Better read this one fast. I don't have much time. Death's caught my scent; hell hound's on my trail. This world is dark and cold -- I know we're all done for. Damn, this shut-in snow-day is getting to me. Either that, or these two new tracks from Dallas death metal punx Human Error (above) are rotting my brain (in the best way possible).
Short on time and pleasantries, Human Error's new songs "Lost" and "Plaguespreader" savage eardrums in little more than a minute apiece. And since the tunes come from its forthcoming debut, eight-song 7-inch, "Beyond The Wasteland" (due this spring on Withdrawal Records), these songs are foreboding signs of things to come. Warning: Human Error's future 7-inch may cause whiplash and/or an urge to buy more Agnostic Front and Entombed records.
An ode to dropping out of society, a paean to nonconformity, "Lost" is, like, so totally punk. But the statements are sincere; the one-two punch of thundering backbeats and driving, pistol whipping guitars prove that. The formula may seem simple, but Human Error makes every harrowing second count. These guys cram more jaw-dropping tech-wizardry into their grinding guitar rushes than most bands achieve on an entire album. Human Error has all the smarts of the kid with the best grades in calculus, and all of the class of the kids who were too busy huffing paint to care about it.
But for all their talent, the band isn't interested in a pissing contest. Human Error is all about attitude. Each riff and every snarl is packed with distinct personality. By the end when the bridge hits, slowing things down to a steady, grating churn, the drums usher in a mind-melting breakdown, accented with a pinch harmonic that could conjure Satan. When singer Josh foams at the mouth, "I will not let my life be wasted/ to a world I've never stepped a real foot in", he sounds justified in his anger.
Drug Mountain, S/T
Have you ever been so stoned listening to the Stooges' classic Fun House that you were convinced you'd found the sound for your new band in the howling paranoia of "L.A. Blues"? Drug Mountain's been there, man. They've taken many a trip and returned all the wiser/wearier. That much is evidenced on the Fort Worth ensemble's debut release, a self-titled, one-sided 12-inch album. The band tapped noise rock icon/enemy of the U.S. Postal Service Steve Albini (Big Black/Shellac) to produce and record. In the lair of Albini's Electrical Audio studio last summer in Chicago, Drug Mountain's writhing beast was captured in all its ghastly glory.
The LP rigidly defies accurate classification; disarray is the only element that binds. Everything's a mesmerizing mess. Tracks thrive on jarring juxtapositions; like making a diptych with Francis Bacon and Jackson Pollock. Drug Mountain paints with slippery, grotesque colors, and then basks like hogs in the resulting filth. Atonal and wonderfully cacophonous, the group pits dueling, vulgar saxophones against precise blasts of schizophrenic drumming and taunting, textural guitars like some sick cult ritual. The deathblow bass slides around like a panicking elephant on the deck of the Fitzcarraldo. The buried, blindly angry vocals stumble in to argue, screaming louder and louder just to get their points across. Songs range from mystifying wastelands of pummeling polyrhythms and rude, raving-like-a-drunk saxophones to grinding -- oddly danceable -- art-punk lash-outs.
Utterly elusive, but unforgettable, the whole record feels like blacking out. The seven -- at least I think it's seven -- songs are over before you can taste what just hit you. The silk-screened album art by local artist -- and band member -- Nevada Hill looks like it could double as a secret portal to Hell. This is the dirty little record you hide and nourish like a closet addiction. Limited to a run of 100, snatch one up quick. Get dirty.
In other news:
- Dallas grind lords Kill The Client recently inked a record deal with the highly influential metal label Relapse. The band has quite a few high-profile local shows coming up with touring acts like Misery Index, Magrudergrind, Phobia, Despise You, Sh*tstorm, and more. Look for the band during SXSW at the Relapse showcase on March 17 in Austin.
- Contrary to some rumors, Dallas psyche-metal act Vorvadoss has not broken up. The band recently parted ways with two members, but has decided to continue on as a four-piece. Vorvadoss promises to scrap its current music, instead choosing to write entirely new material.
