Cloud Rat- s/t LP review

Cloud Rat- s/t LP review

As a prologue, I must say that the guitar of this band, Rorik, gave me this back in March 2011 at a show he played at the Metal Frat; it’s a mere 48 hours before 2012 as of this writing, and it’s just NOW that I’m writing this review for him.  My apologies to Rorik and any potential readers that may have checked out this band had I written this earlier.  This is NOT a band to sleep on, and you’ll see why.

I refuse to acknowledge this release as a grindcore album, because I) grindcore sucks and II) this record does not.  In fact, it rules.  Singer Madison’s banshee shrieks encapsulate the vocals of the album, and the shrill pitch of the words accompanying the music is something so rare in music this fast that it has to work.  Needless to say, it does; Madison captures the angry, emotional, feminine vibe well, and this record would not be what it is without it (As a side note, an emotional feminine vibe is not paired with radical feminism, though Madison herself is a very reasonable and active feminist).  Guitarist Rorik’s ominous, creepy guitar intros, fills, and chords are the other part of this album that makes it so good, so very different.  Out of any DIY punk band I’ve heard, this is cream of the crop guitar work; I’ve not heard anything like it, and I really fucking dig it.  The drums keep the beat, fast or slow, and are adaptive to the change in tone as is necessary.  The lyrics are very well penned, thought-provoking, and again (with the d-word), different.  Even as a person wary of anything bordering on grindcore, this record is the bomb (yes, the bomb, from the 90s, the one that didn’t explode and kill all the shitty grindcore bands from the musical map and wipe them from the history books).

In addition to the killer work on the album, the band is living fucking proof that DIY is not dead or unsustainable; it’s alive, well, and manages to tour time and again, despite the punishing schedule the band sometimes endures.  I have mad respect for this band, for their music, and their mentality.  Nab this sooner rather than later; anyone who likes punk above 120 beats a minute won’t regret it.  I sure didn’t.

-Aunty Social

Come Out Fighting- Youth or What's Left of It review

Come Out Fighting- Youth…Or What’s Left of It CD review

It’s strange that this kind of punk has never really been appropriately classified… it seems like it would be a genre done time and again.  Not quite so, it seems; it’s some kind of hardcore, but despite sounding a little like this with a little influence of that, they don’t sound like any other band.  Innovative, not so much; different, and a little deviant, hell yeah!  Anyway, this record/ band is two parts youth crew, two parts 90s hardcore, and one part melodic hardcore.  Gang vocals and blistering drum beats, fast, chugging lead-rhythm guitar, breakdowns, introverted lyrics, and melodic vocal styles are what make up this band.  I must say, the band puts on a very energetic show, and that energy translates well into the studio.  It feels like the punk rock jock just became self-aware, renounced his oppressive and elitist ways, and began trying to get his friends back.  That being said, not a single member of the band is actually a jock; in punk and hardcore, we’re ALL fucked-up weirdoes who’ve been drawn together because we fit in with one another, and don’t fit in elsewhere.  Onto reviewing the tunes now…

Lyrical content has a central focus, but has a very wide spectrum covered; “Last Ride” is about the JFK conspiracy as more of a narrative than a government cover-up (as some anarcho punk has undoubtedly suggested before), while “Max Pain” is a community support song, and the final song on the album “Too Many Bros at the Brodeo” is a self-deprecating tune about the stereotypes of and within hardcore; the only reason I haven’t keeled over in laughter is because of how incredibly true the song is.  For real, up the cunts!  The double guitar approach really gives the band a full sound, lends a boost of power to the hardcore riffage sometimes lacking in single-guitar groups.  The bass is appropriately audible, a distinct change from most punk, where it’s hardly audible at all.  The punchy bass lines do help the band out too; I’ll commend the audio master on that one.  The vocals are very clear, very melodic, very emotional, and still possess much in the way of power.  This group is incredibly well-rounded sound wise, influence wise, and personality wise.  This is what makes a band A BAND.

This is one of the better releases hardcore has seen come out of Michigan.  Deviant, engaging, and thought-provoking, this band ought to be spinning somewhere in your house, be it the living room, garage, car, or bathroom stereo.  It’s floor-punching, wall-breaking hardcore that leaves the building intact.

-Aunty Social