Dempsey & Eleven Shot By Two Split Tour Tape

This tape is a mystery. I have had this tape since June 24th, 1998, when I saw both bands at the Commerce street show space in Johnson City, along with a band called God Hates Computers that I recall having a record by at one time, and local favorites Kakistocracy. Why is this tape a mystery? Simple. I have lost all the packaging to this tape, I don't know any of the song names, but what I do know is that this split is awesome. I have listened to it many, many times, and now here it is for you.

Dempsey is first up (at least for me), with eight tracks of some great noisy, chaotic hardcore containing a healthy dose of atmospheric keyboards. The keyboardist also has a few solo piano pieces, including an old rag-time piece and a song about his hatred for computer nerds. I recall their set pretty well, they played a short, loud, intense set, the keyboardist joking between songs with the other band members, and at one point he put aluminum foil down on top of his keyboard, setting little plastic army men and other small toys on top of it, pouring lighter fluid on it, then setting it on fire, continuing to play. I was impressed.

Eleven Shot By Two offer us some more chaotic hardcore, even if the beginning of the first track does throw me a little because I think it's going to sound like early Dinosaur Jr., but then it's raging hardcore. I always listened to the Dempsey side more, but the 11SB2 side is awesome as well, it's definitely grown on me more over the years. Some of the tracks on their side segued into each, so I left those tracks as one mp3.

I'm putting this up because there is absolutely NOTHING about either of these bands online except for a shitty review of their show on my old show reviews page. I hope somebody in either of these bands comes across this and helps me fill in the blanks on this great tape.

Anyone who wants to hear some really good, unheard punk rock would be a fool to not download this.

I hate fucking computer nerds.

Vlad Tepes & Belketre - "March To The Black Holocaust" Split

Here is the Vlad Tepes & Belketre split album. Both bands were French black metal bands, part of the Les Légions Noires scene in the early-mid nineties, which also gave us bands such as Torgeist, Mutiilation, and Brenoritvrezorkre. This is a fantastic split, as both bands try to out distort and out-grim each other. The Vlad Tepes side is my favorite, just check the awesome 12 minute long "Drink The Poetry Of The Celtic Disciple" for proof. Not to say that the Belketre stuff isn't any less killer. Their contributions to this split are shrieked vocals, light speed drumming, nasty distorted guitar, and both bands have enough atmosphere for 20 other so called "true" black metal bands. Truly, a split release that remains undiminished with age, unrelenting and dark black metal from both of these bands.

In Holocaust To The Natural Darkness

Venom & Bathory Split LP

Here is a split record by two bands who need absolutely no introduction. What I know about this record is this: apparently it was made in South America, in a run of at least 300 copies, but I can't tell if mine is one of those or yet another bootleg of a bootleg. The copy I own is on clear green vinyl. It is 7 tracks by Venom, and 5 from Bathory. The Bathory side is my favorite, as it seems to draw demos from the early stages of Quorthon's reign. The first song sounds more like the viking metal they pioneered, while the 2nd track sounds like first album stuff, 3rd track sounds like "Blood Fire Death" era, etc, etc. The Venom side is equally as good, with what I'm guessing is demos from the first 2 albums. A huge reason why I love this record and am very glad to have it in my collection is the fact that it could be just about the most black metal record I own. Sure, I've got some Darkthrone/Ulver albums, but this is really like having the birth of the genre on one LP, as you have the band that coined the term Black Metal and the band that truly defines Black Metal sound and aesthetics to me.

Burning Leather

Left For Dead & Acrid - "Hacked To Pieces" Split LP

Here is one of the coolest looking records ever, the buzz saw shaped Left For Dead & Acrid split. Both bands are from Canada, but sound very different. Left For Dead rage through 9 tracks of pissed hardcore with some of the best lyrics ever and awesome double bass in parts, and Acrid tend to veer a little more towards the metal/grind side of hardcore with their 4 tracks. I like both bands, but it should be obvious that Left For Dead take this record.

The picture above is my copy of this split. i have no clue which pressing it is. anyone know?

Fuck your popularity contest, i want to see a murder contest!