Tristan Geoff's Post-Hardcore Extravaganza

Tristan_Geoff · 01-12-2016, 10:38 AM

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Tristan_Geoff · 01-15-2016, 02:22 PM

The Lady is a Cat (EP) by Antioch Arrow

Year: 1993

Noisy, groovy, and experimental: just what I like in this genre. The record starts abruptly and gives you no choice but to bob your head along with it. It continues the pattern of crushing hardcore right to the very end, leaving no room for breaks for melodic slow songs. Nope, just no BS, no-filler, in your face experimental hardcore from the prestigious Gravity Records. Apparently, this band came out of Heroin too, which I wasn't aware of before reading on RYM. All in all, it's an incredibly solid release, and most certainly an essential to the genre. It also gets a plus for the Another State of Mind sample at the end.

9/10

JGuy Grungeman · 01-16-2016, 08:27 PM

You know, I've never heard a full screamo album, because I don't like the genre. But do you ever get a hunch about an album, and the hunch is usually right? Well, I got that with this album. I will give it a try right now. So far, it's pretty good.

Tristan_Geoff · 01-16-2016, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JGuy Grungeman

You know, I've never heard a full screamo album, because I don't like the genre. But do you ever get a hunch about an album, and the hunch is usually right? Well, I got that with this album. I will give it a try right now. So far, it's pretty good.

Glad I could help you out! The essential release in the genre I will say, is without a doubt Circle Takes the Square's Decompostions Vol. 1. Angular jazz and sludge metal riffs placed next to the most blood-curling vocals I've ever heard. It also gets a plus for it's amazing album art.

Mondo Bungle · 01-17-2016, 02:06 PM

I'd recommended As the Roots Undo myself if he likes Antioch Arrow. Decompositions is a metal album in my completely honest opinion. Atru is much Moore in the way of the spazzy and experimental post hardcore. Decompositions seriously does have one my favoorite album covers Yvette. Back in the day when it first came out and was my desktop background.

I was waiting for that ****. So good. I wonder how the next volumes will be, if there'll be anymore

Tristan_Geoff · 01-17-2016, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mondo Bungle

I'd recommended As the Roots Undo myself if he likes Antioch Arrow. Decompositions is a metal album in my completely honest opinion. Atru is much Moore in the way of the spazzy and experimental post hardcore. Decompositions seriously does have one my favoorite album covers Yvette. Back in the day when it first came out and was my desktop background.

I was waiting for that ****. So good. I wonder how the next volumes will be, if there'll be anymore

Hopefully, though it'll probably take another decade.

Tristan_Geoff · 01-19-2016, 10:20 AM

And We Washed Our Weapons in the Sea by Frodus

Year: 2001

Basically what I'm hearing on this release is a summary of post-hardcore in the 90's. It has elements of Leaves Turn Inside You through it's contemplative guitar riffs, but also gets very noisy, and features mathy rhythms throughout a la Shellac. It's not perfect, as some of these tracks seemingly run on, but it's still a very interesting listen, and has some really great ideas.

9/10

Mondo Bungle · 01-19-2016, 10:49 AM

Man, I got typos for days

Tristan_Geoff · 01-25-2016, 07:47 PM

Alright, so I guess this week I'm gonna work towards removing all those embarrasing need to relisten/10 marks on my list.

Quicksand (EP) by Quicksand

Year: 1990

Going into this I remember liking this slightly more than slip for some reason, I'll get back to that later. In case anyone isn't aware of what this band sounds like, they often get compared to the chunky metallic sounds of early Tool and Deftones. Rightfully so too, these two groups owed their inspiration to many early 90's post-hardcore groups. The songwriting isn't quite as developed here as on Slip, but hearing Quicksand churn out metal numbers makes up for it. And damn, can they play! If you're a fan of any 90's alt metal or hardcore, this is gonna be a real treat for you. 10 minutes of pure metallic hardcore bliss. Again, the only thing dragging this down is the songwriting, as well as the production. Something just doesn't settle right with me with their production style, I'll probably get used to it at some point.

7/10

Oh, and In case you guys aren't aware, I've heard these albums before, hence the need to relisten/10 in the OP.

Slip by Quicksand

Year: 1993

Here it is guys, the masterpiece of the genre. Not exactly.

This album is cherished by all for it's definitive post-hardcore sound, coupled with the same metallic rif***e that gave Tool success around the same time. It's honestly a great album, but I feel like it's not all it'a cracked up to be. It's often praised, along with Repeater, as the epitome of 90's post-hardcore, the golden era of the genre. But is it? Does it show all the talent oozing out of the post-Nevermind underground? I'd say hardly. It has it's flaws, and it definitely has it's strengths. Songwriting here is better than a lot of other bands from the era. It's main flaws stand out in the monotony and iffy-ness of it. Some tracks are completely skippable, while others greatly make up for it. I always have mixed emotional going into this release, but the end result is always the same. I like it. I just don't love it.

8/10

P.S. Sorry Mondo, I know bob might have requested this and I skipped ahead a little to get to it, but I was going to do it anyways before the fact. I'll review BvS next week after I get all these relistens out of the way.

Tristan_Geoff · 01-26-2016, 08:31 PM

Red Medicine by Fugazi

Year: 1995

Fugazi really need no introduction. They were the quintessential post-hardcore band, and for good reason. Fugazi is a punk supergroup following the lineage of The Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring, and Embrace. They made a name for themselves making dance and dub influenced hardcore songs, and by the release of their debut album, Repeater in '91, they were among the leading and most influential punk bands of the era. In fact, it's near heretical to not mention 90's punk and Fugazi in the same sentence. Their sound only got better from Repeater on. Their early output had some great songs but was also quite disorganized, but by their third album, In On the Killer Taker, they had struck gold. This release is no different. After relistening, I realize how hard it is now to pick my favorite Fugazi record between this and Killer Taker. This album features bouncy, raucous, experimental, and noisy punk tunes, while the former contains tracks more on the indie and dub spectrum. Both are great in their own right, but when it really comes down to it they're just two different beasts. It's amazing how a band can have songs that vary this much, but when one pops on their style is still instantly recognized. Having no particular identity and oozing with personality at the same time? This band is really something. All Fugazi releases are absolutely essential to the genre.

10/10

01-16-2016, 08:27 PM	#43 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	You know, I've never heard a full screamo album, because I don't like the genre. But do you ever get a hunch about an album, and the hunch is usually right? Well, I got that with this album. I will give it a try right now. So far, it's pretty good.