Vinyl Words: Appalachian Terror Unit - Armageddon Won't Be Brought By Gods...

As promised, I'm going to start to do posts focusing on vinyl releases from independent artists. My first selection, the debut from Appalachian Terror Unit, is one that's been played on the turntable five or six times tonight, and I can't get over how great it is.

ATU is a five-piece from Huntington, West Virginia and they play a blend of crust punk and metal that is so tight I have a really hard time believing they're a new band. They sound like they've been together for a long time, not just a year. Remember Nausea? That's a decent comparison - tight, frenzied music fronted by strong female vocals.

Lyrically, the band preaches eco-awareness, completing the politically aware anarcho-punk circle. The title track shows the band talking about (and railing against) the removal of mountains in the band's Appalachian home to mine coal. ATU's vocalist Sarah starts out speaking against it, with the great line "You can't replant a mountain," and pointing fingers at everyone guilty, from the government to the mining companies, including an eye-opening statement of "Every time we turn on the lights, we're guilty."

Other tracks show the band lashing out against the war and capitalism in general, and always in their tight frenzied way. I like music with a message, especially when the message is so well-presented. The environmental movement would do well to utilize bands like ATU to help carry their message.

They are currently working on a full-length, also on Profane Existence, and it will probably be out sometime in 2008. Until, then, you better move to get this record. Armageddon Won't Be Brought By Gods... is selling out way fast. The Profane Existence site already seems to be sold out of them. If you want to score a copy, you're going to need to move fast, and order it through the band's Myspace site (and to hear samples of ATU's music before you buy). I highly recommend you do so as soon as possible.

The band is getting ready to tour. The venues aren't set in stone, but you can click more to see the itinerary so far.

Appalachian Terror Unit Tour Dates

Stay tuned to the band's Myspace site for more info on tour dates and venues.

Cover art courtesy of Profane Existence Records