There's a lot of good stuff this month. I mean, I had to keep adding things to the list. I'm quite impressed with what the world is offering here honestly, it's very exciting. Heck, some of it isn't even out yet. So hooray for a wide variety of cool and interesting stuff to fill your head with, now and soon to come.
CHAT PILE, “God’s Country”
Hey, it’s the band that everyone is talking about! I’ll admit I gave Chat Pile an almost dismissive pass when they released their first couple EPs. I mean, I thought they were pretty cool, but I didn’t quite get the amount of enthusiasm people were showing towards them. However, on this first real full length I think they’ve definitely created something pretty fantastic. Now a full band they still give the drums a very mechanical/industrial sort of feel, similar to how groups like Uniform have gone the same route with keeping that cold, mechanized sound despite all live instrumentation. Others tag this band as having nu-metal vibes and I don’t really see that at all. Is it because the bass is tuned super low and dominates much of the sound? That all just sounds like Will Haven to me (whom I love and… ok, well, they often get some nu-metal tags as well). I suppose on the first half of closing dirge “grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg” one could make the argument they’re drawing straight from some chunky nu-metal stomp it’s the vocals that really detract from that as they’re frequently paranoid, stream-of-conscious, often almost spoken and drawled out making the music just sound uncomfortable and alarming rather than the soundtrack to bum-rushing a Taco Bell at 2am with your fraternity brothers. Chat Pile also do a great job of varying things up with some dissonant and unexpected melody, like on the disquieting “Pamela” and “Anywhere”, not to mention the almost accapella horrifics of “I Don’t Care If I Burn”. But it’s the upbeat stomp and crush of “Tropical Beaches Inc” and “The Mask” that really move things along and they’re probably my favorites tracks on the record. From a group that basically started as a project with very little intentions of making a big thing about what they do they’ve come quite a ways to a band that is deservedly getting some attention and in demand. Stoked to see some of this material in the live setting! (The Flenser)
DISSOLVE, “Dismantle” reissue 2xLP
I don’t make it a habit to review stuff that’s not exactly new, but I feel I had to make an exception for Dissolve’s frequently overlooked 1996 crusher “Dismantle”. This release never got a proper vinyl release so a fellow superfan got the original masters, tacked on an entire second LP of live material from the late 90’s (including some early versions of tracks that wound up on the bands second full length), and dropped it into a sweet gatefold jacket with new artwork. This could have benefitted from an updated mastering as the overall sound is a bit messy, but the songs still rule. Dissolve are one of those bands that didn’t quite fit into any one scene, but rather steamrolled over all of them, and seemed to only play within the tri-state NY area. Having lived out that way I got to see them a bunch and they never disappointed. Basically, a bunch of dirtbag-looking metal guys from the Albany/Poughkeepsie area made some of the most discomforting and aggressive sludgy hardcore/metalcore/what-have-you starting around 1994 and they still occasionally release exceptionally good material to this day. “Dismantle” is where it’s at though. If I could offer a description of any kind I’d imagine the chaotic and vicious fuck you of Deadguy coupled with the chunky guitars and completely off-the-wall drumming of Candiria. Samples from “Taxi Driver” abound with some of the best lyrics ever about fucking with society’s expectations. These songs have been running through my head for 25 years and they sound just as pissed off and vital now as they did then. “Incarceration… dismantled! Brick by brick, and stone by stone!” (Maitsuba Records)
EASY PREY, “Unrest”
From the way I understand it Easy Prey has been doing their thing, basically just around Austin, for awhile now because members got dumb stuff like responsibilities that limit any sort of touring ability. That’s truly a letdown because if these guys were to get on the road they would absolutely slay it. I have seen them in Texas and can confirm just how truly vicious they are on the live front. But live appearances being limited and all it’s a good thing Easy Prey are pretty good at promoting themselves because the more ears that get a fix on this band the better. Easy Prey occupy a space that I find very like-minded. Personally, I came from a hardcore background and still value a lot of that music, particularly for it’s energy and some of my values that I gleaned from it. Whereas now I enjoy more noisy, ugly rock music (kind of like what I enjoyed before getting into hardcore!) I still think of that as being under a hardcore umbrella because it’s still challenging and abrasive music. But there often seems like a distinct separation. Well, Easy Prey are a band that seem to have been embraced by the noise rock scene even though their music definitely veers into hardcore territory and I certainly get the impression the members have spent their fair share of time in the hardcore scene. And I like the idea of that- two somewhat separate scenes that have a lot more in common than they may think and playing to both. It’s like chocolate and peanut butter- they really do go great together. On this new record they maintain a similar pace and tempo throughout the bulk of the record and it’s honestly my only gripe. Their last offering- the exceptional “Relentless Struggle”- had a good mix of faster songs, as well as the mid-tempo grooving heaviness they seem to lean towards. Otherwise, this is some powerful stuff. Mid-point slow burner “Ethical Drift” takes a decidedly reserved approach until 2/3 of the way through it gets all quiet and then, oh shit, here comes a Tim Singer guest spot so you know it’s going to get all fucked up. Naturally, our man goes into panicked self-talk before the song rips open and all heck breaks loose with plenty of screaming and earth-shattering riffs. It’s a good thing the B-side is just as consistent as the A-side, making for a satisfying listen throughout. Now get on the dang road. (Hellminded Records)
GLOOP, “Television Fire” EP
Last year Gloop put out one heck of a full length called “Crayon Sun” and it was easily the best thing they’ve done so far. It’s wild rollercoaster of punk and noisy rock was a highlight for me. Well, it turns out they had a few songs leftover that didn’t make the record and here they are as the “Television Fire” EP. Things start out with the title track, a rollicking, speedy jaunt consisting of seasick-inducing slides up and down the guitar and Jesus Lizard-esque tone and riffing to go with a drum beat custom-tailored for dragging racing through a field of fire. “Turpentine Eye” barely slows things down, but varies things up a bit more and places more emphasis on the howling vocals while “Chuck’s Swing Set” goes all in on some wild energy before giving you a fake out ending and then kicking back in full bore. The EP closes out with another quick ripper- “Start To Stop”- and gets a bit weirder with an almost Devo-styled vocal cadence before things get faster and more chaotic. These four quick songs are definitely a worthy addition to the group’s exceptional catalog, though I can see why they were left off of the last LP as that one had more variety while remaining cohesive in it’s overall intention to try different things. These four tracks are all just fast and crazy, which is a lot of fun too. (Grimoire Records)
HAUNTED HORSES, “The Worst Has Finally Happened”
I’ll be honest, a couple years back a friend was trying to sell me on this band and I ended up seeing them play some random show and was not into it. At the time they were just a two-piece: drums and a vocalist doing noise stuff. I thought it was too loose and random, and didn’t really catch my attention. Fast forward to last fall and I saw them again. But this time was totally different. They added a bass player who was laying down some seriously heavy-ass bass. The drums, wild vocals, and layered soundscapes still remained. But it was all more anchored now, and very compelling. So I kept an eye on what the band was doing and here we are with their new record featuring this expanded lineup and it’s excellent. In a lot of ways there’s some direct parallels to the one Daughters record everyone lost their shit to a few years back in it’s dark and spooky, almost alien, intensity (as well as a lot of the sounds conjured up by their vocalist). However, despite the use of live drums, there is a very mechanical and industrial intent going on here too; but not so much it dominates the record. To me it seems pretty far afield of previous efforts, and far more developed. But maybe they just decided to take a different road on this to see what would happen and the results are awesome. Evil, dark punk/industrial with monstrous bass, howling/harrowing vocals, and layered sounds instead of guitars to create a vibe so menacing and weird it cannot be ignored. I’m all in here. (31G Records)
JUPITER HEARTS, s/t 12”
Here’s the story: a few elder punks move from different places to the same area in the Southeast US for jobs, change of lives, etc… ya know, the reasons most responsible adults move to new places. They go about their adult lives until they cross paths with one another and give that knowing nod from a subtle name drop of mentioning how thy saw Fugazi in 1993, or the outline of a straight edge tattoo slips out from the sleeve of a button-up work shirt, finding out the person with the Ebullition Records bumper sticker on their car you keep noticing in the parking lot has an office one floor up from you. They all begin to realize that they all played in different bands over the years. So naturally they start a new band together in their new home. Thus, Jupiter Hearts got going. Most notably featuring the vocals of Rob Pennington (Endpoint, By the Grace Of God, Black Cross) this is not terribly far off the mark of the other bands he has been in, which is to say well-written, emotionally driven, melodic punk… though maybe not as loud as some of those other bands. But Rob has such a distinctive voice it feels like the band sort of revolves around his well-worn vocal style that goes somewhere from a yelp, to a shout, or almost spoken. Musically it brings to mind a lot of the late 80’s Dischord sound when bands on that label (largely overlooked) expanded the definition of hardcore/punk by producing sounds that would fall under the ‘college rock’ umbrella (funny too, since I think all these guys work at colleges). That is to say, a current listener would hear this and think probably indie rock. A 40+ punk rocker would hear it and think ‘this is melodic punk rock’… hey wait, that’s me. The sound that’s coming to mind is most evident on “We Know”, which sounds like R.E.M. covering Ignition. I love it. Throw in a snappy cover design by Ryan Patterson and you got a solid EP to start things off for this new band of old heads. (self-released)
KAL MARKS, “My Name Is Hell”
Kal Marks is a band I repeatedly have tried to get into for several years now, across several of their releases. I’ll typically find a couple singles from those releases that really pique my interest and they will stand out in a truly unique and compelling way. But once I dive into the album I get a bit lost and maybe it’s because Kal Marks doesn’t limit themselves to one set sound. Or maybe I consistently find myself distracted. That’s certainly a possible culprit. Whatever the case, when this newest record was announced I once again took a chance and found myself semi-obsessed with the incredible first single “Ovation”, whose chorus rattled around in my head for weeks and based on that I patiently awaited whatever came next with this release. So now, finally hearing the whole thing, I can confidently say this new Kal Marks record is fully grasping my attention and flows in a wonderful way. I feel it’s a little more direct, though that should probably be in air quotes because the band never really follows a formula. They regularly throw some curveballs into their sound whether it’s through accompanying organ sounds (or are those just really wild guitar effects?), the juxtaposition of being a rather thoughtful and occasionally mellow indie band with frequent sludgy bass sounds and bellowing/ shouted vocals, and the occasional foray into sped-up punk rippers (“Debt”). In a larger, more generalized context, their sound does (at least on this record) fit into the forward-thinking, occasionally ‘heavy’ indie rock that I, at least, associate with Exploding In Sound Records and a few of my favorite bands on that label including Pile, Krill, Ovlov and Gnarwhal. Sure, they don’t necessarily sound like any of those bands, but all share an original and distinctly unique way of pushing the envelope continuously making independent guitar music interesting and exciting. (Exploding In Sound)
MIRAKLER, “Instant Drugs” 7”
Checking out the two songs off of this upcoming reminds me a lot of the noisy/sassy punk band Trvss (yes, that is accurate spelling), but a little more of the driving, hardcore noisy side and a little less of the These Arms Are Snakes/Blood Brothers kind of sass. But I know nothing about this band. Checking their bandcamp page I see they are also from Pittsburgh, like Trvss…. Wait, is this members of Trvss? *Checks the Trvss social media pages* … no longer active… so wait, is Mirakler Trvss with a new name? Or at least some of the same people? I’m no detective, but this kind of seems like pieces fitting together and producing two new songs (fresh off the heels of a split 7” with Moon Pussy) that carry on a sound that I was digging when I heard them (presumably) less than a year ago. Cool stuff. Dirge-y and grimy, but driving and just a bit crazy. (Reptilian/ The Ghost Is Clear)
WAILIN’ STORMS, “The Silver Snake Unfolds”
This is the soundtrack for committing a crime of passion under a blood moon in the sweltering heat of a humid Southern night. Or the soundtrack for making passionate love to the devil’s succubus in a graveyard… during the sweltering heat of a humid Southern night. Either way, humidity, heat, and the night all play a significant role of dirty deeds inspired by Wailin’ Storms and it’s as present as ever on the band’s fourth LP. They excel at big bluesy dirges, mournful quiet passages, and gigantic swells with soulful, howling vocals, and then filter it all through a noise rock/post-hardcore lens and turn everything up to 11. These guys are wonderfully consistent in their attack and you can basically roll with any of their records and be equally satisfied. This new one just continues their winning streak. Just be careful if you’re listening to this on a humid night because it could lead to murder most foul. (Gilead Media)
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