EHP 0.24: Shikari / Phoenix Bodies split 7" [ out of print ] Pressing Information: 1,000 red This is a match up not for the faint of heart! SHIKARI defend their title as the most insanely brutal band around with the two tracks etched into their side of this 7". The Netherland boys follow up their split with SEEIN' RED and the "Dead Men" EP on Level Plane Records with some more absurd hardcore in the vein of ACME, DRIFT, and SHARAZAD. Like rabid dogs let out of a cage, their tunes are ferocious from the get go, and don't stop until blood is tasted. On the flip side is a triple helping of Indiana's PHOENIX BODIES. Featuring ex-members of MARA'AKATE, The Bodies lay down some over-the-top rock in the vein of local brethren USURP SYNAPSE and RACEBANNON with hints of giants such as THE LOCUST and DISCORDANCE AXIS. Some intense riffage and a muppets sample added for good measure of course! Just to fuck with you a tiny bit more, the covers for this record were designed in a psuedo 3d style, made to interact with the clear red records. Things should make more sense than this, but they just feel oh so good when they don't! TRACK LISTING: Shikari 1. Nieuwe Politiek #1 2. Time Wasn't On Our Side Phoenix Bodies 3. Old Balls 4. Pardon My Emoticon 5. Toxic Shock Value Meal REVIEWS: Out Of Kilter webzine (Will) On this split, Holland's Shikari craft two tracks of searing political hardcore. The first track is an intense bombast of chaos and severity which showcases the band's talent with a ferocity that is lacking in a lot of bands these days. Shikari's second offering is a journey through loss and acceptance. It's delivery is spot on - the vocals are hard hitting, the guitars focused and aggressive yet oh-so-melodic and the rhythm section is the heartbeat that keeps it all together. On the other side of this record is Phoenix Bodies. Cut from the same cloth as bands like Racebannon. tracks 'Old Balls' and 'Pardon My Emoticon' are the aural equivelent of a kick in the face - laying down fast-pased guitars with a duel-vocal attack to great affect. The split finishes with 'Toxic Shock Value Meal' which is brutal rocky hardcore in the vein of Usurp Synapse, and I'll be damned if this is not one of the high-points of this record, if only for the great lyrical cuts like "Life is like a tampon commercial. It's all nice spring fields, calm breezes". Fantastic. Collective online zine (Graeme Cunningham) Subtle >> adjective: So delicate or precise as to be difficult to describe. That’s for the benefit of Shikari and Phoenix Bodies by the way. Neither band ever seeming to have stumbled across the term before, as they amply demonstrate on this snarling transparent red seven inch disk. But then could we have expected anything else? Shikari’s two contributions see them thrashing around the floor, spit foaming from their mouths in that wondrous "One Eyed God Prophecy on Crack" fashion that they do so well. "Nieuwe politiek 1" blasts the political status quo in the Netherlands and "Tijd was ons niet zo goed gezind" (or "time wasn’t on our side") is a requiem for a friend who passed away. Bonus points in the bag for lyrical translations and song explanations. If I was the picky type I could perhaps moan about the quiet mastering level. But I’m not, so I will continue to simply turn up the volume. Phoenix Bbodies open their side with a Muppet’s sample. More Muppet samples in Hardcore please. Ultimately though, this is just a cunning ruse because there is nothing furry or cuddly about the unholy racket Phoenix Bodies blast out. Without a twinkly break down in site, the two vocalists howl and regurgitate the contents of their black psyche over a shattering wall of guitar noise. The lyrics are excellent. Sarcastic pokes at modern living, "Toxic Shock Value Meal!" for example, featuring the immortal opening line "life is like a tampon commercial..." This is out through Electric Human Project and as usual the artwork is nicely thought out. Both bands have stronger material, but if you like the sound of people grinding bricks into your ears to make gravel, you’ll enjoy this. Heartattack issue #43 (Chandler Briggs) Electric Human Project is one of my favorite labels, seriously. Another great record with awesome artwork and two great bands. Shikari is a spectacular Dutch band. They are fast, chaotic, screamy hardcore with no boring parts and the lyrics cover the politics of democracy. The vocals are icing on the cake. Phoenix Bodies are a tongue-in-cheek fast, sort of thrashy, heavy hardcore band with two singers: one high pitched screaming, one yelling. Their lyrics rule, too; commentary on social issues, mainly. "Life is like a tampon commercial. It's all nice spring fields, calm breezes." Ha, these guys rule. I saw a video of them play once and some of them wore big bear costumes. Get this split and all the other EHP releases.