Monday, November 15, 2010

Loma Prieta - LIFE/LESS (2010)

3 great dudes from CA making passionate, badass punk rock.   Not much more to say here because I've already summed this album up as best I could using words.  Through the many incarnations of this band, they've released a handful of albums and they have all been unique.  This one tends to lean more towards 'hardcore punk' if you will.  This record's sound really lends itself to the group now being a 3-piece.  Figured I'd post this because I am fortunate enough to be seeing these guys tomorrow along with Punch and Vaccine...I'm not sure if I'm ready for how amazing it will be.
Mosh.


Heaven in Her Arms

As if anyone needed more proof that the Japanese music scene can take ideas rooted in western music and expand on them to the point of almost being unrecognizable while still retaining what made it fantastic to begin with.  Named after a Converge song, these gentlemen don't deliver quite what you would expect but I would say that what they bring to the table is infinitely more amazing than some Japanese version of Converge.  The elements of sheer brutality, low-tuned guitars and throat-rupturing screams are all there but also so much more.  This groups sense of dynamic and contrast is much of what makes listening to them such an active and enjoyable experience.  It can go from beautifully serene spoken-word movements featuring sublimely harmonized guitars to movements of utterly relentless howling over gut-wrenching guitar chugging laden with feedback.  I am in the process of delving into their older works but here are their two most recent efforts.  They are definitely in the same vein and have many of the same ideas going on yet show a lot of growth between the EP and the full-length.
Perfect music for the onset of winter.



(thanks, lies)