LOADED FOR BEAR / BIZARRE X

It's 2013, and aside from the shitty venue situation in Chicago and dealing with the cops shutting down shows, I am very stoked about the current scene. There are plenty of bands right now in Chicago that are worth checking out such as Sea of Shit, Worn Out, xAbruptx, Bogrot, Men As Witches and Machismo.  There are alot of people working hard and it's fucking awesome. The only other time I remember being this stoked about the DIY fast scene was 2007.   I was living in Logan Square at the time, and playing drums in a band called Belding, which eventually became Paucities after my best friend and bass player for Belding, Erik passed away.  Erik, Mike (Paucities) and I spent the entire year practicing, traveling and enjoying rich coffee while listening to dangerous amounts of grind in the grime sewer basement known as Casa Maldita. It was a wonderful time, an easier more simpler time it seems. Abrade, Disrobe, Altered Beast, Weekend Nachos, HWC..all these bands were killin it, however the one local band that truly was in a league of their own was Loaded For Bear. The Loaded For Bear/Bizarre X split cd is not only a testament to the brutality of Loaded For Bear, it will forever be a time capsule to that stoney summer of 2007.

The Intelligent lyrics, the gnarly vocal delivery,  the breakneck fucking riffs, the freak animal blast beats..no one in Chicago even came close to the sheer madness of this band and these songs. It was like Infest, Fubar, Kent Brockman and  Brutal Truth  thrown into a goddamn toxic genital blender. How they went overlooked in 2007 and today will forever puzzle me. The Loaded For Bear side of this album should have gained the attention of grinders worldwide, and these dudes should've been flown to every European and South American fest to showcase their talent. I must have listened to their side of the split for six months straight when it was released, and when I put it on recently all I could do was sit back and enjoy the memories of the my friend Erik laughing.

Much respect to Bizarre X, who I must mention as well. These dudes have been pummeling the German scene for quite some time with their brand of bass and drum grind. They had a new live tape come out as well, and it is brilliant. These guys are lifers for sure. However, as much as I adore the Bizarre X side, the Loaded for Bear material here is what continues to bring me back. All grinders around the world and especially locally should go back and check this out if you haven't already. If Loaded For Bear was still playing out, no one would be safe from the onslaught.

Cheers boys..now come back already!