NOISE ROCK

[Dirty Boy]

Go on then, might be something in this. I mentioned Cows in another thread and got no less than two virtual thumbs up.

Thequietus have had a few articles on this subject in the last week and i was interested to read about the many bands i've missed out on. I'm often listening to abrasive rock or punk music in some form or another. Melvins, Swans, Big Black, Shellac, Cows, Jesus Lizard, Lightning Bolt, Birthday Party, early Boredoms and on the heavier, more metal side Unsane, Godflesh and Harvey Milk[nb]just heard Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men recently and even though i don't listen to much metal these days this record is truly crushing as fuck Melvins meets Swans nastiness.[/nb]. I got into a lot of this stuff in the wrong order tbh and keep meaning to check out the innovators. I still haven't heard much by Chrome or Suicide or many of the no-wavers like DNA and Mars. I'm hoping someone (Nosleep? Petey Pate?) can fill in a few gaps here.

Been spinning this lately:

Funny name. Intense music.

What are some of youse favourite noise rock bands/albums/tracks etc? Are there any record labels as commited to this stuff as the obvious ones like Skin Graft and Amphetamine Reptile?

One band that i feel is rather underrated is Dazzling Killmen, who's album Face Of Collapse is something of an unsung classic.

I'll mention Oneida as well seeing as Nagsworth appears to be missing.

I'll put up some links in a bit.

[Johnny Yesno]

I still haven't heard much by Chrome or Suicide

Go straight to Blood on the Moon, Alien Soundtracks and Half Machine Lip Moves by Chrome and the eponymously titled Suicide album. Do not pass go. Do collect 200 blotters.

[Olarrio]

Earlier-era Unwound is some of the best noise rock i can think of. They continued to evolve into something much more than just that genre but their early albums, Fake Train to The Future of What[nb]Although that's actually their fifth album![/nb] are phenomenal.

Dazzling Killmen are a band i've only dabbled with, i'd appreciate a link or two to cement my interest.

Tenuously, i saw Dope Body last year and they were pretty brutal, although, weirdly i personally think they have a touch of nu-metal about them. But please decide for yourself x

[jobotic]

Alien Soundtracks is great, but although it's not really rocky I'd recommend Read Only Memory. First Chrome I ever heard and still my favourite.

Also try Johnny Townmouse, VCL and Angels in Pigtails by Terminal Cheesecake.

[Shaky]

I'm sure you're familiar with 'em already, but nearly anything by Skullflower - particularly IIIrd Gatekeeper and Obsidian Shaking Codex. Diamond Bullet from the latter is immense:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_cAqgJNaVI

[hummingofevil]

Not sure how strict your definition of Noise Rock is but here's some loud and noisey music I like.

Part Chimp - I really loved Chart Pimp but struggle to find it these days.been after a copy for ages. They've reformed too and playing gigs.
Thrones - Day Late, Dollar Short is a great record. Love that crunching bass on Senex.
Erm?

[Noodle Lizard]

I dunno if this is the kind of thing you're after, but To Live & Shave In LA are about as noisey and rocky as you can get:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPtQI-KMvOc  A bit Mark E. Smithy on vocals too.  It's like a CaB wet dream.

Also Sun City Girls, if you don't already know them.  Don't even know where to start with recommendations for them as their catalogue's so vast, but this is the first one I heard:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISZdhQ-RWJ8

[Neville Chamberlain]

I've got some Dazzling Killmen somewhere - haven't listened to Face of Collapse in ages!

I don't have much to contribute, but I shall be following this thread with interest. Meanwhile, have my favourite Cows track: A Oven

[Dirty Boy]

I think my favourite Cows album is the last one they did, Sorry In Pig Minor (produced by Buzz Osbourne). It's certainly the most varied. Cabin Man from there.

Dazzling Killmen only have two studio albums, but both are recommended particularly Face Of Collapse.

A few random links until i have time to reply in full:
Big Black - Passing Complexion
Unsane - Over Me
Melt-Banana – Spathic
Killdozer - New Pants and Shirt
Husker Du - Pride
Flying Luttenbachers - Assault On Apathy
U.S Maple - State Is Bad
Boredoms - Shock City

Too many Jesus Lizard and Melvins ones to mention (but have Boilermaker and The Fool, The Meddling Idiot anyway).

[alan nagsworth]

I'll mention Oneida as well seeing as Nagsworth appears to be missing.

Hey, googling your name does have its advantages! Hi. Yeah, everyone should listen to Oneida, they're fucking brilliant. Always start with Sheets of Easter.

Tenuously, i saw Dope Body last year and they were pretty brutal, although, weirdly i personally think they have a touch of nu-metal about them. But please decide for yourself x

I've only heard Nupping but I really like that record. It's like if Battles weren't a total heap of shit and they decided to make a hip hop record with Chuck from Faith No More barking like a mad cunt drill sergeant over a PA system in an empty car park.

Dope Body - 100 Mile

I think Black Dice would count as noise rock, right? They started out with more of a conventional band setup and even though they're loads more electronic nowadays there's still a fair amount of guitar in there, somewhere. Either way they are a phenomenal band. I've been listening to them more recently and Load Blown and Mr. Impossible are both such fun, colourful and batshit goofy albums.

Black Dice - Pinball Wizard

Speaking of colourful, Deerhoof certainly deserve a mention. I guess Apple O' is their most accessible "noise rock" effort as the songs are all really simple in structure, and that's the first album I heard of theirs so it's where I fell in love with them, but The Runners Four is by and large the best thing they ever did. Bright, bubbly, occasionally unsettling in a weirdo fairytale sort of way, crammed with insatiably wild riffs... one of the most fun bands I've ever seen live. Greg Saunier is a fucking powerhouse drummer, flying in and out of time as the rest of the band sort of weaves around him. You can't take your eyes off him once he gets going. Ugh, they're just one of the greatest bands of all time. I absolutely adore them.

Deerhoof - Scream Team

Deerhoof - Rainbow Silhouette Of The Milky Rain - Best breakdown and reprise ever in this tune.

I'll also add props for Liars, who for better or worse just ain't the same band they used to be. Their first three albums and associated EPs and splits were quite menacing in a really childish way, like the band don't really know how to play their instruments but are just having loads of fun getting a bunch of odd noise out of them until the instruments end up playing them in a sort of possessed trancelike fashion.

They went pretty awful on Sisterworld and the self-titled album (which is sadly where they received the most acclaim), and whilst WIXIW was brilliant and felt to me like the spiritual successor to Kid A, there's something irreplaceable about the hypnotic and ritualistic dance-noise shit they put out in their early years, culminating with the fantastically haunting concept album Drum's Not Dead, the physical copy of which comes with an amazing DVD of stupid home-made music videos.

Here's some dope early Liars shit from one of their EPs and the excellent album They Were Wrong, So We Drowned (there are tracks from their other EPs on youtube but the cunts are blocked from the UK on copyright grounds):

There's Always Room On The Broom

We Got Cold, Coughed, And Forgot Things

We Fenced Others Gardens With The Bones Of Our Own

Okay I've written a lot here so I'll round it off with what is one of the greatest noise rock tunes ever. This is Oneida covering an early Liars song for a split EP they did called Atheists, Reconsider. I CANNOT recommend that EP enough, it is bloody sublime. The endless drum fills from Kid Millions and that insane mind-bending synth at the end of every fourth bar... FUUUUCK, Oneida are the absolute tits and no competition.

Oneida - Every Day Is A Child With Teeth

[jobotic]

An album is a bit much for me but James Plotkin's Atomsmasher/Phantomsmasher have some great moments. Love this one.

Atomsmasher - Gilgamesh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlXLd4svVSo&nohtml5=False

Phantomsmasher - Slobtronic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt1Gu4oEJ6Q&nohtml5=False

[Dirty Boy]

It's all about Anubis Innertube for me. Extraordinary track.

Nags, that Black Dice stuff is great, gonna find those other albums now.

btw Nags, have you heard Laddio Bolocko? They remind me quite a bit of a more abrasive Oneida. Try Nurser on for size.

[prwc]

I love really minimal, shambolic bands like Drunk In Hell and Brainbombs. Sometimes just one great riff is all you need.

Sightings were a great band, sadly recently disbanded. I'm particularly fond of their first release Michigan Haters. They share members with the aforementioned To Live & Shave In L.A and are not entirely dissimilar though make less use of electronics/tape manipulation fuckery.

I'm biased as they're good friends of mine but I do think Guttersnipe are a totally outstanding newer band, harsh and intense as hell but very dynamic, considered and engaging song structures too. I adore them, live they're absolutely devastating as well. They're heavily influenced by Canadian group Tunnel Canary who only released one proper album but are worth investigating too if you're interested in a really early example of noise rock.

[alan nagsworth]

It's all about Anubis Innertube for me. Extraordinary track.

Nags, that Black Dice stuff is great, gonna find those other albums now.

btw Nags, have you heard Laddio Bolocko? They remind me quite a bit of a more abrasive Oneida. Try Nurser on for size.

I love that Phantomsmasher record! Been years since I've heard it, it's quite a piece a work.

I like that Laddio Bolocko tune but I don't get much Oneida vibes off it, it's a bit too avant garde and not psych enough if you know what I mean. It actually reminds me more of Zu, with the menacing drums/bass rhythm section and the screeching evil over the top of it. If you're not familiar, check out Carboniferous. It's demonic as hell but really infectious, the first track is absolutely mind-blowing.

[Dirty Boy]

Yeah, a big part of Oneida is the groovy psych organ blaring away. I think it was something about the stripped down repetitious clang of some LB that put me in mind of some of the extended tracks from Rated O (need to listen to that again actually).

Zu are great, as are Zs, who i've just remembered. New Slaves is about as brutal as they get, the title track being over twenty minutes of head smashing repetition.

[bushwick]

I love really minimal, shambolic bands like Drunk In Hell and Brainbombs. Sometimes just one great riff is all you need.

This man knows of what he speaks. Drunk In Hell are an awesome force live, a brutal nihilist groove that has plenty of swing to it. Hurry up with your damn album you jerks.

'Noise rock' is one of my specialist subjects.

Brainbombs are one of my favourites in any genre, rock n roll stripped right down to one riff and a crazy Dracula sounding guy narrating the contents of a serial killer's head.

Noone mentioned Cherubs yet? Heroin Man from 1994 is a cracker, go for that first.

Also the Larry Lifeless family of bands - Kilslug (primitive sludgy Boston punk with faux-Satanic/EC horror comics vibe), Upside Down Cross (similar but more metallic - the song 'Upside Down Cross' has one of the greatest riffs and is hilariously blasphemous)...others include Ointment, the Groinoids and the Sickness. All worth checking and mostly centre around the unearthly and hilarious squawk of Larry Lifeless, friend of the late Seth Putnam and a man who looks like he's had a tough paper round.

And you NEED this, from a few years back:

https://www.discogs.com/Haters-Haters/release/1811266

This album features Michael Gilham from Drunk In Hell (and a thousand other acts) on drums and vocals. More mid-paced than sludgy, stolen Stooges and Disorder riffs with Yorkshire Ripper themed vocals. A real blast and highly recommended.

Also how could I forget Flipper? Smartass yet sincere 80s LA heroin-inspired grooves, bass driven with squalling leadwork, great lyrics (that I have had tattooed on my arm)...first 2 albums are faultless, live one good too, don't bother with anything else (especially the reunion from a few years ago).

Francis Harold and The Holograms released a good album a few years ago...reverbed to fuck blown out US noise rock stuff with a psych edge.

early Drunks With Guns is some of the best stuff out there. As is Stickmen With Rayguns.

(You may have noticed I prefer the gutter dwelling sardonic drugloser sludge vibes, as opposed to your Mastodon-mighty heroic warrior doom metal sort of stuff)

Will think of some more but will leave you with one of my bands (YEAH SORRY AND WHAT), currently a bit quiet:

https://horribleinjury.bandcamp.com/album/stab001-that-joyless-vibe

Groovy noise rock, me on vox, Steve ex-Voorhees on bass, songs about suicide, Flamingo Land tragedies and getting fucked with a bone.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

Anaal Nathrakh- Pandemonic Hyperblast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Den-CQ6jk


Noise metal but definitely in the same spirit as yer noise rockers. I'd say guitar music doesn't get much more extreme than this.

[alan nagsworth]

Woo this band Brainbombs is ace, thanks for that lads.

Speaking of really simple music, I am head over heels in love with METZ. Most of their songs have about three chords and they hammer out tracks about migraines and rats and it's a total fucking blast. They just do it so well, and it's great to see a recent band not trying too hard to add anything new or overcomplicate their sound. I saw them twice last year, and the first time was absolute carnage. About half the crowd was a moshpit, everyone was leaping off the stage, and I finally broke my crowd surfing cherry. At the second gig there were barriers and security and they were noticeably pissed off about it, but the crowd still made a proper go of it.

Wet Blanket

Rats

[Grass Mud Horse]

Go on then. Big fan of hardcore, me, but I don't think most of that qualifies as noise rock. Everyone will have their own definitions of course, and here I've taken noise to mean something that's atonal, stochastic, discordant.

Oxbow - Curse (from the album Fuckfest). [Peel]Starts off quietly[/Peel] before a full frontal assault akin to Led Zeppelin having a meltdown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04jc1dh7P9A

The Hunches - Explosion (from the album Yes. No. Shut It.) I think there's a Hoover in the mix somewhere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-lqhJjbJOY&list=PLC63wGLyaVgLmSPE0wEnHEYJXZ20wA56-

Terminal Cheesecake - John F. Poodle. A reworking of Johnny Town Mouse for the Pathological compilation Pathological Compilation, one of the greatest intros ever. Whatever is that fearful racket? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3UZ5Qyskvs

World Domination Enterprises - Asbestos Lead Asbestos (from the album Lets Play Domination). 80s indie pop with fucked up guitar tunings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isi4FYDFfps

Happy Flowers - Mom I Gave The Cat Some Acid (from the album My Skin Covers My Body). Don't tell dad! I have a big soft spot for Mr Anus and Mr Horribly Charred Infant and I have yet to come across a duo who could make a bigger noise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APQYrjfAQQQ

[bushwick]

+ 1 for Happy Flowers, great stuff. First heard them on Peel as a young teen and was suitably impressed - bought their album 'Lasterday I Was Been Bad' which was me getting into improv unknowingly I guess, through the gateway drug of screaming puerile Oedipal noise - "If This Gun Were Real (I Could Shoot You and Sleep in the Big Bed With Mommy)".

Drunkdriver were a good punishing atonal noise rock band, who broke up coz of some nasty alleged sexual assault shenanigans. They did a record with Mattin which is truly harsh.

Raspberry Bulbs grew out of the excellent American black metal/Oi band Bone Awl. 'Nature Tries Again' is great but I need to check their last 2 releases that came out on uber-hip label Blackest Ever Black.

Slices - superb aggro noise rock/HC from Pittsburgh, one of the best from last few years. All their stuff is good, some more conventionally R'n'R and some leaning towards power electronics.

Another US lot from recent years, Snake Apartment. Much late Black Flag/Bla'ast! influence. This song is fantastic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsKF__ZN2NY

Brilliant Brainbombs side project, No Balls. Much like the parent group (but less vocals). Muted trumpet, intense repetition and a No Wave/James Chance influence on some songs (more the later releases than this one):
https://youtu.be/ymLvewmuEqs

A H Kraken (stands for Adolf Hitler Kraken), obscure French nastiness from a few years back:
https://youtu.be/N0cL0Ym8vqA

Homostupids - fantastic deranged garage noise sloppiness from Cleveland:
https://youtu.be/CfCcS66DGh4

Carer - short-lived Leeds noise groove punishment (full disclosure - I was the singer):
https://youtu.be/jL6XJdmk2_Y

Homopolice were/are really good, 'influenced by Whitehouse & The Stooges' plus Tom of Finland leatherboy image:
https://youtu.be/5LgNKcfM6Mk

Nobody mention No Trend? One of my favourites - Washington DC band active in the heyday of hardcore who did everything in their power to upset the cooler-than-thou hardcore elite. When people finally caught on to their Flipper-ish dirge they turned into a smooth lounge act. The album 'Too Many Humans' is pretty much faultless IMO:
https://youtu.be/PmIZ05TxBSo

Dope current band from Middlesbrough, total Drunks With Guns/Stickmen With Rayguns worship with Larry Lifeless vocals:
https://youtu.be/M6hWXb0oK0Q

oOO oOOOOooh nearly forgot! current favourites of mine! Cuntz from down under, on the garage side I guess but fuckn brilliant:
https://youtu.be/Ustik5yZ5XA

i could probably do a few more posts like this, this gear is all I used to listen to about 7/8 years ago.

[Dr Rock]

I have to own everything by The Happy Flowers for their titles alone.

[hermitical]

saw Happy Flowers supporting Bastro in London, Mr HCI was a regular poster on the Forever Doomed forum

Amongst others was also at the AmRep Ugly American Overkill thing with God Bullies, Tar, Helmet, Surgery and Cows.

nice to see someone mention Drunks With Guns and of course the wondrous Killdozer

as well as all the obvious contenders I''ll chuck in

Lubricated Goat

Steel Pole Bath Tub (who I saw supported by The Melvins)

Unholy Swill (there isn't enough on youtube - I could only find 2 tracks!)

Pissed Happy Children (pre-Man Is The Bastard)

Honor Role (I put them as straddling the line between noise rock, post-hardcore and math rock - woefully ignored)

Tar (how I love/loved Tar....)

[Epic Bisto]

Been spinning this lately:

Funny name. Intense music.

Fantastic band. They've just released a box of unreleased and live stuff which is also highly recommended.

The Psychic Paramount are a Laddio-related band that are well worth checking out too. Their first album "Gamelan Into The Pink Supernatural" (I think that's wht it's called) is along the same lines of the former band, complex, distorted and fucking righteous!

David Grubbs' post-Squirrel Bait/pre-Gastr Del Sol outfit Bastro are another colossal group that are well worth tracking down. "Diablo Guapo" and "Sing The Troubled Beast" make you want to rock out and punch people!

I'm surprised to see no mention of Flipper or Part Chimp in this thread. Saw both of them and they rocked, but Flipper's finest output was in their 82-84 prime (LPs such as "Generic Flipper" and "Gone Fishin" really stand out although the live set "Public Flipper Limited" is well worth finding too).

[Dirty Boy]

^Flipper and Part Chimp have both been mentioned, but thanks for the other ones, i'll check 'em oot.

After several drinks and a massive curry i'm feeling the need to go on a massive noise rock bender through many of the suggestions posted on here. Of the ones i've never heard, Cherubs are particularly fantastic as are Barkmarket, Oxbow and Hammerhead.

This song by Ex-Models is kicking my head in at the moment.

Keep 'em coming eh?

Edit: Holy shit at My First Knife by Today Is The Day.

[bushwick]

Mention for Basque noise/theory dude Mattin's side project Billy Bao. It's some high concept thing where he fronts a band as a fictitious Nigerian ex-pat. The music is pretty crazy and unique - motorik primitive noise rock with harsh digital effects that sound like a computer breaking and strange wailing vocals poking out of the background, gradually deteriorating into pure noise/field recordings on the later releases. This is off 'Dialectics Of Shit' which might be my favourite by them:

https://youtu.be/t2VIhWjojZk

Plainfield are fantastic. US backwoods hick schtick, similar to Antiseen, songs about eating babies, marrying your sister etc. First two albums are great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFduVtL3oWo

[bushwick]

aaaand any noise rock from Texas is always good. Rusted Shut are lowbrow as all hell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hmwHqXRS6k

Clockcleaner! Oh my gosh they were so good. Sorely missed. Dripping with sleaze and swing and snarky attitude:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHP9kV9tPhg

edit: should post by this by Clockcleaner too, 15 minute slowed down cover of Negative Approach's 'Ready To Fight'. They opened for reformed NA a few years back and played it - lots of the more basic punks in the audience hated it and got miffed, but NA themselves dug it apparently. A well-executed troll:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ9CI5CNCss

[Epic Bisto]

^Flipper and Part Chimp have both been mentioned...

Durrr, I was too excited to read through the whole thread again! To make up for it, here's some recent stuff for y'all to groove on:

http://planecrasher.com/album/live-at-prfukbbq - was at this gig, and they were rockin! Great guys too.
https://the-glad-husbands.bandcamp.com/ - randomly stumbled upon this fine Italian beat combo, and they're worth checking out.
https://sheripped.bandcamp.com/album/ultra-social-happy-man - mint Welsh dudes, who now go under the name New Cowboy Builders. Love this single!

EEDIT TO ADD
Workin' Man Noise Unit: https://workinmannoiseunit.bandcamp.com a band who really bring it live, and actually made me feel dizzy and nauseous due to the high frequencies they were hitting. I would recommend the 'Yellow Mind' and 'Drinking Stella...' EPs as a starting point.

[Epic Bisto]

Clockcleaner!

A 'kin fine band, mun. I've always dug this song:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUw8WubF0HQ

[bushwick]

Yeah it's a cracker, has a bit of a Gary Glitter shuffle to it!

[Ron Superior]

Got to put a mention in for Oxes.  Absolutely loved Oxes.

Half Half & Half from the Oxxxes album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0ATyKqpYmg

Also, I reckon White Suns fall under the umbrella of Noise Rock, and they're simply incredible.  First album came out on Weasel Walter's UG Explode label, then they had an album on Load (always a good beacon for quality Noise Rock), and then in 2014 had one out on The Flenser.  You can listen to all 3 in full on Bandcamp.  Simply some of the most visceral music I've ever heard.
Here's the track that firs got me in to them:
https://whitesuns.bandcamp.com/track/voyeur

And here's a track from their most recent album:
https://whitesuns.bandcamp.com/track/clairvoyant