Balaclava- Shame 7” review

Balaclava- Shame 7” review

This is the epitome of dark, dissonant, Tragedy-style D-beat.  Even though it is definitely styled after another band, this style is done only by a few select bands, at least in a notable way.  The beginnings of these are usually pretty fast and direct, and then slow to a mid-tempo pace and start using a two-guitar approach (as in the two guitars sounding leagues apart from one another) as the singer barks out his guttural anti-establishment phrases that come just a few words at a time.  The riffs on this EP fucking crush, the drums crash, and the bass bashes.  The track “To Those Who Glorify War” is one of the best D-beat songs since Tragedy’s self-titled LP came out- it’s a fucking behemoth of a song, and the title/subject matter is one seemingly untouched by other bands, as it addresses the adoration of armed conflicts, be it by those who support it or those who constantly defy it, but use the imagery of it regularly as an eye-catching appeal to the visual senses; it makes one wonder if the intended goal of this sort of branding is truly beneficial to the ultimate goal of an end to armed skirmishes.  The rest of the lyrics still hit hard as hell, but these are groundbreaking.  “Fences”, “Shame”, and “Discipline and Punishment” make up the rest of the tracks, sludge and doom-laden crusty D-beat anarcho punk.  This is the sort of band that would open for Dystopia and surprise the shit out of you.  A damn fine EP, one of the best D-beat slabs of wax I’ve heard in quite some time.  Nab it.

-Aunty Social

Tragedy- Darker Days Ahead LP review

Tragedy- Darker Days Ahead LP review

Not quite as fast as the older material, but this album is a demonstrably positive evolution of the band- that’s how one releases four albums over the course of thirteen years while staying fresh.  This album is FAR from stale- it’s heavier than ever and has gotten much more complex, but still retains a similar level of energy as their previous work.  Melodic, almost acoustic interludes, long intros, and of course, heavy hitting hardcore-influenced crust to hold all the parts of the songs together.  The album does not particularly have a standout track- it is steadily hovering between good and great throughout the entire record.

The vocals are near-English accent sounding shouts of furious, wrathful anger and despair, comparable to previous material, but seeming somewhat deeper.  The guitars are all over the place, but in a great way- they go from soft, quiet pieces to melodic leads and interludes to extremely heavy, crushing riffs and verse pieces.  The guitars are the accent of the moody tempo- they are the center stage of the music, so to speak.  It is the drums that set the background tone, where even the slowest beat can be the most powerful- “The Grim Infinite” is the best example of this menacing background sound.  The bass is both a complimentary instrument to the guitars and an instrument in its own right.  Without the punishing bass lines, the drums would not be so… beautifully hopeless and depressing.  Holy fuck, is this record heavy and heinous, dark and depressing.  Imagine what it’s like to be run over by a tank.

I feel as though this record puts me in a state of mind I need to be in- crawling along slowly, barely holding onto life, and weighed down by burden, yet despite that, movement never ceases, never yields, never capitulates.  While the first record may be more indicative of the manic moments and brief flashes of insanity I suffer, this record is the rest of life, the endless scaling of a mountain cliff, climbing with the fear of heights fully ablaze in one’s mind.

This is not a fast record by any means, but there is just as much energy to be found here as in any lightning speed punk record.  This is well worth jamming more than a few times.  “No Cemeteries Here”, “The Grim Infinite”, and “Power Fades” are the three best tracks on the record, though not greatly more so than the others.  It’s almost obligatory to listen to this front to back, and not as individual songs- it’s better that way anyway.

-Aunty Social