Still / Form is a 3 piece band that emerged in the midst of the stagnation of 2020, as people shuttered themselves in and thought of ways to pass the time.
Guitarist/vocalist Robert Comitz’s previous band, Marriage + Cancer, had recently dissolved and he was thinking of what was to come next. After trading out some gear, messing around with new sounds and tones, and coming across bassist Kirk Evans (Dark Numbers) and drummer Ryan Losli (Almost Is Nothing/Ireshrine), Still / Form took shape.
They spent the better part of a year crafting songs in Comitz’s recording studio, which made it easy to demo material as it came together. As they got the songs to where they wanted them to be, Still / Form recorded an album’s worth of material.
By the summer of 2021, they came out of their recording cave and played their first show. Things started moving along quickly after that as the record went through several mixes, eventually being put into the capable hands of Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City) to work his magic on it. The result is, “From the Rot Is a Gift”
Retaining some of the disturbing and jarring guitar work reminiscent of Marriage + Cancer, but with a much more sludgy heft, Still / Form plods and trudges through a gauntlet of experimental sounds, driving bass, and sharp attack. Comitz’ raspy vocals provide an unsettling disposition against the music that can’t simply be categorized as ‘metal’, or ‘noise rock’, but certainly can be filed into much broader and less definable terms, such as ‘weird’ and ‘heavy’.
Hex Records will be releasing Still / Form’s debut full length, and in the meantime the band will be out and about playing more shows.
For now, take a peek at some recent live footage of the band here:
I don't know about you, but this was the year for amazing EPs, singles, demos... basically short records. While a few LPs completely dominated (see the first two entries) there were so many good EPs that I was loving. Don't know why. That's just how my personal list played out. Anyway, here's what was good for me this year, as well as some stuff I'm looking forward to next year.
TURNSTILE, “Glow On”
I’d say getting songs stuck in your head for multiple months
is probably reason enough to add this to a year end list.This an incredibly fun, engaging, and
surprisingly very thoughtful record (well, minus “Dance Off”) and if you don’t
want to bounce around and sing-along to this you might actually be dead inside.
QUICKSAND, “Distant Populations”
My favorite band ever has legit made some of their best
songs.I’m totally biased, but the
band has really gotten their groove back of writing incredible songs
together.I couldn’t be more
pleased.This one has consistently
gotten tons of play since it was released.
DRIP-FED, “Kill the Buzz”
Some of the most fun and ripping hardcore I’ve heard in
quite awhile.Super fun and
melodic like the best Polar Bear Club jams paired up with the wild
punk/hardcore energy of groups like Hour Of the Wolf to make this wonderful
second LP from the Austin group.
BUMMER, “Dead Horse”
Total ass-beating music from this KC trio.They make more noise between the three
of them than a symphony of monster trucks tearing ass through a junkyard.Riffs upon riffs upon riffs, heaped
atop of pulverizing groove and a relentless drive to make some of the best new
noise rock one could possibly ask for.
FIDDLEHEAD, “Between the Richness”
I was a bit biased against this group for no good reason
previously.I never really got
into Have Heart and I got a bit uppity about hardcore kids acting like this
band was re-inventing the wheel or something when countless emotional HC/indie
bands from Rites Of Spring to Braid have pulled it off successfully over the
years.But I got over myself and
realized this is just a really fucking good band who made a really fucking good
record.Super melodic, super
driving, great vocals, and great songs.
Favorite EPs
PORCUPINE, “The Sybil”
Yes, bring on completely unhinged hardcore mayhem.A band that covers Deadguy just as
easily as they attempt a Suicide cover gets a nod in my book.To me they sound like Rorschach for
today’s world- making crazy music firmly rooted in fast hardcore, but
completely open to taking chances on the unknown.They did an excellent job with this ripping EP that comes in
a really cool package and I hope they continue to make amazing new recordings
at their seemingly furious pace.
CHERUBS, “Slo Blo 4 Frnz & Sxy”
You know I love weird and heavy and Cherubs are about as
weird and heavy as it gets.I
don’t do drugs but Cherubs makes me think I do.Can you break edge to audio recordings?They recorded a few new songs and then
offered digital versions (or just slow your record player to 33 rpm) of the
same songs reallllly slow.It’s
fucked up.But their sense of
non-stop noisy feedback over the fuzziest of riffs and the wildest swinging
drumbeat ever and vocals so off-kilter one wonders how people grow up to be
this way.I love it.No one sounds like Cherubs and that’s
what makes them incredible.
BRAIN CAVE, “Log World”
Post-hardcore leaning real heavy into the groove and riff, a
foggy and grungy foot stomping affair from these Ohio dudes.It’s not like they invented fire here,
it just feels like these dudes read my mind in terms of the exact kind of music
I love and laid it to tape.A
really nice follow up to their awesome full length from last year.
BEAUTY PILL, “Instant Night”
Another band that is incredibly one-of-a-kind.Of course I can pick out things in
their music that remind me of other genre defying artists, but they’re so far
afield from one another that when Beauty Pill puts those pieces together it
makes for something altogether whole and new.If you can hang with Tortoise at the same time as De La Soul
and musicians who play in museums you can appreciate Beauty Pill.
STUCK, “Content That Makes You Feel Good”
It took a bit to come around to Stuck, but after a bunch of
listens I finally realized their full length from last year, “Change Is Bad” is
super good.So I got excited about
this new EP, which is like a perfectly condensed summation of their sound that
tells a story over five expertly-crafted post punk jams.It’s so incredibly succinct and
descriptive all at once through music and lyrics I’m blown away at the
efficiency of it all.
COLONIAL WOUND, “Degradation”
Only three songs but total eardrum-blasting, angular and
grooving metallic heaviness that hits all the right spots. Maybe I miss
Coalesce and Engineer, and these Florida cats are just paying homage in the
best way possible.They will tear
you in half.
KNUB, s/t
Look, I grew up in the 90s and heavy music that is not only
real catchy but real heavy at the same time is like peanut butter and chocolate
smashed together for me.Knub have
crafted the perfect 90’s-style heavy rock demo.These guys are probably my age too so they know what they’re
doing.
WIPES, "Dumpster"/"You're the Boss"
Look, Tile was one of the goddamned heaviest bands ever, and equally as pissed. This new iteration of Tile/new band is friggin' heavy and throws some curveballs in there too. You're just not ready for what they're going to bring.
Runner ups
GLOOP, “Crayon Sun”
Super weird and noisy punk that these cats have been banging
out for a few years now and they just really nailed it here.Sassy chaotic punk without making you
want to punch them in the face for it.
EKULU, “Unscrew My Head”
Hard-fucking-core.Dudes with chops making well-crafted bangers that can throw thrash, NYHC
style, Clevo style, and a bit of their own unique thing into a blender and
churn out a face-crusher as a result.
OVLOV, “Buds”
Consistency is the name of the game for Ovlov, except this
one is better.Dino Jr worship
with some added stoner rock buzz/bliss.“Cheer Up, Chihiro!” when it brings that sax in…man.They’re on it.
I actually saw live music this year and these were my
favorite shows
GAYTHIEST/ PET WEAPON, Kenton Club, Portland 7.24- The first
indoor show I’d been to in over a year with probably the most fun band you
could possibly go see.It was like
a great little reunion for all the people you’re accustomed to seeing at shows
with a band that welcomes all to have a fun time with.And we all had a lot of fun
BULLY, Mississippi Studios, Portland, 9.6- Bully are such a
great live band.They just tear it
the heck up and write really damn good songs.“Sugaregg” was one of the better records released a couple years
back and it was cool to finally hear a whole bunch of those songs live.
QUICKSAND, Wonder Ballroom, Portland, 10.11-Duh, it’s Quicksand.They played their amazing new album, as
well as a ton of songs you already love them for.Steve Brodsky played second guitar and brought magic to the
stage.They never looked like they
were having more fun than they were that night.I was overwhelmed with joy.
Seriously, all these damn opinions! It just makes you want to puke. Still, I feel compelled to write about the stuff I come across whether it's solicited, or if it's just something I think people ought to give some attention to. But that ought to come as no great epiphany at this point. Here's to closing out a weird year where I'm noticing that like a shit ton of great EPs were put out there. Year-end list is coming next.
BASHFORD, “Greener Grasses”
I’m nothing if not brutally honest.There’s a bunch of stuff on here that
sounds just like Nirvana “Bleach” if it were a bit less engaging.And there’s some stuff on here that
sounds like butt rock.And this
band is like five albums in nearly as many years.There’s no doubt an appealing rawness to their sound when
they’re on and for like the first 30 seconds of half these songs I’m ready to
jump in, but then it just sputters out into rather hackneyed songwriting. (BigNeck Records)
BEAUTY PILL, “Instant Night” 12” EP
From one of the most interesting groups to make music over
the last 10-15 years Beauty Pill present another EP while many of us fervently
await a new full length.The title
track starts the record off with collaborator Erin Nelson supplying soaring
vocals over a BP trademark of playful instrumentation that bleeds into euphoric
bliss and an additional trick of somehow maintaining a beat without once using
percussion.Bass-heavy drones at
certain points fill in the gaps.A
lot of BP material is difficult to describe as they utilize such a wide range
of instruments and production techniques to mold something entirely unique and
“Instant Night” (the song) will certainly go on to stand out as one of their
better songs that work into that semi-indescribable brilliance.A short instrumental interlude comes
next with snappy, jazzy drumming and a pretty jingle atop it before the funky,
“You Need a Better Mind” rolls in and honestly, if you’re not bobbing your head
or straight up shaking your butt to this you got problems.Primary composer/ringleader Chad Clark
uses his delicate and smooth voice to bring the song a relative calm amongst
the calamity while a background chorus chants the songs title repeatedly.Finally, there’s a remix of “You Need a
Better Mind” and oh how I dread remixes.They’re usually just a lazy dissection of a song with a bad techno beat
over it and a waste of time.At
least with this one Beauty Pill attempts to maintain the core of the song but
adding a quick beat to it, changing the funk style of the actual version.It feels like background music to the
scene in Akira where Kanada visits the arcade in the middle of the day when no
one else is around.So in all
takeaway number one- what does Beauty Pill sound like exactly?Imagine De La Soul being covered by
Laurie Anderson being backed by Sly and the Family Stone… in the future.Takeaway number two- give us a damn new
full length already.(Northern SpyRecords)
ENGINE KID, “Special Olympics” flexi 7”
As a hardcore kid I’ll always associate this band with
releasing an album through Revelation and how that just never made much
sense.I never got to see them,
but they were apparently unbearably loud, even though much of their music then
was melodic and wandering.But
knowing what I know now, it makes sense how loud they were (members would go on
to form Sunn 0))) and I see why Revelation was interested in them (members were
in Brotherhood and there was a Sunny Day Real Estate-adjacent connection).And now I understand what Engine Kid
were going for- Slint as filtered through big, burly Pacific Northwest grunge
thunder.They were definitely kind
of their own thing.It’s just that
in 1995 I had no idea what to do with it.And I think neither did most other people who heard this band.So maybe it’s good fortune that the
band finds themselves recording some songs again for the heck of it and gives
us an EP to chew on now that culture has caught up.Earlier this year they dropped an impressive box set
collection of all their material so I guess there’s a little momentum going
here.This has three short burners
that are heavier than anything I recall them doing in the past and it all sound
like Torche going bananas.The
fourth track sounds more like Engine Kid that I am familiar with- a long
winding passage with sampled vocals, followed by a single heavy section, and
back to the quiet stuff.Apparently this is finished versions of songs they were working on
before they broke up some 25 years ago.Comes on a flexi record for all you lovers of music pressed onto a
sheet.(Southern Lord)
EYE FLYS, “Exigent Circumstance” EP
I’ve been in and out with paying attention to this
band.I have no good reason why,
they rule pretty hard.Their first
offering was kind of a bit too on the nose for me with the outright Melvins
worship, but it was still good.They did an LP that saw them come into their own a bit more, and now we
have this EP that was not quite a surprise release, but it did sort of sneak up
all quick-like.And heck, why not
just throw down four new tracks of ear-hammering sludgy riff worship to make
sure people know you’re still doing the damn thing?They come out the gate with a track that could have been an
outtake from Crowbar “Odd Fellows Rest” if I didn’t know better and then
proceed to drag what’s left of your bloodied corpse through a tar pit with
“Dead Larvae”.“Exigent
Circumstance” has an almost Coalesce vibe with it’s noisy cavalcade off
feedback and off-timed riffs heaped atop a ongoing chugging riff keeping things
centered.The EP closes out with
“Circular Motion”, which has a bit more of bro-y southern riff, but repeatedly
clobbers you over the head with it for three minutes.In all, it’s 11 minutes of heavy damage with a screened
b-side for you collector types.(ClosedCasket Activities)
GENOCIDE PACT, s/t
I’m by no means an expect of any sort on death metal.I occasionally dip my toes in to check
some out, and usually I’m good for a few songs before I’m done.You could say I’m not even a casual
listener.I do recall seeing
Genocide Pact once back when they were probably just getting going and even
then their punk and hardcore infused death metal was pretty easy to grasp.On their new record they seem to not
have deviated too hard from that initial plan.Genocide Pact are not trying to be overtly flashy with wild
technical prowess, though you will find ripping solos here and there.They are playing dirgy, grimy,
filth-strewn death metal informed by a punk background, frequently shifting
pace between plodding Obituary-style groove (“Mutilated Vision”) and more
grind-y/faster paced Napalm Death-styled beatings (“Deprive/Degrade”).But hey, like I said, I’m no
expert.Those just looking for
something to melt the sleeves off your shirt (if you’re listening to this, why
would you have sleeves on your shirt anyway?) and cause your jacket to sprout
Repulsion patches will be pleased, those looking for a re-invention of the
wheel look elsewhere.(Relapse)
HELMET, “Live and Rare”
Having seen Helmet not that long ago I can say they still
sound great.But, to me, nothing
will really compare to their classic lineup.I think each of those players in that initial lineup were
astounding in their own right as musicians, regardless of how much of the music
was composed by Page Hamilton (not too shabby of a musician himself).So I’m happy to report that this live
record is two sets- one from CBGBs in 1990, early in the band’s formation.The other is from an Australian
festival in 1993, quite possibly at the band’s apex of hype.And both sets are the band in their
original lineup.I always love
hearing documentation of this sort- how a band sounded early on, how they were
captured in a live environment, especially when it’s a band as important as
Helmet.The CBs set- from some
sparsely attended weeknight calendar filler- somehow sounds better and more
vicious than the stadium-sized, professionally recorded festival set at a point
where the band was touring non-stop.Chalk it up to a group that rehearsed fervently and were hungry to
demolish audiences.This is pre-
“Strap It On” Helmet, though you get a primitive version of “Murder” (which
manages to come off as even more grating and disturbing than the studio
version) and a slightly less ominous performance of “Sinatra”.The rest is fast-paced crushing noise
played as loud as humanly possible.It’s the singles stuff, not on their actual records.The festival set shows a band that now
has nice gear and playing out primarily “Meantime” material (as well as their
go-to cover of the Melvins “Oven”).Maybe it’s the people recording it, maybe it’s Hamilton’s tipsy demeanor
(in the linear notes he admits to knocking back a few too many before playing),
but there’s whole sections of guitar missing on “Give It” (probably one of
their best songs ever) and “Blacktop” that are sort of essential to the songs
that’s a bit of a letdown.The
rest of it sounds pretty good.I
tend to dig live albums for the warts and all aspect that bands don’t need to
sound perfect live, and that’s part of the charm.However, with a touring history as long as Helmet has had
over the last 30 years one would think they could pull a live set from the
vault that’s a little better. (earMUSIC)
POMELO, “Validations”
Rochester, NY trio Pomelo presents their debut full length
that shows them flexing their art-punk brains to give the listener 11 tracks
that fall somewhere between the taut post-punk of bands like Stuck with the
DC-leaning math rock of groups like Faraquet if they were a little less playful
and more somber. These songs
primarily move at a slower pace, bringing plenty of breathing room to emphasize
the studious interplay between guitars, vocals, and rhythm but keeping things
far from dull.Sure, they will draw
some fans whose noses are permanently up their own ass, but I’d like to think
some folks who are just into good, thoughtful, and carefully constructed math
rock can easily enjoy this as well.There are 11 songs here for you to decide for yourself. (self-released)
RID OF ME, “Traveling”
Philly’s Rid Of Me has really made a heck of a full length
with “Traveling”.Comprised of a
few re-recordings of several songs from their various demos, as well as a
clutch of brand new songs, it makes for a cohesive whole worthy of repeated
listens.While initially this band
had the feeling of a low-key project to do when members weren’t off doing the
similarly-minded Low Dose, it seems that now Rid Of Me is the main group for
the songwriting team of Mike McGuiness and Itarya Rosenburg.Starting as a trio (rounded out by
former Fight Amp alum Mike Howard on drums) they also enlisted second guitarist
Reuben Polo (Soul Glo) to fill out the sound and this may be his first real
deal recording with the band?Either way, the record sounds like a band that has gone from project to
the real thing and it shows.The
slightly wistful post-punk vibes on the first couple tracks come off as a nice
addition, but ultimately the DNA of filthy rock stemming from the Fight Amp/Low
Dose resume cannot be ignored and is present in some way on all these
songs.Things are at their most
cacophonous on the raging “Broke Shit”, which takes the spot of my favorite
song here.Bassist/vocalist
Rosenburg has really come a long way with utilizing her voice to easily shift
between going with the melody to add emotional texture and screaming to fuck
with yr skull, frequently blending both to great effect.Though smoking is pretty gross I gotta
say I love the cover of this record, which kind of acts as a metaphor for the
album as a whole- it’s an artful depiction of various pictures of the members
hands all holding cigarettes.So
ya know, artistically engaging, but still kind of gross and ugly. (Ghost IsClear/ Knife Hits)
SUNSTROKE, “Cryin’ Wolves”
I don’t think I’m out of line to say the art the band is
using for this new single is directly an homage to Melinda Beck-illustrated
“Dine Alone” 7” from Quicksand.It
looks almost exactly like it, and while I’d take a guess that the members of
this band are fans and their music could presumably fall under the vast
umbrella of ‘post-hardcore’, they don’t sound all that much like
Quicksand.Sunstroke fall
somewhere within the upbeat, melodic sound of current groups like One Step
Closer and the rowdy, swirling hardcore rock sound of past bands like Swiz. “Cryin’ Wolves” is a stand-alone single
that follows up on a another single from a few months back (“I Wanna Be
Ignored”) where they did lathe cuts, which seems a bit wasteful to me.After all, it’s tough to justify paying
nearly $20 for a single song on a crappy format (lathes), which is what the
plan seems to be for this single as well (which is currently just digital).Maybe waiting and putting both songs on
a single record would be a bit more convenient.Still, I like this band a lot and think they’re making
really cool music so at the very least it’s worth checking them out.(New Morality)
Hey, it's another bandcamp day and I got some deals to do, as well as some news on upcoming and current projects.
So since there's a certain holiday coming up go and treat yourself, or treat someone you want to show the true meaning of good music (or, Christmas... semantics).
I put out two of their records. Get them and then seek out the rest of their catalog. You get "Character Stop" on clear pink and "Life Cinema" on clear red (second press). Beautiful noisy post-punk recklessness from the UK. https://hexrecords.bandcamp.com/merch/both-usa-nails-lps-for-25
#4- 10 CDs FOR $25!
Bringing this back too. 10 random CDs from the catalog sent to you. It would be easier to tell me which ones you don't want. Feel free to air your grievances. https://hexrecords.bandcamp.com/merch/10-cds-for-25
#5- ALL DIGITAL SALES GOING TO CHARITY.
Any digital purchase made today will be donated to Out To Pasture Animal Sanctuary here in Oregon. They do great work taking in and caring for rescued, abandoned, and injured animals from factory farms, hoarders, and other crappy situations. They do the good work so let's help them out.
OK, news both good and bad:
Bad news- A lot of people have been asking about the new GRIZZLOR LP and where it's at. I don't know how long it is going to take. I fully expected to have it back by now but like basically all records at press right now it's taking forever. I'm sorry. On the good side, I live very close to the press and I'm keeping tabs on progress. But I don't expect it before the end of the year. I'll keep you all updated.
Good news- as you may have seen earlier this week, we will be releasing a full length from Allentown, PA-based WIPES! They're rippers, let me tell ya. Current/ex- Tile dudes making that ungodly agitated noise competing with crazy riffs. They have a few songs on their own bandcamp so give 'em a listen before they head into the studio to record their full length: https://wipes.bandcamp.com/
