Lots going on here with LIFE’S TORMENT, a self-described “grind-punk/sk8 violence/fastcore” unit from Vegas. Dual vocals belt out anti-facist lyrics amidst buzzing riffs, blastbeats, and breakdowns. I don’t really have any complaints—on paper this all sounds pretty good, and in practice, it does, too. That said, by the end I felt exhausted by this EP; maybe best served in smaller doses.
LIFE’S TORMENT is out of Las Vegas, and their dual-vocal delivery reminds me of CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE, but way more punk (is that possible?). MERKED out of San Jose is a three-piece that plays hardcore that drifts from what sounds like COMBAT WOUNDED VETERAN to beatdown to youth crew in a single volley. If this split had arrived in the early ’00s, there’s no doubt in my mind this would have been a top listen. Yeah, it’s a chaotic trip, and yes it’s noisy, it’s these qualities that make it fun.
SPAM CALLER. The name hits you like a cold dial tone in the middle of the night. Ever wonder what BLACK FLAG (if Henry Rollins spent his nights in a call center, slowly losing his mind) would sound like if they were ever part of the Youth Attack catalog? Well, this might just be it. During the seventeen minutes of Bad Connection, SPAM CALLER goes as hard as possible, and the result also comes close to what HOAX did so well; an assault to the senses. The tension felt in the songs is put into visuals by Mark McCoy’s art, and for the ones that have been following his work, they already know what this record is going to sound like. SPAM CALLER will keep ringing, whether you pick up or not.
