Alternative Tentacles tosses our well-worn thinking cap into the no-holds-barred, no-child-left-behind ring of Educore with Hell Bent for Letters, the latest outing by Seattle's BLOODHAG. Formed in 1995 to stimulate a communion between literacy and punk/metal, BLOODHAG boasts a lineup of noted science fiction authors Prof. J. B. Stratton, Dr. J. M. McNulty, Sir Zachary Orgel and the shadowy occultist master Brent Carpenter. They created the genre of Edu-core and operate under the motto "The faster you go deaf, the more time you have to read." While BLOODHAG's minute-long songs have the common theme of esteemed authors such as George Orwell and Philip K. Dick--and their live shows include between-song mini-lectures as well as pelting of the audience with books--the music counters with the blunt force of bands like BRUJERIA, PANTERA and SEPULTURA. It's open to debate whether Edu-core can actually pummel literary history into the hungry minds of head-banging youth, but we certainly can't blame BLOODHAG for trying to bridge the gap between death metal tombs and Pulizerwilling tomes or the beer-soaked venues and pristine libraries (yes, they really tour public libraries). With their neckties and pocket protectors cocked and loaded, BLOODHAG is ready to stave off the dumbing down of America. So, invest in the leaders of tomorrow! Buy Hell Bent for Letters today!
