Dang, all this stuff I expected to check out over the summer is turning into a plethora of things I'll be spinning throughout the fall. Yes, we all know, everything on earth is delayed... especially in the music world. But hey, here we are, let's enjoy it as it comes our way. Here's a particular load of stuff that I have been both expecting, and some stuff that just showed up on my radar unexpectedly, which is always pretty kick ass.
FILTH IS ETERNAL, “Love Is a Lie, Filth Is Eternal”
Filth Is Eternal is the Seattle band formerly known as Fucked and Bound. Same band, different name. Apparently, they were having a lot of trouble getting booked on shows because their original moniker wasn’t a terribly inviting thing to see on flyers, storefront windows, censor-friendly social media algorithms, and kids birthday parties were right out. So they changed it. I guess they just don’t have the clout of Fucked Up huh? Well, be that as it may, I thought this band had all but threw in the towel because the last I heard anything from them (and very loudly at that) they were wrecking my face on New Years Eve 2019/2020 with a scathing live set. What else was I gonna do on the eve of the apocalypse? So, as everyone knows, stuff happened last year and I guess these cats kept busy writing more riffs and thinking of a new name. They also happened to record a new album and it’s just coming out now-ish. But due to that name change they sort of fell off my radar. However I’m really glad I saw their picture online and they looked familiar and then the light bulb over my head went off, and I put it all together. Yes, they are still writing raging hardcore punk that’s heavy on the skuzzy riffage, while vocalist Lisa Mungo follows you around the pit so she can yell in your face and deny your hi-five (but maybe chug your beer). Trap Them but less Entombed? Couch Slut but less noise rock? Perhaps an ugly and sinister combination of the two to make a hardcore wrecking machine? I think so. (QuietPanic)
FOTOCRIME, “Heart Of Crime”
I will openly admit that I listen to the music of Fotocrime because of who it is made by. Otherwise, I seldom ever dabble with music that could be described as anything between krautrock or new wave synth music. It remains a large gap in my musical knowledge. But I have been a long time fan of basically anything Ryan Patterson devotes himself to creatively and seeing his progression as an artist over the last 20 plus years between bands like National Acrobat, Black Cross, Coliseum, and now Fotocrime those changes are rarely minor dalliances in new sounds; they’re often great leaps into the unknown. So on this, the third Fotocrime full length he is, for the first time, taking the reins on everything about the writing, performing, and recording of all aspects of the record. In the past guest players would often round out the lineup of the band, frequently collaborators whom I also greatly admire. And on this there’s the occasional guest vocal, or minor guitar part from several different musical friends. But overall it’s Patterson at the helm for, like 95% of it. Again, my descriptive vocabulary for what’s going on here is hardly expert level, but I feel like the material on “Heart Of Crime” errs a little more minimal than it was on “South Of Heaven”, the last Fotocrime record, which I greatly enjoyed. There’s a bit more motorik repetition on some tracks (the opening title track comes to mind), 90’s industrial (“Industry Pig”), sparse, dusty almost Americana on “Learn To Love the Lash”, and dark pop on tracks like “Crystal Caves” and “Electric Café”. It’s all done with variations on just what one can do with a drum machine while making the effort to let the listener know it’s indeed not a human playing those beats. Add to it Patterson’s cold baritone vocals, his glimmering guitar melodies, and an abundance of different synths and you got “Heart Of Crime”, a worthy addition to the musical journey our man is on. (Profound Lore)
LUNG, “Come Clean Right Now”
Some of this sounds exactly as you’d imagine a duo of a drummer and vocalist/cellist making music together, and on some of this record they manage to make a cello sound like a chainsaw and pouring concrete mixed together. Yes, you can add distortion effects to an electric cello and it’s pretty wild. This is what Cincinnati-based Lung has been at for a few years now and it’s a unique take on parts rock music/punk/classical/ weirdo/noise rock… uh, basically doing their own thing. It’s pretty hard to classify but the combination of cellist/vocalist Kate Wakefield and drummer Daisy Caplan shift between math-y noise rock on the title track, morose/epic choruses on “Wave”, and more straightforward heavy rock sounds on “Sun God”. All of this is propelled by Wakefield’s almost operatic vocals that make this duo sound very much like a full band with multiple elements going on to create a very one-of-a-kind sound. (self-released)
METZ, “Live At the Opera House”
I’m a sucker for basically anything that Metz tosses out at us. The Canadian trio has such a solid grip on insanely energetic noise rock/punk that a ‘live’ record would likely accompany a definition of ‘lightning in a bottle’. However, this live record was captured via a live stream from last year when absolutely no one was attending any live concerts. So, this comes off more like a live studio recording more than anything. I mean, if you’ve never been to a Metz show you need to do so. It’s fucking wild. They hurl themselves about, sweating on everything and everyone, yet still play absolutely perfect… or at least with all the feedback and buzzing one would expect from a band that prides themselves on their racket. And the audience is generally equally as energetic and to be able to capture that live is the essence of a real live record. Sure, on “Live At the Opera House” you get to catch the band do extended takes on “A Boat To Drown In” and “Wet Blanket” that are fun for gear nerds and pedal enthusiasts to dissect. But there is no sound between songs, no audience spillover, no witty stage banter, no off-notes or mistakes (which can be fun to hear on a live record, though Metz are so dialed in to one another as musicians you probably will never hear a mistake from them); it’s sterile in that regard. I tuned in to this live stream when it originally broadcast and as far as live streams go it was exceptionally well done with great sound and a professional quality to the filming. The band basically plays through the entirety of their most excellent “Atlas Vending” album and then throws in a couple older tracks at the end and that’s it. If you like to listen to how adept these fellows are at playing together this is fine. For those of us who like a bit of chaos in a live recording this ain’t the jam for you. (Sub Pop)
TURNSTILE, “Glow On”
Plenty of dusty old has-beens get mad about this band. Oh well, they can stay in their basements pining for the days when they could execute a stagedive without throwing their back out. The rest of us will be going bananas for new Turnstile stuff regardless of whatever they decide to throw into their musical mix. For them it’s all about the energy and momentum and everyone is invited to the party, even those with tender backs. The first half of “Glow On” is straight bangers- lots of groove, lots of speed, ridiculously fun breakdowns, and a good deal of added percussion whether it sounds organic (“Blackout”), or out of a Casio keyboard beat sampler (“Holiday”). With the exception of the ultra breezy, pop-saturated “Underwater Boi” the band save their bold steps forward mostly on the second half of the album, particularly the almost acoustic “Alien Love Call” and quick in-and-out segue of “No Surprise”. But for those claiming the band is so far removed from being a hardcore band I’d argue that just because the production on this sounds massive and there’s a bunch of pop effects scattered about take a listen to most of these songs. They hit exactly as you would want a hardcore band to sound- fast part, catchy riff, crazy breakdowns… that’s all it is. And they’re really fucking good at it. My only complaint is that at 15 tracks they may have tried to add a little too much and maybe a couple of those side B tracks where they’re stretching their musical wings to an almost hokey degree (“Dance Off”?) could have been dropped just to keep the momentum going non-stop. Oh, and the other complaint being I wish they dropped this earlier in the summer so it could full on be the reigning champ for summer jams. This is a total summer raging record. Listen and have fun. (Roadrunner)
ZAHN, s/t
Here’s a fun little project I stumbled across that is a side band for members of Heads. Zahn seems a pretty logical extension of that band with their intense appreciation of all things tone, repetition, heaviness, and giving the music plenty of space to breathe. However, Zahn is totally instrumental. On this record the first half is more upbeat, moving along at a pretty quick clip with lots of repetitive riffs and some heavier, noisy moments. Mid-record track “Gyhum” changes things by laying down a synthesized beat over basically just noise and samples before the second half of the album kicks in with a slower pace more in line with what you would find on a Heads record. I think I like the second half better though as it gives off hints of Pelican, or Young Widows, though a bit more sparse at times. “Aykroyd” introduces a low-end baritone style sax to add heft to the main riff and makes me think of fellow sax-heavy riff machine Brain Tentacles, while closer “Staub” is a lengthy and morose dive into a somber, yet spacey, meditation on taut riff economics. But hey, these cats are German so they probably scientifically engineered these songs to be tested in a controlled setting before letting them loose for maximum efficiency. (Crazysane Records)
ZULU, “My People… Hold On/ Our Time Will Come” 12”
I’ll be the first to admit there’s a bit of a cognitive disconnect with some of what is hyped up and my age. I’m clearly in the ‘old man yells at cloud’ stage of life (utterly ancient if you want to carbon date me in hardcore years), but at the very least I can usually understand why something is popular with people even if it doesn’t directly speak to me. With LA’s Zulu bursting on to the scene they are juxtaposing hardcore’s extreme present with a focus on black culture and black music. They weave their metallic hardcore and blast beats with long samples of soul, hip-hop, and black liberation speeches into minute-long whirlwind head trips. Immediate comparisons to East Coast contemporaries Soul Glo are to be expected as both groups meld their vision of hardcore (SG with a more ‘screamo’-leaning sound) with hip-hop and black power though Zulu lean more into the quick transitions of metallic beatdown a la Jesus Piece (frontman Aaron Heard even makes a vocal guest appearance on “Now They Are Through With Me”) and blasting powerviolence of groups like Weekend Nachos. It’s a wild combination. But I have to say it’s not all that much of a stretch for me to grasp as there was a time when hip-hop and hardcore crossed paths frequently in the late 80’s and early 90’s- stylistically they were very different, but each sound came from the streets and unified people who were taking a chance with new musical ideas. You can find old NYHC matinees featuring KRS-One playing along side Sick Of It All. I once saw Quicksand open for Tribe Called Quest. It was brilliant. So to see bands co-mingling these sounds for a new era is refreshing and exciting and Zulu do a pretty good job of it. Plus (even though it’s totally sold out) take a look at this record- a collection of two EPs freshly combined onto wax- it looks amazing. (Flatspot Records)
