Tag: Review

My New Infatuation

I started noticing Fit for a King around the time I knew I was going to quit the old band. They had just put out Slave to Nothing and the scene was buzzing with how intensely assaulting it sounded yet sprinkled in Christian struggles, or failure, with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Songs like “A Greater Sense of Self” connected with internal strife yet awakes the primal side that makes you bounce, scream the words, and lose your shit. I got lost into its world. It’s the kind of stuff you tattoo on your arm. Waiting for their next record has been a daily ritual of checking their Facebook for updates and studio clips. The waiting has finally ended with Deathgrip, due October 7th.

“Pissed Off” and their album takes on terrorism, genocide, general death. Fit for a King were in Germany last year when ISIS attacked, which was just one of many recently. This first single has the kind of slinky grooves and breakdowns that satisfies the wait for new FFAK. Nick Sampson produced the record and carved out nice spacing for all the instruments, especially the bass. It’s clearly heard in metallic up-tempo rhythms and chuggasaurus verses and choruses. The final breakdown is reminiscent of “Warpath” from Creation/Destruction with its long hoovering guttural growl and slow show no mercy chugs. Most of the album promises to sound like that record.

Deathgrip, with all its hype, feels like it could be the best Fit for a King record yet, maybe ever. Everything you could want aesthetically and musically is there. Great fucking album cover I want on my body. The videos look amazing for their teasers. I can’t wait for their music videos, which I never thought I would say about any band in 2016. The themes of death and real life terrorism really intrigue me and broadens the audience for this band. The Christian edge or label on them is completely irrelevant. FFAK offers music with substance, and internal and external struggle. There is value in the lyrics and feel of the music, but you can easily just throw down to the heavy parts at a show. I can’t wait to see them live in October.

Hail Something Good

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I found Dikembe during my early college years the way students discovers most things in school. Browsing around online while procrastinating on their papers. Yeah, I was that guy. Somehow I graduated with a bachelors though. Maybe I just had it easy. If you’ve read this blog you know I’m not the smartest man but I have many other valuable qualities. Dikembe are much the same. Sure they’re not the most dynamic band out there but I find myself in love with them. There’s something to admire in bands who you see, feel, and most importantly hear give their true selves to us in their art. When you see them perform it’s to easy to synthesize they’re simply real and honest.

Hail Something follows a few years of touring and small releases since Mediumship, an album that did little for me as a fan. It was a bit prettier sounding and didn’t keep my attention for more than one spin. Hail gets back to the Chicago Bowls days. More crunch and feedback along with strong riffs that make songs distinct. “Earth Around Me” possesses a riff to remember. The opening title track gives us those Dikembe hallmarks in a bar room anthem form. “I’m gonna lie to the public’ while trying to find something to your life to honor. I’m not sure what they mean. I can connect with trying to find a purpose in something yet feeling like I’m lying through my teeth when asked if I’m making way. It’s a strong opener and one of my favorites. It’s an album of anxiety. Uncertainty. Depression. Unlike a Black Flag‘s blast of energy and anger or a Blink‘s rush of enthusiastic joy and excitement, Dikembe has harnessed emo into short bursts of grief. “Spring Box” exults this concise internal pain. It’s not innovative. Joyce Manor has been doing something similar but doesn’t channel emo into this brief powerful combustion of anguished energy.

In about 25 minutes Dikembe crush their craft. Hail Something establishes the band’s current place in their career. They’re working independently through Bandcamp’s subscription service to release music on their terms and directly connect with fans. Dikembe made an album that reins in all their best elements into a compact composition. There’s something romantic about a band churning away in a vacuum. They don’t care about being some seminal band like the bands they probably grew up on. Their art is thrown into the infinite void without regard for anything but what satisfies their creativity and fans.

 

Feels Good, Again

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Vocalist Myke Terry of Volumes

June 2nd, 2015, I was in a very different place in my life. I was madly in love, and she was madly in love with me, and my band was at the height of its existence. City of Crooks was directly supporting As Blood Runs Black for a mini-festival at The Epicentre, now closed to live music. I had been promoting the hell out of the show for at least a month and sold plenty of tickets for that night. The show turned out like we had all hoped. Plenty of local kids showed and raged hard to all the bands. My band performed right before ABRB with kids singing our single “Ascension” and freaking out to our newest songs. It was one of the most rewarding nights of my life as a person making, performing, and working music. All was right in the world, besides my dog recently passing away.

During ABRB’s set I was introduced to the current drummer of Volumes, one of my favorite bands, Nick Ursic who was suppose to play with another of my favorite bands Of Mice & Men at SOMA San Diego. Austin Carlile, OM&M vocalist, had a health scare with his heart again and the show was cancelled. Nick stopped by Epicentre to say hello to some people at my show. In a group I talked music with him and heard about what was going on with Volumes. We were all treated to a little piece of insider information from him. After that night Volumes were going into the studio to start writing and recording their next record. Nick seemed really excited and talked about how much they had longed to get all the time they needed to write and record. They had planned this for a long time and couldn’t wait to show the world what they had been working on for sometime. That was all great and I looked forward to Volumes, and my current future.

Over a year later so much has changed. The me from that night at Epicentre would never believe it, nor want to. I’m single, not doing music, and working full time. Volumes and vocalist Michael Barr parted ways but have resurfaced with Fearless Records, new member ex-Bury Your Dead Myke Terry, and a new record on the way. “Feels Good” is the first single from their third full length. It’s a representation of the band’s reemergence from whatever kept them silent of the better part of a year. Musically it’s classic Volumes. Lots of chugs and groves to jump and lose yourself to at their shows. Myke’s cleans provide what Michael’s couldn’t do before. He sounds natural and less produced. There were also rumors circulating uncredited vocalists like ex-Periphery Casey Sabol had contributed clean vocals on No Sleep. Myke has upgraded Volumes with proficiency while the band remains energetic.

On a personal level for me, maybe them, “Feels Good” takes joy in triumph from sadness, failure, whatever blight you’re coming from. Myke Terry explains “it’s horribly bleak when you’re down…” however “it feels good to come out on top.” I couldn’t help but play it again and again. I’ve made my own strides too moving out of my parent’s place soon and rooming with complete strangers. Today I woke for the first time in a little over 4 months not depressed, not sad, but happy and content. I felt positive. I wasn’t constantly thinking about her or me and my self-doubt. I had my coffee and thought about moving on and going to work. I’m looking forward to things and thinking about what I want to do.