A split from two rising Northwest bands. The angular post-hardcore noise of Seattle's Balsa combines aggressive guitar-driven bursts and themes of perseverance in an AmRep-inspired bar fight of dueling riffs. Recorded by NW legend Tad Doyle (TAD, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth). RIYL 400 Blows, Metz, The Jesus Lizard, Unsane. Portland's Sei Hexe bring harsh brutality and pummeling defiance. The intense all-female band channels forces of nature and darkness with mind-shredding vocals and dense compositions tapping Doom, Goth, Crust and Punk, conjuring a blackened Babes in Toyland. RIYL Gallhammer, Tragedy, Kylesa, Tombs. Oxblood red & bronze splatter vinyl with download card. Artwork by Sean Schock (YOB, BOTSC). Balsa From the bowels of Seattle’s SoDo district, Balsa blasts angular post-hardcore noise fueled by strife and triumph. The four-piece combines AmRep aggression and experimentation with twisted dual-guitar arrangements and muscular rhythms. Vocalist Omari Taylor’s street-wary themes of grit and perseverance draw from the landscape of their SoDo home base. This confrontational aesthetic winds through all of Balsa's music, whether battling demons within (“Fighting For Control”), personal antagonists (“Rasputin”- a tribute to the famously maligned but perserverant historical figure) or self-indulgent scenes (“One Hoarse Town” - featured on KEXP's iconic punk show Sonic Reducer). Sei Hexe Formed by Portland roommates in 2007, SEI HEXE sets the bar for all-female extreme music, spinning epic doom, goth and crust-fueled compositions with dark, nature-rooted themes. Vocalist Amelia Dawn spearheads a searing live band that combines symphonic arrangements with unhinged vocal rage. Their first full length set To Rot My Soul Is Smiling connected songs around each of the elements (earth, air, fire and water) in a brutal metal juggernaut. Now, they team up with Seattle's BALSA for a split 7” with their most pummeling work to date: “Safely Endangered Species” matches a half-time D-beat groove with an unforgettable guttural vocal hook, while “Synapses Crawling” weaves searing guitar tones in a metalized cacophony. Not for the weak, SEI HEXE makes it all harsh and brutal.