Me and Him Call it Us - Loss (2006)

This band does not care what you think.  They do what they want, when they want.  They take the notion of 'song structure' and piss on it.  Bands with such little regard for what makes music 'music' usually teeter on a narrow, steep plateau between the valley of glorious triumph and the pit of utter failure.  Me and Him Call it Us dive off of this plateau head-first into the former.  Screeching, roaring and growling nearly unintelligible lyrics amidst flurries of furious shredding punctuated by shamelessly brutal breakdowns, this band unabashedly carves out their own niche among what some might call genres of 'screamo' or 'grindcore' while subscribing to neither.  Another aspect that adds a unique quality to this album is the atmospheric and noisy ambient interludes found scattered throughout.  These really break up the ruthlessness and give you a chance to catch your breath before shoving your head straight back into the toilet.

Loss

Mare - Mare (2004)

"total destroy of my mind, awesome stuff"

~some last.fm user

I couldn't have said it any better myself but I'll try to elaborate for your sake.

If you find yourself listening to Kayo Dot's first record, Choirs of the Eye, and wishing there were anything else in that vein of avant-garde brutality, then this is something you need to investigate.  These Toronto natives have a sludge-tinged chamber music combination reminiscent of Kayo Dot's but the execution is much more raw and minimal.  Don't get me wrong though, the immense, relentless power of Tyler Semrick-Palmateer's vocals really set this band apart.  His growls and haunting shrieks are that of the darkest nightmares while his soothing croon is almost angelic.  These polarities alone exemplify the band's sound and the instruments follow suit, ranging from crushingly distorted guitar to melancholic french horn.  This demo turned EP really spans the entire spectrum and is a truly exciting musical journey I'd highly recommend.

(thanks, lies)

 

Mare