It felt like the first half of this year was kind of slow and then all of a sudden- BOOM_ everything has been happening all at once. I'm guessing I'm not alone in that feeling am I? Well, that same notion has occurred to me with musical offerings this year. At least, for me, only a few things really jumped out at me so far, but now a whole bunch of really cool stuff is making me take a second look and you can read about some of it here.
AMENRA, “De Doorn”
I’ve seen this band twice now and I cannot grasp it to save my life. When the seemingly unending wave of Neurosis/Isis worship bands started falling from the sky like frogs in a biblical reckoning it got so boring, so quick I was really hoping the end of days was near. Amenra seemed to spring up around this time as well, some 15 or so years back. But let’s be completely clear: there is, and only ever will be, one Neurosis. Anything else is just an imitator to the throne. Perhaps the reigning kings are a bit more forgiving because one of the times I saw Amenra was on tour with Neurosis (and I thought, ‘why is a Neurosis clone opening for Neurosis?’) and Neurot Records released several Amenra albums. But here we are and they have a new record, and I’m still just as unswayed by these 10 minute songs as I was the other times I’ve seen them do this live. It’s basically intense doom music with extremely quiet spoken parts and then giant heavy, repetitive parts that- while clearly emotional to the band- are about as exciting to me as having a dream about filing my taxes. I’m utterly perplexed as to why this band receives acclaim elsewhere. To me this has about as much atmosphere as Pluto. So either I’m shallow and my taste in music sucks, or people who enjoy this are also the same types who drive 30 in a 55 and take 20 minutes at a self-checkout to sort through 5 items. (Relapse)
CHIMES OF BAYONETS, “Indexer” 7”
Ithaca’s Chimes Of Bayonets returns with their second EP in a pretty short amount of time. While I thought their last record lacked a bit in terms of a recording that captured their sound all that well (or maybe it was just a fairly new band getting their bearings) this one sounds quite full, maybe as a result of just natural growth as a band or maybe having J. Robbins mix your record… maybe a bit of both? Either way, these are fellas that have played together for quite some time, having done a handful of records as Why+The+Wires. But with any new (new-ish?) band, regardless of familiar players it takes time to sort out what you’re aiming for with a different project. That all being said, these three new tunes are more fully formed and sound straight out of the later 90’s Southern Records catalog- Ui, Atombombpocketknife, Dianogah, even a little bit of Sweep the Leg Johnny; all good stuff combining for somewhat math-y indie with a bit of saxophone for texture. It works. (Habitforming Records)
DAUGHTERS OF SAINT CRISPIN, s/t
The set up and pace of Godflesh, as played by Slint. Two dudes and a drum machine going really slow and sort of heavy, but doesn’t quite match the mechanized sludge of the doom and gloom overlords. Rather they come with a more indie-ish (even with some nods to melody!) take on that monolithic sound. They dropped an EP last year and one of those songs gets a redo on this 8 song full length, and I feel like that EP had an overall heavier sound than this outing. It’s neither a good nor a bad thing, but I can’t totally say this is chubbing me up either. It’s a decent effort of slowcore and, for my own taste, it takes a certain kind of band for me to enjoy an album’s worth of songs that regularly go over the 6 minute mark. Daughters of St. Crispin ain’t half bad, but it’s not necessarily for me. (Phratry/ Force Publique)
DRUG CHURCH, “Tawny” EP
At this point Drug Church is just about maintaining consistency. Unless their upcoming full length (of which this EP is basically a teaser) starts throwing in bagpipes or a Theremin or something it’s a pretty sure bet the band will continue their solid streak of post-hardcore rock for all to enjoy. That shouldn’t be read as the band being complacent and getting stale. They seem to still have plenty of good ideas that come out in the form of fun riffs, cynical/clever lyrics, and an obsession with groups like Seaweed, Chavez, and maybe a more aggressive Culture Abuse. It all works very well for them and it’s highly enjoyable to listen to. They may have honed in on better recording techniques, or tapped into melody a bit more (as spotlighted in the Arcwelder cover closing out the EP), but its just dudes who were already good at what they do doing better. This is only 4 songs (and around 10 minutes) so it may be a stretch to drop LP money on this, but it’s very worthy of throwing a few bucks at and checking out in anticipation of their next full length. (Pure Noise)
EKULU, “Unscrew My Head”
Hardcore often demands redundancy. It’s a big reason why I like to stretch the boundaries and incorporate other styles into my definition of it because otherwise 5,000 bands that all sound the same gets pretty boring after awhile. So what do you do when the kids just want to mosh their faces off without carefully considering an interesting timing structure in a song, or incorporating brainy lyrics that don’t exactly lend themselves to a pile-up sing-along, but you want to push the genre? That’s the trick many hardcore bands fail to accomplish. You have to be clever with nudging the sound into exciting new realms by pretending you’re doing the same thing as the others, but just doing it better and sneaking in those flourishes where others might not notice (though opening salvo “Becoming/New Life Jam” make it pretty clear this won’t be a typical ride on the mosh train). Ekulu is really good at that. On the surface they sound like a New York hardcore band with some metallic leanings. But you listen to what the drums are doing (like on the title track), or how the guitars throw in leads and solos without being overly indulgent, the vocals having a semi-Integrity quality to them, and then absolutely crushing breakdowns that will turn any logical pondering into total right brain reptile savagery in moments. Ekulu exists somewhere between other hardcore bands with exceptionally talented players like Rule Them All (sans some of the more melodic tendencies) or Take Offense (minus as much of the Suicidal Tendencies), and filtered through some classic NYHC. It’s a great debut LP after a couple 7”s that I’m sure a ton of people have been waiting on. Just try not to lose your shit between the endings of both, “Half Alive” or “Pick Your Fight”. Bet you can’t. (Cash Only Records)
GLOOP, “Crayon Sun”
This is already the West Virginia bands third record in about as many years and they just get weirder, and somehow more catchy at the same time. Somewhere in the realm of sassy-chaotic punk (think much of the 31G or Gold Standard Labs catalog), but without the immediate annoyances that come with a categorization of that type, Gloop have something a bit different going on. If you enjoy contemporaries like Trvss or USA Nails then meet your new baby daddy. They even bring to mind some 90’s Touch n’ Go vibes via The Monorchid on “Old Man Flower” or “A Hole In the Nest”. However, they are able to lay down some heavy in a serpentine, tactical sort of way (check like most of the B-side) just as easily as they can wind up and let loose with the spazz stuff (note previously mentioned tracks). This is their best effort by far and it’s very impressive for those who dig the wilder side of things. (Grimoire Records)
THE GRASSHOPPER LIES HEAVY, “A Cult That Worships a God Of Death”
Known for being aggressively all over the map in the past, as well as mostly instrumental, San Antonio’s The Grasshopper Lies Heavy returns with a new full length that reins in the variety a bit, but still gives you two sides of their wide palette of sound for a pretty awesome listening experience. The first half of the record is a sonic pummeling full of burly manthems (yes, I made that word up) that acolytes of Breather Resist will surely give their stamp of approval to. That’s the half with lots of vocals and plenty of riffs, save for the 3 minute intro that is mostly feedback. The second half kicks off with the title track, over 8 minutes split into several sections, but worry not! Between that and the almost-as-long following track “Bullet Curtain” the band is able to keep the attention of the listener throughout as big ‘ol chunky riffs collide with strange melodies back-and-forth that not only shows a skill for writing longer songs, but also not being so self-indulgent that the listener is bored to tears. It’s a quality skill to have. So yes, an overall more concise offering from TGLH yet still manages to showcase a range of hostility. Well done. (Learning Curve Records)
KNUB demo
Break out the 90’s dust bin and look to such long-forgotten dollar rack CDs such as Sugar Tooth, or maybe Stompbox. How about some Handsome and early STP, or maybe even “Aftertaste”-era Helmet for something a bit more recognizable…. Therein you will find the source material for the debut EP from Baltimore’s Knub. Four songs so dialed in to early/mid-90s on-the-cusp-of-commercial-grunge that each purchase comes with a pre-ripped flannel shirt, a pair of Doc Martens, and some hair bleach. If it sounds like I’m being a jerk just know that I’m absolutely giddy about this release. I’m a sucker for this sort of post-hardcore riff machine that likely requires a fission reactor just to power the RAT pedals dirty-ing up their racket. It’s probably one of the best demos I’ve heard all year. A lot of bands give this sound a shot, and a bunch are good but don’t grasp the sound quite accurately. Knub may have actually time-travelled from the Lollapalooza ’93 side-stage just to bring the past to you, now. I fully embrace it, as should you, as it barfs its way into the future. It’s like a cinder block coated in strawberry frosting. Feel free to take this t-shirt idea: Eddie Murphy in his SNL grown-up “Buckwheat” character with the caption “I Lub Knub”. (self-released/tapes via The Ghost Is Clear)
REMAIN SEDATE, “Unwell”
Remain Sedate, formerly known as Crisis Actor, may have re-christened themselves as a clear ode to Rorschach, but their music is a few generations removed from the godfathers of chaotic hardcore. You have Rorschach, which begat Deadguy and Converge, which begat Botch and Coalesce, which gave youngins like Every Time I Die and Norma Jean a twinkle in their eyes, which spawned a million shitty offspring. So where does Remain Sedate fall in the endless branching of this vast tree? Well, they’re certainly on the young end, which may make their immediate connection to the originators a bit hard to grasp (no one can control when they’re born), or for their intentions to feel genuine. Musically I think they have more in common with a group like Turmoil, who certainly loved themselves some Deadguy stuff (and did great things with that influence), but were rooted more firmly in metallic hardcore- emphasis on hardcore- at their base. Remain Sedate sound like a heavy, metallic-leaning hardcore band who like some chaos in their sound. It’s a good first full length that may not quite tap into the energy of the OGs, but it does a decent job of carrying the torch in an updated way. (self-released) *this record has not been released yet so attached is music from their previous EP