It's all Summer-ish (pretty much) and why the heck do you want to be sitting around reading opinions on music? Answer: so you know what to listen to while you're out enjoying the nice weather. It pays to be prepared. Just sayin'...
BLACK INK STAIN, “Incidents”
If you’ve ever seen the movie “Black Dynamite” there’s the scene where he’s walking around the neighborhood and he is approached by two kids saying their dad is also named Black Dynamite and he awkwardly just tells them, “hush up little girls, lots of cats are named Black Dynamite”, in an obvious denial of owning up to past booty call consequences. I feel like anytime the members of Unsane walk into any venue in Europe they have to go through a similar rigmarole as band after band calls them ‘daddy’. Their influence has a streak a mile wide and France’s Black Ink Stain certainly have inclinations to carry that torch. They work in the same consistent tempo, sludgy dreck of sonic heaviness scraped off the boot of an aggravated gravedigger, ready to shank the next tourist looking for ‘rue Morgue’ with a dirty shard of glass in the form of pointed riffs that maim and clobber the listener. It’s a decent effort and it reminds me of Unsane off-shoot band Pigs more than anything, mixed with a good dose of European noise progenitors Breach. This appears to be the bands first full length release after a digital EP a few years back. But as they say, like father, like son. (Pogo Records)
DEMONS, “Privation”
With a name as painfully generic as Demons (discogs currently lists at least 11 other bands using the name) it might be a bit of a quest to look up this one you’re reading about here, if I hadn’t gone ahead and attached a link for you. Unimaginative names aside, the music of this Virginia-based unit spews forth like a geyser of noisy spite and fried nerves. This sounds like members of Hot Snakes were asked to do their best Converge impression and this is what came out. I can appreciate that. Of course, there’s some songs here that don’t exactly fit neatly into any real mold, especially mid-album ripper “Hosanna” which feels like it has a machine-like clanging backbeat going on, as well as closer “St. Luke” with it’s slow-motion alarm klaxon ringing out and mostly spoken/crooned vocals. It’s a slow and caustic finale to a high-energy record and I can roll with that given the faster pace of the rest of the album. (Spartan Records)
PIG DESTROYER, “Pornographers Of Sound”
Hearing Pig Destroyer captured live is not all that different than hearting them on a studio recording. If Scott Hull had his way there would be two of him at the show- one playing the guitar, and the other behind the board micro-managing every iota of sound that came from the stage. However, credit is also due to the guys in PD just being incredibly good musicians so naturally they’re going to sound great anyway and this 23 track live set from 2019 (and just released now) is a pretty great representation of what to expect if you ever do see them on one of their fairly rare live appearances. They may not have played my favorite song of theirs (c’mon, no “Phantom Limb”?) but they belt out at least a few choice tracks from all their records, sans “Explosions In Ward 6” and open things with the skull-smashing ripper “Sis”. What a great way to open a set. Hearing audience sing-alongs to sampled 82-second vocal disturbance “Jennifer” is an almost comedic thing to behold. But having seen PD myself on a couple occasions I can attest to fans ferociousness that parallels the bands own musical intensity. So yeah, enjoy this live grab bag of the groups catalog because they probably won’t be coming to your town any time in the near, or probably distant, future. (Relapse)
PRESSED, “Mirrored Body”
Happy to see this Memphis-based noise rock band has finally made a full length after a few years of steamrolling their sound over listeners heads. Similar in approach to their peers in groups like Nerver, Canyons, and especially Bummer they just dole out one short track after another of chunky riffs piled atop more beefy riffs. It’s a veritable Hungry Mans microwave dinner of music for the undiscerning listener who just wants to crush beer cans on their head while ripping the sleeves off all their shirts. My only complaint about this is it doesn’t quite feel like an album. There’s no arc, or apparent mid-point, peaks or valleys. It’s just a bunch of songs that could really be in any order, thus a number of them sound similar to one another. However, I don’t think this band has set out to create any grand masterpiece aimed at drawing a listener in to a variety of compositional fortitude. It’s clear they just want to riff and break skulls and they have seemed to accomplish that. (The Ghost Is Clear Records)
WORLD SMASHER, “Big Head” 7”
Hailing from, I think, the Bay Area World Smasher have a less abrasive sound than their name would imply. However, they are not without their bouts of fuzz-heavy distortion kicking in with each song. They lead off this 7” with the title track, which heavily brings to mind the band Kindling and their equally as potent brand of brash and abrasive shoegaze-y energetic indie rock that often comes off loud and raw, but also (as common with this style) soothing in the vocal department. However, that comparison fades a bit after that first track the other three songs here tend to lean into a somewhat laid back feel and little less on the catchy/energetic/bouncy feel. Though, as mentioned, each song does have it’s moments of explosive guitar fuzz bliss. It’s a mostly upbeat affair overall, yet giving enough attention to the light and airy side of things for some feel-good vibes without being so shoegaze it puts you to sleep. It’s a fun and pleasing listen as I tend to be a bit of a sucker for this style. (Forever Never Ends Records)
WORKING THROUGH RUST, “Words About the End” EP
Working Through Rust is a project between Tom Schlatter (Hundreds Of Au, You and I, a million other bands) and Steve Roche (Off Minor), as well as other friends, where they intermittently get together, throw out some ideas, and make some songs. No release they have made sounds quite like the other, as each takes a stab at a particular style. This go around they have opted for full-on Acme worship. OK, maybe a bit of Groundwork too. It’s just totally pulverizing filthy metallic hardcore that wastes no time with the double kick, hellish screaming, and chainsaw guitars. My references may be a bit dated for a younger audience but it’s 4 songs in 9 minutes, you have time to find out for yourself. Raw doesn’t begin to accurately define it. I love that the cover art looks like it could be from an Ire record. Yes, more old references. Deal with it. (self-released)
YAUTJA, “The Lurch”
I can’t imagine how any of these dudes hold down day jobs given, 1) how tough it must be to compose, learn, and rehearse the insanely-technical material Yautja comes up with and 2) the arms-length rap sheet of other past-and-present bands the members all have (including, but not limited to, Gnarwhal, Coliseum, Thou, and Thirdface). I can’t imagine any of them have time to spare for stuff like ‘gainful employment’ when music seems to seep from every filthy pore in their collective bodies. But here we’re talking about the new Yautja record, which the trio have managed to cram inside the most horribly colorful record cover my eyes have ever seen. For those of you who are looking for a timeline in which Mastodon were beaten to death with their own instruments after “Remission” came out and these guys seamlessly assumed their identity and carried on uninterrupted look no further. However, I’d even take it a step back further to say Yautja carry the spirit of gnarly Mastodon forbearers Lethargy and like-minded kin Human Remains as well. The drumming is absolutely insane on this and gives hyperactive strength to the already twisted and sludgy riffs scattered throughout “The Lurch” that go from repetitive Buzzov*en-meets-Voivod headfucks into grimy blast beat bliss without warning. It’s the kind of record where parts will get you immediately as they are incredibly impressive, but putting the whole thing together as a whole takes repeated listens. There’s a lot going on, even on a lengthy track like “Undesirables” that feels like one awesome riff with variations on the drumming for over 7 minutes. It’s technical overkill but not a riff salad, if that makes any sense. It all makes does make sense though, it just takes some time to sort it out. It’s worth going back over and over again in order to dissect all the parts to grasp the bands skill at being headscratchingly complex, yet powerfully catchy at the same time. (Relapse)
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