Eskapo

Eskapo is an All-Filipino hardcore band from California. Eskapo is a Tagalog slang for escape and according to their MySpace site, refugee, which I totally disagree. Butenough about that, what's important is their music. Kalayaan (Independence or Liberation), their debut album is a great one and hasn't left my stereo. This is a great release from a great band. Their songs are fast and hard with a hint of melody here and there which is not a bad thing if you ask me.

Wind of Hell, their second album, saw their guitarist Bruce Webb succumb to the Big C. He's still in his early twenties. And this record is a total kick ass and replete of radio-friendlyness, just an all out balls-to-the-walls music which we all love. Download them and if you find their CDs buy them and support the band. Enjoy!!!

Eskapo - Kalayaan

Eskapo - Wind of Hell

Sisters of Mercy

Just to keep things interesting, I give you Sisters of Mercy. A double post if you may. First up is their debut album, First and Last and Always which spawned the hit (especially here in the Philippines) Walk Away. Sisters of Mercy played goth music with metallic tendencies and a dash of dance beats on the side. Sadly, about two years after it's release, Guitarist Gary Marx left and formed Ghost Dance while Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams formed the Mission.



Next up is their collection of their three major label releases, A Slight Case of Overbombing. This is a very good release and it includes classics such as This Corrosion, Dominion, Temple of Love, Walk Away and my personal fave Lucretia My Reflection (the bassline on this one is awesome and I can't get it out of my head, as if it's branded in my brain or something).

Sisters of Mercy - First & Last & Always


Sisters of Mercy - A Slight Case of Overbombing (Greatest Hits Vol. 1)

Selecter - Too Much Pressure

After a black metal and doom metal post, it's time for a change up. This is, in my opinion, the best ska band in the world - The Selecter. This is their debut album which includes my personal favorites Three Minute Hero, On My Radio and of course the title track. If you missed it out the first time, here's your chance. Come and get it, you won't be disappointed!


The Selecter - Too Much Pressure

St. Vitus - Heavier Than Thou

Another metal post, this time the Doom Metal outfit St. Vitus. I'm feeling very lazy (as always) so here's what All Music Guide has to say about Heavier Than Thou - "Thoroughly ignored outside the deepest heavy metal underground throughout their long career, Saint Vitus only later received some recognition for their crucial influence over the late-'90s/early-2000s doom/stoner metal scene. In fact, it could be argued that Vitus followers such as Sleep and Electric Wizard pretty much learned all their lessons from Heavier Than Thou -- a 14-track collection of Vitus' glory years with SST Records. Starting with the band's magnum opus, Born Too Late (which is wisely included almost in its entirety), and working its way back toward their eponymous Scott Reagers-fronted debut, the listener is given a reverse look at the band's evolution from lo-fi Sabbath enthusiasts ("White Magic/Black Magic," "War Is Our Destiny") to a pile-driving riff machine ("Look Behind You," "Bitter Truth") behind ex-Obsessed vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich. Not that the band ever forgot how to grind away at a snail's pace, as they dive headlong into miserably turgid tales of drug abuse like "Dying Inside" and "Shooting Gallery," then veer into comedic acid trips ("I see flowers everywhere...I have things living in my hair") on the classic "Clear Windowpane." And considering that none of the other important '80s doomsters -- Trouble, the Obsessed, and Pentagram -- possess career retrospectives, Heavier Than Thou becomes even more important as a document, and a perfect starting point."

St. Vitus - Heavier Than Thou

Venom - In Memorium

This is a compilation released in 1995, which chronicles Venom's seminal early days, when their hellaciously distorted speed blasts determined the basic elements of thrash metal virtually single-handedly, but also their latter-day, not-so-good releases. Enjoy!

Venom - In Memorium