Head Hits Concrete/My Minds Mine

Formed out of the ashes of infamous grindcore freaks Swallowing Shit four years ago, Winnipeg's Head Hits Concrete have unleashed the follow-up to their debut seven-inch in the form of this split ten-inch with My Minds Mine. HHC have an even more chaotic sound than Swallowing Shit did, combining manic screaming, blasting drums and chaotic riffs that all seem to be just waiting to fall apart at the seams. "We started the band to have some fun and to fill a void in the extreme music scene in Winnipeg," says HHC singer Mike Alexander. "Weak and pathetic Christian hardcore was all the rage at that point, so we went in to eradicate the bullshit right wing element that makes hardcore such an unwelcoming place for so many kids." Alexander's lyrics are fuelled by political and social issues, namely sexism and militarism, which adds to the intensity of the music. "Music without meaning usually ends up confusing and alienating me," says Alexander. "I'm singing about the things that I can't seem to resolve through conversations with people." Given the band's attempt to get messages across through their music, the age-old idea of having decipherable vocals and a more watered down sound comes up, but Alexander's not biting. "We don't care about the popularity contest. We'd lose on the account of our looks alone." The perhaps better looking My Minds Mine play a very similar grinding hardcore, also with socially aware lyrics, which fans of Shit and HHC will eat up.