PRESS The following is a pretty complete list of the interviews and reviews we've gotten over the years, including when we were called Ass-End Offend. Interviews: Maximum Rock N Roll #309 - February 2009 The Missoula Independent 10/11/2007 Heartattack #48 - December 2005 Maximum Rock N Roll #245 - October 2003 Ass-End Offend 2005 tour diary Reviews: SQUALORA - GROWTH - CD Its most recent full length, Hell is Other People, is barely six months old, but Portland’s Squalora is back already with Growth, a four-song study of pretty much every exhilarating, mind-melting thing crust punk is capable of doing to a man in his early thirties. Goosebumps, I tell ya—I got ‘em all over me! The first half of Growth had me scouring the old skull for fond memories of the East Bay; visions of Filth and Dead and Gone danced in my head, a noggin that I must admit to momentarily considering adding a mohawk and Antischism tattoo to. But before I could do such misguided things to that hard thing from which my pretty face hangs, the second half of Growth switched strategies and came at me with the kind of buildings-are-falling-and-bridges-are-burning crust that His Hero is Gone was so good at, at which point I figured my vandalistic urges might be put to better use decorating a Shell station with terse rebuttals. Not much punk that crosses my path these days fills me with that glorious teen urge to hurt something large and immovable. Squalora’s doing just that. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go exhaust myself jumping rope. What I really want to do is urinate in Target’s produce aisle, but the new season of Dexter just premiered, so I can’t risk jail at the moment. Priorities, people—I got ‘em. -Chris Stamm, Upper Extremities #10 (Willamette Week) Oct.5, 2011 Squalora’s new EP, Growth, captures the sound of a band hitting its stride and doing everything just right. The numbers are initially off-putting—16 minutes divided among four tunes is not the kind of equation you’d usually want punks with crusty predilections fooling around with—but the sprawling songs on Growth twist and turn at perfectly timed intervals, with violent diatribes winding down into melancholy breaks that build back up to epic purges. Short, name-dropping version: Any band that evokes Filth and His Hero Is Gone in the same song is totally rad.-Chris Stamm, Willamette Week, Dec. 25, 2011 SQUALORA - HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE - CD/LP Here we have a 90’s style progressive crust assault from Portland. This platter opens with a George Carlin (to whom the LP is dedicated) sample on top of an acoustic riff, and immediately I had some idea of what I was in for. The songs are either both long and drawn-out numbers featuring several tempo changes or done-in-an-instant ragers. While they are speedy at times, I get the feeling SQUALORA aren’t really concerned with thrashing your face into oblivion. Most of their riffs range from atmospheric and melodic to straight up sludgy. Lyrically they are definitely political, and present interesting ideas without ideas coming across as too heavy – handed. For instance, there’s a pretty badass song about the subversive potential of graffiti. NEUROSIS is the obvious musical reference point here, but ECONOCHRIST also comes to mind at times. Like the aforementioned Bay Area quartet, SQUALORA’s members moved from a Podunk town (Missoula, MT) to a punk haven, and their roots show. Perhaps I’m generalizing, but bands comprised of people from isolated areas seem to have a more “all over the place” vibe than those closely associated with thriving punk environments. There are a lot of different ideas at work on this LP, and while not all of them hit the mark, there are certainly some memorable passages. If they ditched the blast beats and faster tunes (which sound like they were written in haste compared to the longer songs) and just focused on being a progressive melodic outfit I think they’d be better off, because the band is definitely tight. -Maximum RocknRoll #341 Thrashy,
technically-minded metal from Portland, with a sound forged from the used
CD bins of pre-collapse America. There’s a lotta Neurosis, a little
Hammerhead (which is cool, and surprising), some outwardly crustaceous
stances, and the design aesthetics that go along with this sort of mystic
wolfpunk narrative. Just so you know what you’re getting here.
- Doug Mosurock, Still Single, 2011 Beginning
with haunting acoustic guitars and a cryptic sample that accurately describes
American politics as, “red, white, and blue American bullshit,”
it’s obvious the Missoula to Portland, transplanted crusties Squalora
have an ambitious experience intended for their audience on Hell Is Other
People, their second LP under the Squalora banner. They put out the Character
Assassins LP and a handful of 7 inches as Ass-End Offend. Their last release,
a S/T for Wantage effortlessly mashed-up progressive structuring with
Neurosisian scope; welding that esoteric approach to traditional, d-beat
desecration for a wistfully worthwhile experience! Crusty metal-punk stuff, a little Discharge here and a lotta Amebix there. A bit paint-by-numbers, but I found myself really diggin’ things more they dug their feet into the more epic, blustery bits that reminded a bit of Killing Joke on an apocalyptic bender. –Razorcake I can see why this band is big in Portland—they make the whole crusty, epic hardcore-apocalypse thing seem pretty effortless. Still, there’s something that just doesn’t quite take me all the way there. Maybe it’s the fact that eight songs on an LP means they’re pretty long ones. Or that the guitar lead often follows along with the lyrics, or that there’s just the one dude belting out the vocals, or that the LP’s momentum gets really thrown off by the way too long instrumental intro in “Of This Earth.” It’s good stuff, but not great. Still, I’d personally be hard pressed to come up with something one tenth as good, and it does contain the only song I have ever heard in my life about being eaten alive by dolphins. –Razorcake RETURN OF THE
EMIGRANT: SQUALORA SQUALORA - S/T (AKA "AND SO THEY DIED MISERABLY EVER AFTER") - CD/LP Anvil heavy crust-core from Portland, Oregon, but I recognize some of these dudes (and this label) from Montana bands like ASS-END OFFEND. If you ever heard that band, picture a chaotic, pounding hardcore wrecking ball dosed on NEUROSIS. This is much more punch drunk on crust-heavy beats but the NEUROSIS angle still drives their creativity. Great lyrics cementing any proof you'd need that capitalism is pure evil. Kick ass artwork as well, looks like it was done by the dude who did BLACK SABBATH's "Mob Rules"!!! Solid modern political hardcore through and through. -Short Fast & Loud #21 July 2009. SQUALORA's self-titled CD was released in late '07. Squalora consists of guys from Ass End Offend, now transplanted from Montana. This is visceral hardcore with some crust elements. Thick slabs of riffage, dished out at both a raging pace along with the heavier crush. "Sugar Coated Submission" has a weighty, ominous tone, yet doesn't get bogged down in the mire. The same description could apply to the intro of "Identity Crisis", before turning on the speed attack: a prevailing doominess, an appropriate sonic setting for the lyrical mood, yet avoids an oppressive murkiness. -Al Quint, MRR #304, September 2008 Squalora (Portland) Frank Zappa once said that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture," which, actually, sounds like sour grapes from a rocker who got a bad review. The idea that somebody might "dance about architecture" is not unfathomable or oxymoronic to me, and I sure hope somebody does it from time to time! As incorrect on this count as I think Zappa was, in attempting to sum up Squalora I really do feel trapped by hyperbole: they're just that brutal. Squalora attribute their sound to things like anxiety attacks, their rural-Montana disaffection, and the social injustices we're faced with every day. If playing loud, fast, and heavy music is what you do when you have severe social anxiety, then I think Squalora may be poster dudes for a new type of therapy. Their songs alternate among intense blasts, ponderous, flange-modified space and severe, fast and dense riffs. It's proof that powerful, heavy music is an excellent platform for an ultimately peaceful and socially conscious message, but it can still rock like fuck. -Wantage usa, Total Fest programme August '08 So I read somewhere that SQUALORA is most of the members of the band ASS END OFFEND. Since I've never heard A.E.O. I can't tell you how this new band compares to their old sound, but I can tell you it's a pretty awesome record. It's sort of crusty hardcore, with some heavier parts, and some thrashing goodness. Over all the music is played at a pretty fast pace, but not too fast. At times it reminds me of BORN/DEAD. The record has a little bit of an epic crust feel to it, but not nearly enough for someone to try and call it a "TRAGEDY rip-off". The vocals are harsh, but still pretty intelligible. And the cover art is rad! It reminds me of something Victoria (from DAMAD) would paint. And the logo is foil embossed for extra cool-ness. (Righteous) -Profane Existence #56 Spring 2008. The band’s name is in this prickly font, as if when you simply think the name it’s like having a sea urchin inside your head. The songs are the same—one wouldn’t think that a tune titled “United We Slouch” would put such a sneer on one’s pate, but oh my does it ever. On the whole, Squalora remind me lots and lots and lots of Nausea or Milwaukee crust punk bands from the early ‘90s. This is a good thing; my understanding is that sea urchins can be pretty tasty when you crack them open. So is this record. –The Lord Kveldulfr, Razorcake Magazine - March, 2008 Portland
is truly the home of the heavy. Hell, Oregon in general has been the spawning
ground of some the heaviest frequencies going in the underground. Yob/Middian,
Paranaut, Kilauea, Nux Vomica, Fall of the Bastards (R.I.P.) and Roanoke
are just a brief checklist of essential listening from the state. We consider
the following review to be a compliment even though it is a blatant, although
poorly translated and poorly executed shit talk attack by everyone's favorite
little hipster pompous drama brats and art princess snobs at the Vice
office in Italy. It's an entertaining review for so many reasons!!!: Wäntages latest signing comes from Portland, Oregon and was previously ASS-END OFFEND. Now, you are a member poorer, music henceforth only three and trades under the logo SQUALORA. Whatever that may mean, the outcome in the form of the first album can be heard. Modern, melodic Crustcore, constantly proposes hook, and then suddenly abstoppt again losgaloppiert, meets a few metal parts and the other moment of contemplation. The intros and transitions are usually kept quiet and atmospheric and serve as a good preparation for the ensuing carnage. Matt Svendsen echauffiert about the consumer and Sensationsgeilheit, and the value of moral standards of our society. Sometimes they believe him to despair to hear before it further Hasstirade ansetzt and his voice that turns over to the hundredth time, or even very wegbricht. Und nicht nur daran merkt man, mit wie viel Herzblut die drei jungen Musiker hier zu Werke gehen. And not just because you realise how much blood the heart three young musicians here to work. Auch der Versuch, die doch recht eng gesteckten Grenzen eines Genres wie Crustcore aufzubrechen und durch überraschende Momente aufzulockern, ist ihnen gelungen. Even the attempt, which quite tight limits of a genre like Crustcore break and surprising moments of light relief, they succeeded. Großartiges Debütalbum. Great debut album. -Ingo Rotkehl, Ox-Fanzine Ausgabe #76 (German zine, not soo legible!) I kind of want to say that Squalora plays pure hardcore, just because I want to say I actually like hardcore music. To tell you the truth though, most hardcore bores me to death. Not only because it’s preachy as all fuck (I know there is a bunch of stuff about principles and ethics inherently attached to it, and blah blah blah…but I don’t really care), but because I grew up with the idea that all there was to hardcore sounded like the Cro Mags and Agnostic Front. And despite how much and for how long I have to bow to both bands because of their place in underground music history, musically, I never really cared for either. And image-wise the whole muscle head angle never appealed to me. Times have changed though, and with that new rules of allowance have come into play; such as that one that says that one may cross pollinate hardcore and metal without having to be categorized a poser. Not that there is a ton of metal to the hardcore of Portland’s (via Montana) Squalora, but the quotient is there. And is enough for me to say that I like hardcore without necessarily digging most of the straight up East Coast hardcore and more importantly, without lying. Plus, this band rips alright with pissed off attitude but is low in the muscle head value; high in ridiculously hyperactive energy and bold enough to offer up some pretty moody breaks (beginning of the six-minuter “Mind Lapse”). Squalora is formed from the ashes of Ass-End Offend, a band I know nothing about besides that they once existed under the name Ass-End Offend. Of their current sound I can tell you that is utterly vicious but is also smart with plenty of variations (of tempo, texture, etc); breakdowns, skin ripping velocity, grinding riffs that step into classic thrash and raw vocals that walk the loose tight rope between both; hardcore and thrash. Truly, listening to Squalora grants me the right of lying without really lying. -Deaf Sparrow, March 2008 This is decidedly not the generic metallic crust that is pervasive in the scene. Squalora is mixing things up with some very unexpected and beautiful moody landscapes that break into all-out raging thrash attacks. This shit is not only well played, but it is masterfully conceived. The lyrics are smart and engaging takes on what is usually summed up in chorus of "fuck the system", which although it's a sentiment we can all appreciate it deserves to be pulled apart and really contemplated. -MRR #298, March 2008 They arose from the ashes of Missoula's ASS END OFFEND & play heavy/fast, political hardcore. Part Kylesa low-frequency kudgel, part Anti-Cimex crust blowout, their sound is a fresh, powerful one. Lyrically, the music deals w/ the frustration of living in the Bush-era, punk scene egotism & class struggle. -Sakistore.net "A
strong dose of modern, heavy, speeding crust-core from Portland (by way
of Missoula, Montana and containing three-quarters of ASS END OFFEND),
reminiscent of the quirkier side of late-'90s flirtation between underground
hardcore and metal a la WORD SALAD, MEDICATION TIME, or early FROM ASHES
RISE. Nine longer tracks with complex and drawn-out song structures that
weave together dark prog rock-ish intros (acoustic and flange!) and bridges,
bleak lumbering heaviness, and offhand metal influences, and break or
pick slide into wicked thrash blasts with caustically shouted and grufflyspewed
vocal tradeoffs. The rambling lyrics are relevant, timely, and unfortunately
seemingly a current anomaly -great, outraged attacks on consumerism, Fox
News, apathy in light of present political realities, etc. Cool! Woohoo! Squalora LP simply amazing! How can this be? Why sit back and enjoy these stunning, yet limited features: Awesome futuristic mirror effect on the LP jacket! Poster as well as most the cover art done by the guy who did the artwork for the movie "Enemy Mine"(yah, the alien movie with Dennis Quaid!!! Wow! I, like most of America, love Dennis Quaid!) Possibly some of the best Montana punk from Portland, Or ever! Blows the cd away simply because we put it out! Seriously though, as this being our 3rd release I am very happy to say that it was the most expensive but probably the most satisfying record we've put out so far. If you've never even heard of Squalora seriously check out the comp from last month. They, like a lot of Portlnd bands give me great hope for our scene. We now return you back to your advertisment: Buy it from us orders@thedefector.com $10 + shipping or it should be available at most punk record stores in a bit! This has been another shameless promotion brought to you for and by us. - Riot of the Blood, The Defector, Issue #36, November 2007 Squalora:
To Release CD in Former Home, Missoula, October 13, 2007. The last time
a band released a CD with a the spindle-hole square in the forehead of
a current Commander in Chief, it probably wasn't a band with Montana roots.
In fact, the ex-Montanans who comprise Squlaora have been in Portland,
Oregon for the past year and a half. Maybe that's where all this anti-government
business comes from. Prior to that, when they had a fourth member, and
were called Ass-End Offend, they lived in Missoula. Squalora represents
the the unfortunate brain drain that periodically robs the Treasure state
of it's best and brightest rock and roll bands. See also No-Fi Soul Rebellion,
the Fireballs of Freedom, members of the International Playboys, the Quiet
Ones... the list is as long and peppered with talented acts that thought
a geographical change would translate easily into larger audiences and
more opportunities. Rainy ol' Portland has had a Swedishifying effect on these transplanted Ass End Offenders and friends. Squalora comes belting out of the gates with all the fury of No Security or Abuse or Mob 47 or Anti-Cimex or any of those svensk hardcore legends. Pissed, blazing fast and heavy as Pig Champion (RIP) standing on your penis. -Total Fest Programme, August 2007 Squalora plays metallic hardcore, but adds some cool experimentation into the mix. There are some long, slow moody parts that stand out, and then this rips into total thrash mayhem. Vocals are rage. -Erin Yanke, Maximum Rock N Roll #288 May 2007. From the Ashes of Ass-End Offend rises Squalora. 3/4 of AEO moved about 500 miles west to the same spot where about 80% of Missoula's brain drain ends up. Their demo recording predicts big things for these dudes. XdISTORTX 4VRX! -wantageusa.com ASS-END OFFEND - UNCHECKED AGGRESSION - EP Montana hardcore veterans' third EP, and this one surpasses even their stellar "Character Assassins" LP from '04. We got them here in town last summer, after 5 weeks in Eastern Europe and a bizarre skin infection, and all 7 people who came to the show were fucking floored. Musically, this band is built for the road, and these 5 tracks capture the ferocity that levelled Sara Lou's living room in August. The dual guitar assault works to their advantage, using leads, hooks and breaks liberally to write kick ass songs and make it all shred my speakers at maximum volume (ok, the volume part is my fault). The best moments of DEAD AND GONE (especially on "Your American Dream Is Our Nightmare", the best song on the record) injected with a searing blast of intensity. Another often overlooked band...too bad they weren't from somewhere cool. Too bad, that is, for the people who ignored them simply because they came from an unhip zip code. They broke up shortly after their last tour...sucks for us. -Slug & Lettuce 86, March 2006. Imagine
if CHARLES BRONSON didn't play their patented thrash/ powerviolence assault
and instead opted to play something along the lines of RUINATIONS hardcore
insanity. Basically these guys are brutal. Vocals reminiscent of CB with
songs in the vein of RUINATION. They have four previous releases and have
toured extensively since they have been together in the last 6 years.
They are a cornerstone of the Montana area hardcore scene. Check em out!
You will not be disappointed. Turbulent
hardcore punk, fast and unruly and a vicious follow-up to 'Character Assassins'.
This is raw and restless and a dose of real energy in these days of limp
dick, childish music. Very powerful without getting metallic- just intense
and that's the shit that gets me going. Fantastic DIY approach. 5 tracks,
all fierce and with a killer screen-printed cover. This is a huge recommendation
that you'd be a cock to miss out on. My fave
contemporary hardcore/ultra rock band returns with another devastating
EP. Since all good hardcore is based in the 80's (and since the new Bush
is Reagan-er than Reagan) I'm happy that they use 80's lingo to damn the
right, reviving "Yuppie" as a epithet. And they have actual
social content in their music. Ass-End
Offend has just split up, with some members planning a move to Portland,
but they leave behind a strong five-song EP to wrap things up. Aggressive
hardcore with a mainly fast tempo but not really an old-school throw-back.
An early Born Against influence, if I wanted to make a comparison. Some
complex, dynamic instrumentation but without being masturbatory or pretentious.
Blistering songs and blistering sentiments-"Your American Dream Is
Our Nightmare" kind of sums it up and "Get Over It Already"
is a to-the-point commentary about homophobia. Their Character Assassins
album, which came out earlier this year, wasn't bad but this sounds much
more focused. Recorded
by the illustrious Mike Lastra of Portland, this sounds way better than
any of this band's previous material. The guitars are chunky, the drums
and bass pound hard as fuck and the singers scream, yell, and get all
up in your face. The music is based on ass-kickingly brutal thrash, but
the spare use of creative mosh/metal breakdowns and slower, dare I say
TRAGEDY-esque, bits add that extra something that makes this record totally
awesome. I feel like this would appeal to fans of the current slew of
great Bay Area hardcore bands like DEADFALL and BORN/DEAD as well as more,
uh, mature listeners. The latest
EP from Missoula, MT's ASS-END OFFEND contains six raging tracks of crusty
thrash that is big on power and originality. while they have several other
EP's and and LP under their belts, this latest release shows a huge maturity
in their style and sound, helped greatly by excellent recording done by
Mike Lastra in Portland's famous Smegma Studios. Exceelent music, good
(and funny) political lyrics, and full-on in your face DIY punk attitude. Ass-End
Offend is one of the best bands in Missoula right now and their latest
album, Unchecked Aggression (Wäntage USA), is a salty kernel of punk
that dwarfs a lot of other records this year. The whole thing is just
minutes long, but the barking vocals and fast-as-all-hell hoedown of songs
like "Your American Dream is our Nightmare" last like the scar
from a hot cow brand. A four-song
barrage of mmm... unchecked aggression. As previously stated, you're getting
four, quick, deviant blasts of whirlwind hardcore insanity. Your American
Dream Is Our Nightmare is the best song I've heard by these guys. And
I really like this band. This is a little more hardcore than their debut
album if you can follow me on that one. It's great. In fact, if all seven-inches
were this much fun it would be a wonderful world. The cover is absolutely
stunning and it's printed on the reverse of junked AmeriCorps posters. The latest
release from this long-standing Missoula, MT hardcore punk band. Ass-End
Offend is one of the more committed DIY bands around these days, having
toured the US a number of times and having returned from a European tour
last summer. They've also helped countless touring bands from across the
country to get much needed shows in their hometown, breaking up the grueling
drive from the Midwest to the West Coast, and vice versa. This band often
gets overlooked, but continue to release powerful records with a great
number of influences. This EP is seven minutes of mid to fast paced powerful
punk songs that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to fans of any particular
sub-genre of hardcore punk. Personal and political lyrics that are not
embarrassing, which isn't always common these days. Not only is the music
great, but they did a nice job with the packaging, giving the covers the
two-color silkscreen treatment. Ass-End
Offend (Missoula/Kalispell,MT) These machete-wielding peace punks rip
loose some of Montana's tightest blast-core. Swinging, pounding, and ferocious
but still retaining some hope. I don't know a damn thing about grindcore
or d-beat, but this shit excites me more than the prospect of meeting
people in a city called "Wroclaw". Ex-Antidifrancos, Disgruntled
Nation and Venal I.V. ASS-END OFFEND - CHARACTER ASSASSINS - CD/LP Sometimes
you hear a record that makes you want to invent adjectives, because the
record is good, but good in new ways (so new adjectives would seem fitting,
wouldn't they?). Montana's Ass-End Offend have been at it for years, and
their first LP is the perfect realization of all their efforts. It just
works. Equal parts east bay hardcore (a la FILTH, EL DOPA, ECHONOCHRIST),
modern heaviness, and 80's midwestern hardcore (a notable comparison primarily
because Ass-End Offend fall into NONE of the typical punk trappings) fused
together with dark ominous passages that imply a secret goth past. The
lyrical assault is just as poignant as the music, especially on songs
like "Becoming Our Destruction" and "Production Rats"
songs which perfectly describe the frustration of the modern human existence...even
the words to "Skateboarding Is Not a Sport" come off bleak.
While the recording is solid and full, "Character Assassins"
relies on WHAT is recorded, rather than HOW it is recorded (translation:
the record fucking rocks ass, instead of just being "heavy"
as the result of budget adn a well-honed engineer). 12 tracks of fantastic
bombastic fury, and "Permanent Sick Leave" is the kind of song
that makes me glad I'm still punk (well, I'm always glady, but you know
what I mean) I wholeheartedly endorse this band, and I know this record
by heart.... More please. Ass-End Offend played music that most often gets conveniently tagged with the “hardcore” handle. Fair enough, I guess. Husker Du and Gauze were hardcore. And, similarly, the music AEO plays is a well honed machete quickly hacking it’s way through a jungle of indie rock mediocrity! Ass-End Offend produce entirely ambitious Montana punk rock music and do so with aplomb and gusto. While less than pleased with mankind’s current state, they aren’t cynics. Rather, these ambitious dudes toured like madmen, made it to Europe and then unfortunately broke up. I think they sound most like some the stuff that Ken Sanderson puts out on his awesome Prank label, or on Life is Abuse. Heavy, dark, alternately dystopian and hopeful and more musically ambitious than its peers. Compare to Caustic Christ and His Hero is Gone, and add a couple truckloads of Evergreen/Great Falls, Montana desolation.-vinylcollective ENDUSR.COM Pour
les avoir oublié, je les ai oublié…un six mois que
je veux écrire cette chronique. C'est un des rares groupes intéressants
de WantageUsa records du Montana. Pas seulement. Même si je les
préfère et de loin aux Holy Mountain de No Idea records,
ces deux groupes sont presque similaires dans leurs côtés
punk-hardcore et leur tentative de revenir à la base avec un côté
classique à la econochrist, antichism, born against, hhig, ballast,
etc. C'est un bon cd pour un bon groupe du Montana qui devrait peut être
se retrouver sur Profane Existence ? Je crois qu'ils ont une entrevue
dans le dernier Heart Attack. AEO=
Nerve Agents + F-Minus (their first record). These Montana boys are a
refreshing surprise. So much hardcore punk has been done over and over
again, but A.E.O. put their own spins on the classic formulas to create
a ruthless punk rock record. The usual lyrics about shitty jobs and teenage
disgust are done with great perspective. The arrangement and production
may be a little sloppy, but work great with what this band is all about.
You have to give these guys credit for just being from Missoula, Mont.,
and creating a good punk record. I've been to Missoula and trust me, these
guys pulling this off is just short of a miracle. Whatever lame excuse
you have for not putting out your record, it can't be a hard to overcome
as living in Montana. ASS-END
OFFEND kommen aus Montana und sind seit vier Jahren in der Punk-Szene
aktiv. Und "aktiv" bezieht sich nicht nur auf die Band. Die
Mitglieder organisieren Shows in ihrer Gegend, veröffentlichen Fanzines
und betreiben das Poisoned Candy-Label. Zu hören gibt es auf dieser
von Tim Green produzierten Scheibe zwölfmal politischen und straighten
"Voll in die Fresse"-Hardcore ohne Schnörkel. Hart. Musste
ein paar mal an THE ACCÜSED denken. This
is the latest from this four piece from Missoula. Part ECONOCHRIST, part
ANTI-SCHISM, ASS END OFFEND muster all the fury of a prairie storm. Their
material is moody and brooding with the ability to bash out-a-beat that
would make BORN AGAINST proud. The later ANTI-SCHISM moodiness style can
really be heard in a song like "Becoming Our Destruction". I saw
these Montana punks a couple of years ago and was really impressed. On
this CD Ass-End Offend continue their brand of doom and gloom hardcore.
Slow, ominous sounding parts burst into fast hardcore with screamy vocals.
There is a definite similarity to Bay Area hardcore bands both past and
present. The lyrics are filled with a sense of frustration and despair.
A perfect soundtrack for what I can only imagine living in Montana must
be like. Harsh,
rumbling punk from deep within the bowels of Montana, these songs are
pretty raw and stripped down. Things fly by pretty quickly, but there
are an ever-flowing mix of tempo changes that keep things interesting.
Crunchy punk with a slight metallic edge that is dark and somber throughout. Very
reminiscent of late 80's skate/hardcore. That irritated, fast sound that's
like a stabbing. This is an attack, not only musically, but an attack
on hardcore. This is how it used to be and how it should be. It's so hard
to come across genuine, straightforward hardcore these days, there's so
much over-produced pollution drowning it all but not ASS END OFFEND. This
is fuming. Just looking at this CD is an indication of better days…the
artwork is perfect. Really, hardcore is a fuckin embarrassment these days,
don't kid yourself that you are hardcore if you don't understand what
this is about. Ass-End
Offend "Permanent Sick Leave" From their "Character Assassins"
CD on Wäntage USA Ass-End
Offend are the best hardcore punk band I've heard in quite some time.
It's fast, dark, loud, brutal punk perfection that's as rambunctious and
sweaty as the last basement show you attended. I always have trouble talking
about hardcore, or what is generally recognized as hardcore, because it's
all pretty much the same to most ears (including mine), but some of it
is just better. This one falls into the better category. I wanted to rip
on the sorta silly-sounding intro/slowdown to "Becoming Our Destruction"
or "Permanent Sick Leave" but the entirety of those songs are
so great that it more than makes up for a couple of cheesy moments. I
really like this. There are a lot of kids at the VFW who need to hear
this. On their
disc "Character Assassins" Missoula, Montana's Ass-End Offend
deal in brutal hardcore / punk rock that bridges the gap between old-school
Poison Idea-inflected hardcore, the crustier crossover stuff from the
early to mid-nineties, and the more recent crop of hardcore bands influenced
by the rosters of labels like Hydra Head and Deathwish Inc. This is music
for breaking things -walls, windows, people... and is great for those
days when you're pissed at everyone and everything. Here's what usually happens with your hardcore band: First you write about a million two-minute songs. Then you decide you want to cram as many of them as possible on a seven-inch record, which even at 33-and-a-third RPMs would sound better and look less vaguely pathetic with half the amount of music on it. You find someone to record it cheaply—or you do it yourself in the basement— with the mix determined so democratically that nothing stands out except the shitty death-metal bass tone that there was no talking the bassist out of. Then you skip the mastering and end up with a record that sounds partly like a thousand others. It gets a decent review in MRR, a few carefully concealed dollar bills show up in the mail, you sell a few at shows and you trade or consign as many as you can with distributors you'll never hear back from. Character
Assassins runs counter to this established wisdom, which to some extent
has guided almost all Missoula hardcore releases to date. It looks great
(the LP version, like most Wantage releases, has a silk-screened cover),
it sounds incredible (courtesy of recording wizard/former Champs guitarist
Tim Green), and its 12 songs find this Missoula-Kalispell supergroup playing
at the very top of its game. So this is the beating all those Disgruntled
Nation records were hinting at. Killer. Fresh off a six-week tour; Ass-End
Offend plays Area 5 on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 8 PM. Ass-End Offend is a terrifically blazing Montana punk rock institution. They've been around for 4 years, and have turned what started as relatively standard hardcore into powerful music full of its own personality. Ass-End Offend play rock and roll that can't, and shouldn't, be pigeonholed into one convenient category. In their four years Ass-End Offend have amassed a serious following across Montana and have toured the country three times. They write songs, that for a reference point, are similar to much of the output of the Prank Records label. Civically, Ass-End Offend are thoroughly involved in their scene: they book shows like mad for touring bands. They write zines. Guitarist Matt Svendsen does a label called Poison Candy -which co-released the CD. They are entirely committed to playing small intimate spaces to the all-ages crowd. They don't preach the gospel of DIY, they practice it. And two of them have pre-adolescent daughters. It's really hard to get your head around. At least it is for me. Oh, and their name, which the first time you hear it sounds like one of the clunkiest around: nobody really seems to know what its significance is, other than some vague reference to Flathead County car accident. Ass-End
Offend have an almost martial ability to alternate their bombast and restraint.
Like the best hardcore, it's fresh to the point where it doesn't need
to rely on what's been done before. Rather, it plows forward, loudly.
And there's a song called Skateboarding is Not a Sport. The LPs are limited
to 400 copies, and were hand screened in the Wantage USA Societal Betterment
Laboratories. Fans of Gauze, Artimus Pyle, Neurosis, Prank and Six Weeks
labels will enjoy what Ass-End Offend does here. Recorded by Tim Green
at Louder Studios in San Francisco. ASS-END OFFEND - WELCOME TO THE DISCOMFORT ZONE - EP Having
never heard Ass-End Offend, I'd have to say that this EP was a pleasure
to review. These guys blew me away! Excellent dark HC punk with great
production and plenty of melody and hooks, but in the Tragedy/ His Hero
is Gone way rather than the Screeching Weasel way. Throat shredding vocals
add to this release, as do the great dark and gloomy lyrics. Gotta
admit, the name did turn me off at first, but after the needle hit the
wax, I was pleasantly surprised. Straightforward, well-executed, dark
punk tunes straight out of Montana (of all places) along the lines of
early NEUROSIS mixed with a barrage of other, more "new-school"
elements. I was especially impressed with ASS-END OFFEND's ear for cool
unexpected hooks and changes that worked real well with the explosive
nature of the music. Nicely done. Ass-End
Offend plays hardcore punk in a traditional style. Parts of their sound
remind me of some nineties hardcore, while other melodies seem to go back
even further in time. The songs on here are strong and their lyrics help
to reinforce that stance. Ideas of tracking through fingerprints, destructive
interaction, embitterment, and work are all critiqued here. Simplistically
honest punk rock with a thrashy sound. The songs are very loose nit, but
it works. This is their 3rd ep and it's limited to 500 numbered copies. another
great record by MT'S great A.E.O.... great HC punk, no bullshit pretention.
CHECK THESE GUYS OUT! ASS-END OFFEND - BECOMING OUR DESTRUCTION - EP This
is AEO's first record and it is insanely good. This is not just another
hardcore band, they are completely original and will stand out from anything
else you have heard over the years. Very creative lyrics. I think it is
safe to say that Ass-End Offend is definitely the best band I have ever
heard. ECONOCHRIST
inspired hardcore from Montana featuring members from DISGRUNTLED NATION
"Becoming our Destruction" is ASS END OFFEND's first release.
The vocalist sounds like Sam from BORN AGAINST - very tortured and anguished
with a scream that lingers. This is only facilitated by a style of hardcore
that is mid-tempo and has a tendency to build. In comparison to today's
scenes where emphasis is placed on speed this is a great break from the
norm. I don't want to give you the impression they aren't fast - each
song reaches manic paces, but they all start off slow. Regardless, ASS
END OFFEND play some of the best, most honest hardcore I have heard in
awhile. Underneath
the nicely hand-screened cover lurks some mid tempo melodic hardcore that
occasionally blasts into faster, thrashier stuff. Comes with a Garbage
Pail Kid sticker. Punk
rock from Montana played in an abrasive raw thrashing style. Kinda disjointed
in the timing with pronounced screamy vocals that roll. Lots of technical
guitar playing that doesn't make this any less punk cause they rage along
full throttle and thrash. The cover is one thick piece with a screen-printed
front. Tasty.
I hear some FROM ASHES RISE parts, but with vocals more screamed than
grunted, and a little bit of pretentiousness-free ORCHID comes through
as well. I'm not sure what you would call that (I've heard the term "emo
violence" tossed around, but I can't say that without laughing).
I call it fucking good, and it makes me want to hear more of what the
Montana hardcore scene has to offer. Ass-End
Offend "Becoming Our Destruction" - $3 This band hails from
Montana and plays catchy, spastic hardcore with some interesting bass
licks thrown in to keep it intersting. Tempo changes abound under yelled
lyrics. ASS END OFFEND/ THE ANTI DIFRANCOS - My Imperialist Hard-On Is Bigger Than Yours - Split EP Three
tracks each from each of these Missoula, MT bands. THE ANTI-DIFRANCOS
are very much in the raw thrashpunk mode and have lyrics as obnoxious
as their name suggest (in a good sort of way). ASS-END OFFEND aremuch
more crust-influenced and have three solid offerings here. Yummy
good hardcore by both these Montana outfits. Metallic, desperate crust-core
from AEO with excellent song writing and a good recording proving you
don't need six grand to sound heavy. The ANTI's kick ass with some fast
paced hardcore punk, with emphasis on the punk. DIY hardcore
punk from Montana—Ass-End Offend play in a raging, yet moody vein,
where the words are spat out with venom and it's a mix of speed and more
haunting elements. I can hear echoes of early Die Kreuzen in there. The
Anti-Difrancos, on their side of the split with AEO, slam out fast, snotty
thrash. Feisty, although the drummer sometimes relies too much on the
snare slam. By the way, cool packaging for both records, with hand-screened
art on cardboard sleeves. I didn't
care for Ass End Offend as much as their previous release, Becoming Our
Destruction. These three songs were slower at times. Overall, though AEO
keeps true to their hardcore punk style and tears through all three of
their songs. The Anti Difrancos were the better of the two on the split.
They have a faster punk/ hardcore style. The recording is shite on The
Anti Difrancos recording. I preferred them despite the recording because
of the way their songs are quick and full of energy with strong antiestablishment
lyrics and tunes. ASS END
OFFEND, holy sweet Darby!!! These Montana punks are the fuck child of
EL DOPA and early DIE KREUZEN. It's a ugly, gorgeous child. Crazy stupid
fresh back and forth, overlapping dual male vox. I'm moving to Missoula.
ANTI DIFRANCOS wear masks on stage, which nowadays is a good, maybe dangerous
thing. The tone and direction this band are going in will be great. For
now, it is a little formulaic. Everything we love about anarchistic punk,
just needs some time to develop. Ass-End
Offend plays a very pleasing, sturdy hardcore on this record. Their songs
are full, harsh, and pulled together. I like the deep melodies that line
each fast ditty. The lyrics for these are examinations of capitalism,
overcoming obstacles, and opening your mind. Cool stuff. The Anti Difrancos
songs are fast punk rock with screechy vocals. The distortion is on high
and they are just sort of going at it with as much energy, as they have
got. The music itself doesn't really catch my fancy but the lyrics are
good. They question our current President and how he came into office,
commercialism, mindless rebellion, and the sorry state of civil rights
in America, I really like the DIY punk nature of this release. The ANTI-DIFRANCOS
are first out of the gate with 5 new ragers. The bass is up front and
played fast in a rolling manner. The guitars have a high end treble distortion
wall of noise. But screaming fits of vocals are what stand out. They have
two vocalists scream at you in an unrelenting manner similar to that of
AUS ROTTEN, but they sound similar to the singers of ANTI-SCHISM. And
my favourite song title is "A burning Bush now would truly be a sign
from God". ASS END OFFEND have a heavier sound and most of their
songs build from slower more straight edge sounding mosh parts, but they
quickly explode into a mass of chaotic frothing energy. The songs eventually
come back to their original plodding beginnings, but they never remain
there. It is great the way they use the two styles to create an urgent
sounding hardcore. The singer has a BORN AGAINST scream to him, but the
impatience in his style is more a style of current day thrash scenes. Ass End
Offend start this out with some hardcore that has more time changes than
Dillinger Escape Plan. Not bad at all, a little like Grimple when they
get into the gnarly last stuff. They just have a lot of time changes,
man A surprisingly good recording for a little mini CD-r with a xerox
cover. The Anti-Difrancos have a good bass player, and sound good only
when they start to slow down from blast beats to straight forward hardcore.
Nice shouted choruses. They kinda sound like that band XFilesX but not
as tight. They definitely have good intentions. Hell
hath no fury like these guys: ARTISTS: Ass End Offend, Disgruntled Nation
and The Anti Difrancos Ass End
Offend: Out of their three songs, "Cross the Fence," is the
standout solely by the fact it doesn't sound like a tired reconstruction
of Corrosion of Conformity, pre-Crossover. That song is my favorite of
the split and actually has some nice breakdowns and vocal dynamics. Anti
DiFrancos: Barring a song about respecting your parents and an up-front
hate for a certain hairy armpitted righteous babe, The Anti DiFrancos
are a very standard, almost featureless punk band who seemed to have taken
Jello Biafra's spoken word to heart (i.e. "the nation's elite bolster
our alienation to perpetuate wage slave subjugation"). I'm sure they're
very earnest but this musical ground — especially the instrumentation-
has been trampled so many times, and like a patch of grass under the same
treatment, it doesn't seem like anything new's growing out of it. My suggestion
for both bands? Get more Feederz and Zero Boys and cut down on the Conflict
and GBH in your diet; something to throw in and monkey wrench the mix. "Don't let your dirt hold you in your hole": excellent line. The Ass End Offend side is full of em. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for them musically. I'm not into metal in any of its ugly, contorted forms, and I can't say this strikes me as any different. Sounds like metal to me. The Anti
DiFrancos side is in the same vein as their other releases- fast, pissy,
aware, and moral. I guess the parents out there will like "Rebel",
but my favorite is "Commodity is a Plague". Who wouldn't love
a song with words like, "You got "Punk" printed on the
personalized license plates of your cherry red 4x4" and "Appetizing
brand names, cute catchy phrases/ silly stupid jingles: annoying and contagious!"
It's available as a 7 inch record, or, for those of you without vinyl
spinners, as a tiny little 2 or 3 inch CD. The Anti
Difrancos are super raw hardcore similar to Dystrophy and the Hatemail
Killerz with intelligent lyrics. Ass End Offend are on the darker and
mid tempo side drawing from more present day influences. ...FUCK YEAH...D.I.Y. HARDCORE FROM MONTANA!!! everyone should get off their ass and buy these great punk records! ... ASS END OFFEND sound like a modern mix of early Die Kreuzen and Talk Is Poison!!! The Anti-Difrancos are great snotty HC punk with awesome political minded lyrics... this is awesome, honest and sincere HC punk! - www. brickwallrecords. com
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