Denude
A Murmuration of Capitalist Bees (Expert Work Records/Dipterid Records)
The debut album from this Illinois/Wisconsin-based math-rock trio, A Murmuration of Capitalist Bees is a staggeringly complex, layered and intelligent slab of post-punk. Their people claim that the band is for fans of Piglet, Girls Against Boys and Drive Like Jehu, and that all makes sense. But we'd add At the Drive-In and even Gang of Four to that list.
According to the press release, the album "was recorded with minimal production over three days at Howl Street Recording in Milwaukee. Engineered by long-time friend Shane Hochstetler (Child Bite, Call Me Lightning), the album captures the raw, immediate energy of the band's live sound."
That it does. The patterns on songs such as the opening "Oh Friend Entropy" and "Animal Tracks" are riddled with curveballs and maze-like elements. But the melodies are also devastatingly immediate, which is somewhat mind-blowing.
Whatever -- it works.
Drill for Absentee
Circle Music +4 I (Expert Work Records)
Blue vinyl LP
Philly band Drill for Absentee formed in 1995 and called it quits just four years later. A quarter of a century later and the band has reformed.
This is a nostalgia trip though. Circle Music +4 is a 12" compilation of previously unreleased material from the '90s. This is another band (like Denude above) that can be described as math-rock, but that really just means that they are on the proggy side of post-hardcore. Fans of Tool and A Perfect Circle will lap this stuff up.
"Whether you're an old head or a new Drill for Absentee fan, it's time to rejoice, as the band just announced that all of their nineties output has been remastered by Bob Weston (Shellac, Polvo, Archers of Loaf, Rodan, June of 44, etc) and sounds incredible," they say.
We're new to the band and we're already rejoicing.
