VARIOUS ARTISTS: A Pirate's Life - Skull and Bones Records Sampler Vol. 1

Released: 2008

Skull and Bones is a label from Brisbane that has been extending its feelers into the burgeoning hardcore and related fields over the past few years, gathering up bands from around Australia and a couple from Britain and Japan. A lot of this music is outside my usual listening preference and some of it is beyond my tastes. Such as it is, I can't really give an objective opinion about some of the bands, particularly the more screamo-based acts like England's Johnny Truant who seem to exist just to make as harsh a noise as possible, but A Pirate's Life certainly gives a good overview of the label's aims and would surely be a good starting point for those who are looking for more underground and local alternatives to the foreign deluge.

First cab off the rank is Maroochydore's The Daylight Curse, one of those bands that blurs the definition between hardcore and metal to the degree where they are almost indiscernable from one another. Take away the breakdowns and core-ish gang vocals and "Stick to the Code" is a catchy melodic death metal song. There's no doubting which side of the fence an act like screamo outfit The Rivalry sit however with their very noisy and audaciously long "No Face for the Mentor", nor could fellow Adelaide lads Bloodsport be called anything but hardcore. Tokyo's Loyal to the Grave play a brutal mosh-heavy style of old-school metalcore that would please fans of bands like Vision of Disorder, and elsewhere The Amity Affliction come closest to any band here to a commercial prospect with the emo-leaning "I ♥ Throbsy". Art Vandelay and A Secret Death take a few leaves out of the early Neurosis copybook with their noisecore soundscapes. On the more metal side of things is Western Decay from Brisbane who tear out some speedy death metal and the time-signature defying The Abandonment. Other bands like Cross the Lips of Grace and Coma Lies create devastatingly brain-numbing attacks of dissonance that can't adequately be described but are fearsome in their pursuit of extremity.

Some of these bands would quite frankly drive me to ram a spike into my ears after more than a few minutes and terrify a casual audience, but those more attuned to it would probably find A Pirate's Life to be laden with some buried treasures.

1. The Daylight Curse - Stick to the Code
2. Anime Fire - Venom
3. The Abandonment - Digging Up the Dead
4. The Amity Affliction - I ♥ Throbsy
5. A Secret Death - idkfa
6. The Rivalry - No Face for the Mentor
7. Benneson Theory - I Trust Me
8. Johnny Truant - The Bloodening
9. Cross the Lips of Grace - Through Your Windows of Pain
10. Coma Lies - Paris, Wide On
11. Loyal to the Grave - Stagnation
12. Western Decay - Bloodclots and Clay
13. Art Vandelay - Donec Floruit
14. Bloodsport - Devoted to This
15. A Secret Death - Line of Progression
16. Infinite Thought Process - Moth Powder
17. Cross the Lips of Grace - Take Me to the Promised Land
18. Johnny Truant - I am the Primitologist, Mr Robrt Saposky
19. Naked Burn - Empty Hands
20. Loyal to the Grave - Endless Maze
21. Coma Lies - Take Me to the Stars... I Want to Go Home

Rating: 78%