A steady diet of Dischord: Black God - II

Black God - II
2012, No Idea Records

The guys in Black God are back with their second ep, simply titled II, and this time their sound has been scaled down somewhat. It's not so much a reduction as it is a refinement. There is still alot of that scathing punkrock vibe from the first ep going on but also a tad more clearcut posthardcore vibe to the material. Seeing as the band has members from Coliseum, Endpoint and Young Widows and that most of them were together in Black Cross, it's not so hard to understand the progression. These guys are some of the biggest swinging dicks in the genre and they can write infectious and melodic, yet aggressive, punkrock in their sleep and here they do it really, really well. The music of the band is rooted less in 80's hardcore and more in the later 90's era where artists were broadening their musical pallettes and it's easy to see the influences of bands like Fugazi and Dag Nasty. There's a cool Rites Of Spring feel to many of these songs, which are all catchy as hell and also alot of llittle things that remind me of Down By Law. But there's also a frantic, really primal Black Flag-ish kind of riffing style utilized in the majority of these short songs, that's as brutal as it is simplistic and keeps everything from becoming too emo for it's own good. The production is a bit drier than on it's predecessor and the guitars not as jangly as before and while I'd prefer a rougher, more jagged-edged, sound it never really hampers the music. There's nothing new per se going on here, just great punkrock with lots of heart and lots of drive. This is one of the better eps to be released so far this year. You can stream both of the band's records at their bandcamp site here.

Combat boots and a scratched up record

Black God - Black God
2011, No Idea Records

Fuck, this is an amazing record! Six tracks in slightly less than twelve minutes and not one single second feels redundant. What we're served here is refreshingly simple, yet somewhat dark semi-melodic punk, with a bit of an indie rock-feel (in a really good way). This shit is what punk rock is all about in my opinion; played just the way it was intended. With loads of attitude and emotion. And always with a nod to the bands that came before and paved the way. I'm completely blown away by the abundant and instantly memorable riffs on this record and the angry jangliness of the guitar tone. This coupled with the snotty, half sung, half yelled vocals and the catchiness of the same make these short tracks some of the best punk rock I've heard in recent months, possibly years. I fucking love the noisy, slightly 'surfy' guitar parts that remind me of both The Jesus Lizard and Dead Kennedys, and the fact that almost all the choruses are ridiculously catchy. Black God features folk from Coliseum and Black Cross, among others, so there's a ton of talent involved in the band. I'm thouroughly impressed. Listen to opening track, Fundamental Headwalker, below.