We have had one lovely year over here on IDIOTEQ and just like the last year next, we are running a series of original lists penned by some of our genre favorites, friendly labels and bands that agreed to highlight their best music and moments of the year! Our second guest this Monday are RESERVING DIRTNAPS, a rap infused metallic hardcore act from Memphis, Tennessee, who have recently teamed up with WAR Records, and will soon drop their new EP on the label. Check out their quick end of the year wrap-up and an interesting, diverse list of best records of the year. Check check.
So many good things happened for Reserving Dirtnaps in 2019 by getting on the road more than ever. Last January we hopped on two shows of the Capitol Offense tour in Nashville and Louisville. Then we hit the road in March with Purgatory, Paper Trail, and No Option and another tour this past October with Kharma and Adrenaline. Hitting Canada for a few shows and so many other US cities we had never played made for some hilarious experiences. Whether it was catching some dipshit trying to steal merch from us in Albany or realizing that you just slept in cat piss, there was always some stupid shit happening. It was also cool to finally play places like Spinelli’s in Louisville or to play Pittsburgh with Eternal Sleep. Crossing paths with some people out of town linked us up with Andrew Kline at War Records. Our third EP, Another Disaster, will be released in 2020. Everything with the recording will be finished soon so be on the lookout for the 7” once again on War Records. We are also playing Saturday of LDB Fest in Louisville next year. It will rule.
Another excellent moment for us this year was playing the first Mean Streets fest that Spencer Martin (Thief’s Hand) put together in Memphis at the Hi Tone. Clenched Fist, Inclination, Purgatory, Terminal Nation, Treason, and more bands played. It was a great mix of styles and everyone got a taste of that Memphis style shit with the Clenched Fist set. Everyone was going off and no drama. You can’t ask for much else. Can’t wait to see what Spencer does again in the future.
Here is a list of music that was released in 2019 that I would get stuck listening to.
As everyone already knows there is so much music released it’s impossible to listen to all of it, so shout out to everyone out there working their asses off and writing all of these songs. 5 years from now, I will probably hear the craziest shit and just be baffled that it came out and I missed it. But for 2019, here’s what I remember:
Triumvir Foul – Urine of Abomination
I first found Triumvir Foul when they put out their self-titled LP back in 2015. I hadn’t realized they were putting anything out and saw this posted somewhere. Urine of Abomination? That’s ridiculous. So I start listening to it and I was really blown away by just how belligerent and insane this album sounded. It’s some truly wild death metal and it honestly makes their older material seem kind of more controlled and easier to listen to. The album art also has some ghoul standing in knee deep piss. The opening riff break your back and make you humble.
Section H8 – Winter Games
The hardcore bands that still play fast and have a lot of attack always hit a sweet spot with me. I dig all the samples and this shit just has a ton of vibe to it. The rhythm and cadence of the vocals adds a lot to this band and really grabbed me when I first heard Phase One. Definitely has that swing and bounce at times as well that makes you think of Cold as Life. A strong combo of all the modern hardcore styles.
Coffins – Beyond the Circular Demise
This is my favorite Coffins record I have heard since Buried Death came out, and fuck I just realized that was 10 years ago. Coffins has really been holding this style down forever with the combination of doom, raw punk, and death metal. It’s also always nice to hear bands play slow shit that isn’t on the “smile on your brother” tip. Slow and just hateful.
Röntgen – Kopflos
Boss level raw punk from Phoenix, USA. They came through Memphis last January with Heinous. Just ripping track after track – hauling ass. It may seem redundant but I feel like a lot of times most hardcore I see isn’t very fast so I enjoy hearing someone just beat the drums and drive the song. No oogles.
Queensway – The Real Fear
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A DEAD BODY – FELT THE FEELING OF YOUR HEART STOP? Queensway always manages to hit some wild combinations with their songs, and it is all held together by some ridiculous rhythm. The band unifies a lot of different elements with multiple vocal styles and cadences and just so much bounce. Patric is so wild with it that at times it sounds like there could be 2 or 3 different singers. At the root of all these songs is just that sinister dread that holds everything together. The grimy reality of people trying to survive in the world.
Mortiferum – Disgorged from Psychotic Depths
Ah yes, another heavy ass death metal release from Mortiferum. Similar to what I was saying about the Coffins album, Mortiferum plays that slow hateful doom but then builds up to some brutal chugging mid tempo and just blasting sections. Also, it sounds like this drummer beats the fuck out of the drums, which is beautiful.
Regional Justice Center / Wound Man Split 7”
Great split with two ripping hardcore bands that are just that pissed blasting punk. Hardcore envelopes so many sounds and both of these bands switch it up in a jarring way. Regional Justice Center flow back and forth between heavy thudding breakdowns and galloping shots of enraged punk. They played Memphis in October when we were on tour, and I wish I could have caught their set. Extra special shout out to Ian for ripping the drums and vocals at the same time. That shit ain’t easy. On the other half of this split, we have the mighty Wound Man. Since DFJ is in like 10 bands at any given time, I was late to the party with Wound Man but this is some vicious shit. BLLLAAAAST. RJC and Wound Man both definitely know how to whip a whole lotta ass in a minute haha. This split is a great example of how to be heavy without a huge metal influence while a little more on the punk end of the core.
