantly known as a grindcore act, but the 3 tracks on the 27:15 minutes long EP are all doom/sludge metal tracks and you won´t find a single blast beat or fast section on this release (as it´s Kat´s vision it´s not that surprising though given her past in sludge/doom metal act Salome). Ranging from 7 to almost 12 minutes long, the three tracks featured on the EP are also a far cry from the band´s usual 1 minute long grindcore songs. Agoraphobic Nosebleed haven´t been as busy as usual in the last couple of years and since the release of their latest studio album "Agorapocalypse (2009)", they´ve only released a couple of minor releases (the last before "Arc" was "The Honkey Reduxtion EP (2015)"), so maybe they were in need of new inspiration, and letting each member control the direction of a release sounds like an interesting project. It should be noted though that the material featured on the EP was already recorded between July 2013 and August 2014, so it´s not exactly dewy.

It´s not that doom/sludge is completely strange to Agoraphobic Nosebleed, because they´ve experimented with that style of music before (for example on the 2011 "And On and On..." split with Despise You), and they also succeed playing the style here. Kat takes the lead on the vocals and as usual we´re exposed to her extremely aggressive and raw distorted vocals. There´s a very convincing caustic aggression behind her delivery which makes that part of music an incredibly intense listening experience.

The material is generally well written and mix old school blues based doom metal riffs with aggressive sludge and the occasional nod towards more groove based hardcore. It´s not their most original sounding release but it´s obvious they´ve put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the creation of the music, and the delivery is both passionate and tight (yet organic). As always when dealing with Agoraphobic Nosebleed the material is drenched in a sick, depraved, and filthy atmosphere. It´s like passing a really gory traffic accident where you are not sure if you should look away or let the curiosity get the better of you (and then afterwards wish you didn´t). The dark and gloomy atmosphere fits the lyrics well too, as "Arc" is a concept release about dealing with a schizophrenic mother. I don´t know if it the lyrics are based on Kat´s own experiences, but there is a chilling sincerity behind her screaming vocals that could suggest just that. The lyric line "Stop! Stop hurting me! Why are you doing this to me?" from "Not A Daughter" makes my hair stand on end. It´s creepy in a very unpleasant way, because it feels so real.

The sound production is organic, thick, and heavy. A very powerful and effectful production. Agoraphobic Nosebleed has never featured a real drummer and instead the drums are programmed by guitarist Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer), but I´d be damned if you´d ever notice that if you didn´t know it before hand. Hull is not only a skilled composer, guitarist, and producer, but his programming skills are also considerable. In other words...the programmed drums sound great.

Honestly I didn´t find "Arc" that special on my initial listen, but with repeated listens and discovering the lyrical concept it´s grown on me considerably and to my ears it´s a really interesting release which brings the right balance between gloomy darkness and brick heavy riffing and beats. The tormented aggressive vocals are the icing on the cake. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "A Joyful Noise" is an EP release by US grindcore act Agoraphobic Nosebleed. The EP was released through Decibel Magazine/Handshake Inc. on the 24th of December 2011. The EP was specifically written and recorded for the Decibel Magazine Flexi Series. It´s no coincidence that the EP was released on Christmas eve, as believe it or not, this is actually a Christmas themed grindcore release.

"A Joyful Noise" features 11 tracks distributed over 4:12 minutes of playing time. That may sound like a completely crazy concept, with most of the tracks clocking in at under half a minute each, but all tracks seque into each other to form a concept, and in the end it works incredibly well. The band take you on a journey through high energetic blasting grindcore sections, samples, aggressive vocals and other odd twists and turns. All sharply executed and packed in a clear yet raw sound production. Song titles like "No Presents this Year" and "Frozen Corpse Stuffed with Holiday Cheer" should put most people in a high holiday spirit (NOT). The band are so mean yet still full of bizarre humour, that this release comes off as completely irresistable.

With "A Joyful Noise", Agoraphobic Nosebleed once again prove why they are counted among the most groundbreaking and adventurous grindcore acts on the scene. More of this please! A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

J-Man Grindcore isn't typically a genre that impresses me very much, but every once in a while a top-notch release proves that the genre does have plenty to offer. And On and On... is one of those releases for sure! This is a violent, balls-to-the-wall, and absolutely irresistible album from two of the best acts in grindcore. Kudos to Relapse Records for bringing this split between Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Despise You to my attention!

I must confess that prior to hearing And On and On... I hadn't actually checked out either of these bands. I had intentions of getting some Agoraphobic Nosebleed stuff eventually, and I'd never even heard of Despise You. So you could say that this split opened my eyes to two really excellent U.S. grindcore acts. This 25-song album consists of 18 tracks from Despise You and 7 tracks from Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

Although it may seem that Despise You has the bulk of the playing time here (judging by the track divisions), only one of their songs here exceeds the 2 minute mark. Despise You relies heavily on fast, aggressive bursts of energy, and does it very well! They play a mix of hardcore and grindcore - the vocals are mainly punk-styled and very raw. There are also a lot of high-pitched, child-sounding vocals that add a bit of a humorous edge to their side of the split.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed plays (at least on this split) a sophisticated grindcore style with heavy sludge influences. Their songs are generally a bit longer and more drawn-out than Despise You, but they're equally powerful. I just love the vocal delivery here, and the use of guitar solos adds plenty of nice variation and complexity.

And On and On... is a great split album from Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Despise You that all fans (or even casual fans) of grindcore should investigate further. This album has some extremely heavy grindcore blasts, yet enough variation to keep any monotonous feelings away. Both bands perform excellently and compliment each other wonderfully - this won't be the last album I hear from either of these bands! 3.5 stars are well-deserved for this great split release.

UMUR "And On and On..." is a split album by US hardcore/ grindcore act Despise You and US grindcore act Agoraphobic Nosebleed. The split will be released in April 2011 by Relapse Records.

The album contains 18 tracks by Despise You and 7 tracks by Agoraphobic Nosebleed. I didn´t know about the existence of Despise You before listening to this split release, but apparently it´s the band´s first release in over 10 years. Agoraphobic Nosebleed is a rather prolific name in grindcore circles and I always have high expectations when I see their name on a new release.

The Despise You part of the split is a very enjoyable slap of hardcore/ grindcore. Lots of aggression and solid playing. Some songs are short burst of energetic grindcore while others have a more hardcore punked edge. We´re talking high quality music here, delivered with plenty of attitude and fierce aggression. This part of the split has really impressed me and I´m definitely going to find out more about Despise You when I get the chance. The vocal delivery is one of the key elements in the band´s music and in addition to the raw and aggressive delivery there are also some high pitched vocals which actually sound a bit comical. But in a good way.

The 7 tracks by Agoraphobic Nosebleed are not surprisingly of high quality. This time around the band have added a heavy sludgy element to some of the tracks, which gives this part of the split a nice varied touch. And boy do they deliver their sludge in a fiercely aggressive way. Take a listen to the closing track "Burlap Sack". That´s one caustic delivery. They´ve also added a lot of guitar solos too, which isn´t something I usually remember hearing much of in their music. A nice feature that gives me associations to crossover/ thrash.

The production on the tracks by both artists is really powerful, raw and perfect for the tracks.

It´s hard to say which band´s material is the best here so I´ll just state that this is one fantastic grindcore/ hardcore split release. It´s not everyday you find grindcore releases which features this much variation and still sound consistent. A 4 - 4.5 star rating is deserved. I find this release highly recommendable.