Filed under: Reviews
Blackout-s/t (Aborted Society Records, 1122 E.Pike Street #1377 Seattle, WA 98122/Profane Existence Records PO BOX 8722 Minneapolis, MN 55408 ) With a lineup that includes members of Assrash, Scorned, Phalanx, and Provoked , it is safe to say that Minneapolis’ Blackout boasts a formidable enough crust-core pedigree. Those expecting textbook spikes’n’studs squall from this assortment of grizzled vets are in for quite a surprise, however, as the band’s debut on Aborted Society (recently reissued on Profane Existence) boasts a rollicking amalgamation of unadorned American hardcore, punk, and bluesy rock and roll, cruder and more infectious than your average crusty shindig. Indeed, this record owes more to latter-era Poison Idea (think “We Must Burn”/ “War All The Time”), Motorhead, Priest, and a junkyard-worth of hand-me-down punk/thrash/roots/blues riff refuse than anything by Discharge or Warcollapse.
Some may decry the unusually spare production values herein. After all, we’re not talking ‘crasher crust’-style walls of noise a’la Atrocious Madness or the Crust War back catalog. Nope, this sucker sounds slightly better than a poorly recorded demo cassette, with waterlogged sonics galore-a veritible treble-bleeding murk fest.
Those willing to wade through the muck, however, will be privy to a caustic and genuinely rocking hc/punk escapade, riddled with semi-coherent debauched anti-authoritarian ranting (and a winning tribute to “Apocalypse Now”), scorching leads, anthemic verve, and bits of boogie rock flair to boot, all coated in rank sonic slime for your listening displeasure. Never mind the legions of garage rock snoozers, here’s a gaggle of aging Midwestern punx to the rescue!-Mike Ramek
