Short Reviews [Various Artists - 2024 - "NEF100. Burn After Hearing"]

I am fortunate enough to hear music from some incredibly varied and interesting labels, and there is no doubt in my mind that Nefarious Industries is one of the finest around in that they seemingly have no limits to what they release, understanding that there are some of us who enjoy being challenged in what we are presented with to listen to, and any label who delivers up the likes of Gridfailure will always find room for me to explore. Originally founded as a collective of like-minded individuals seeking an outlet to release off-kilter music, Nefarious Industries has grown into a label which has now reached the heady milestone of 100 releases and to celebrate they are releasing ‘Burn After Hearing’, a compilation of fourteen exclusive tracks that showcase the harrowing sonic landscape of their eclectic roster. It features new and exclusive songs from instrumental deviants and label co-founders El Drugstore, freshly reunited sludge thrashers Arbogast, D-beat technicians Nequient, dissonant post-punk veterans Risk Relay, and ambient/dark-hardcore alchemist Gridfailure. The label is especially excited to resurrect long-dormant avant-garde metal ensemble The DRX and hypnotic doom-jazz trio Zevious. The stacked track list also includes crossover thrash veterans Psychosomatic breathing new life into a well-known classic, as well as fresh material from post-hardcore noise-mongers Bedtimemagic, esoteric riff-trippers Gematria, ambient drone mastermind ZVI, garage/math rock duo Fuck Your Birthday, art-jazz punks Cinema Cinema, and experimental grunge collective Humans Etcetera. Each song is being released digitally, with an appropriate album cover tie-in, prior to the album coming out in mid-June when it will be available on both vinyl and CD. There will be few who will enjoy all the tracks, as while I found El Drugstore interesting and Arbogast punchy and powerful, the song between them was by The DRX which was far too indie art rock for me, but I am also aware I am probably in the minority when I say that Gridfailure’s “Blades and Arson Instead” is the standout track to my ears. As one would expect from the label, this is a varied and interesting release which will have varying degrees of interest to those who hear it, but it is a fascinating way of discovering “new” musicians and bands to look out for from a very underground scene indeed.