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Ceremony - Video

Zoo; 2012

Matador 

The last song on Ceremony’s Matador debut is arguably one of its strongest. With a crawling speed and patience, “Video” is a haunting piece of hardcore/post-punk. The song stops and starts on a dime, exhibiting beautiful production and composition. I can see this release getting a ton of flak from the Bay Area’s fans, but hey, shouldn’t a band grow (along with its fanbase)?

Trash Talk - Burn Alive

I’m so excited that Trash Talk killed it with their newest EP Awake. With five songs clocking in around eight and a half minutes, Trash Talk takes the sound they solidified on last year’s Eyes and Nines and improves it; making it aggressive, violent, and uniquely catchy. “Burn Alive” cements why Trash Talk is doing the whole 80’s revivalist hardcore thing better than pretty much anyone else (although Ceremony kills it too): the track is a suicidal anthem that makes you want to burn down a police station and then piss on the ashes that lie in your wake. Get ready to get violent.