Countdown to MDF X: (33) Deviated Instinct

Deviated Instinct is credited with inventing the term "stenchcore," another way of saying crust punk. The crust punk lifestyle, in case you were not aware, involves minimal bathing, living on the streets or sqautting in abandoned homes and of course, listening to this extreme anarcho-punk-metal. The crust punks have essentially carried on the "traditions" and lyrical themes set forth by the anarchist punks from the 70s and 80s: that is, the world is going to hell anyway, so why bother. Their sound is often compared to the earlier recordings of another pioneering British crust punk band Amebix.

Staying true to all that is crusty and brutal, this British band that started off in the mid 1980s, has barely changed their sound in 28 years.  If you liked the nihilistic songs from their first recording, Welcome to the Orgy, you won't be disappointed by what they have to offer on the their later recordings. They enjoyed underground success until they broke up in 1991.

During the interim, interest in Deviated Instinct was maintained when songs appeared on compilations and also through guitarist Rob Middleton's short-lived industrial Spine Wrench project. Reuniting in 2007, the current line-up includes original members Leggo (vocals), Rob "Mid" Middleton (guitar/vocals), and Snapa (bass guitar), as well as drummer Tony who started playing sometime in the 90s.

Deviated Instinct plays Saturday afternoon, May 26, at the 2012 Maryland Deathfest. In June, they release a 12" vinyl EP, Liberty Crawls to the Santuary of Slaves. Hopefully they will have some on hand for sale. The newest songs might be a little darker and doomier than the fast tempo songs they have played in the past. I have included a live set video from 2011 that includes one of the songs from the new EP, "Blunt Instrument."

Countdown to MDF X: (36) Dragged Into Sunlight

Sometimes you hear music that makes your jaw drop. I did that the first time I heard Dragged Into Sunlight (DIS). The second time I listened to them, I knew I would never be the same. Dragged Into Sunlight will perform mid-day at the 2012 Maryland Deathfest on Saturday, May 26. I hope they are playing inside.

I don’t really want to categorize the music of DIS, but I will say this. They are, in a way, crusty, doom-y, sludge-y, blackish, death-like and certainly metal. Hailing from the UK and founded in 2006, the members of this four-person act choose to remain anonymous.

If the YouTube videos are any indication, their live performance will seem creepy and mysterious. The band begins their set in utter blackness while programmed introductory sounds or audio clips build to a deafening crescendo. As they strike their first chords, the candlelit figures are blasted continuously by strobe. Your camera is not going to work.

The band, except for the drummer, never faces the audience. You feel voyeuristic, like you have stumbled onto the rehearsal for some strange ritual. The relentless wall of sound simultaneously compels and repulses.

Pretentious? Yeah, maybe a little, but at least they don’t wear corpse paint, hooded robes, kilts, or rubber alien costumes. If this band’s only “gimmick” is that they choose to play inwardly, toward themselves, and not the audience, then I am down with that. Music written for the musician’s ear is typically 100 times better than music written to please a particular audience's expectations.

DIS’s most recent recording, Widwomaker, is a 45-minute continuous epic slated for release later this year on Prosthetic Records. Download two crushing songs from their previous recording, Hatred for Mankind, “Boiled Angel” and “Buried with Leeches” here. Prepare yourself. This is some of the weirdest, most powerful and otherworldly shit you will ever hear. Read a more comprehensive interview here.