Sometimes it’s really hard to do this column here, you know? There’s just nothing I want to crap on, or it’s generic, or it’s a well-known band that everyone knows will be good. Looks like it’s a noise rock kind of week.
GODFLESH release Decline and Fall on Avalanche, and I gotta say, I beaking love it. It’s Godflesh all right, hearkening back to the Streetcleaner days. None of the break beat dub mix of stuff they were known for in their latter days. Released on their own label, this four-song EP is pretty mean-sounding. I’m really digging the guitar sound on here, and while the sound in general isn’t too updated (the drum machine still sounds like a drum machine), the songs don’t come across as too same-y. If by some reason you’ve never heard the band and are curious, there are heavy industrial parts with some noise fuckery and Justin Broadrick’s bark. Peck this up; hopefully the full-length will be this good. 9 Fucking Pecks
Check out The Grasshopper Lies Heavy’s Every Man for Himself and God Against All. I was really expecting not to dig this, you know, just based off of the name itself, but color me pleasantly surprised. This is a wall of noise from a Texan three-piece with no vocals. Typically when I see no vocals, it kinda turns me off, but this is some crazy stuff. It’s heavy noise rock, with additional noise thrown in for good measure. It’s hard to classify this: there some pummeling riffs and, while chaotic, there’s a structure here that most bands can’t seem to achieve. There are parts Zoroaster (a little) and it’s just, well, fucked. This is totally out of left field, and I for one am pretty glad to see that this type of stuff is coming back in a BIG way. Awesome. 8 Fucking Pecks
In the same vein (sorta), is the Beige Eagle Boys’ first LP on Reptilian. You’re Gonna Get Yours. Harkening back to the Cherubs, again, this is mid ’90s noise rock with WAY more teeth. Bass grooves with some larynx-shredding vocals, this is distorted to all hell, but has semblance of songs. This is the face of noise rock now, but leaner, more raw, and definitely more hardcore. This is pretty fucked up. I mean, listen to their cover of Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” and tell me that doesn’t kick you squarely in the dick. 8 Fucking Pecks.
