Self Defense Family, Converge, Infest, Cursive, Death Grips,
The National, and Botch.
What do these bands have in common? Perhaps it’s the
playlist of a hardcore fan that’s trying to branch out? Turns out that’s not
too far from the truth. The list of bands above found their way into Black Santa Rides the Fire Train a
surprisingly great cover album by Massachusetts hardcore outfit MONOLITHS. The
young and versatile quartet tackles each of these songs with equal parts
passion and ferocity.
Self Defense Family’s “I’m Going Through Some Shit”
perfectly opens the album with a bluesy guitar that buzzes with anger. Kehan
Larivee hollers like a crossbreed between Tom Waits and Isaac Brock and only
withdraws from his strain inducing tone a few times, with each instance
becoming a powerful blow. The first break from his vocal cord tearing has him
saying “good luck son, I hope you crash,” with all the disinterest of a
sociopath watching a plane crash. The second time has Larivee’s voice cracking
as he proclaims “you are your own man.” The instruments let him rest as they
take the last half of the song down a rumbling and churning road. The Converge
track that follows serves mainly as a vehicle for Brian McNally’s fantastic
guitar work. He nails the tapping guitar riff and makes the muddied post-chorus
section even grittier.
Unlike many of their peers MONOLITHS don’t hide in lo-fi grunge.
In fact both “Mistaken for Strangers” and “From the Hips” verge on pretty, even
while McNally and bassist Matt Campo fuzz up the lower end of the sound.
Drummer Christian Northover also refuses to slip into traditional rock clichés.
“I’m Going Through Some Shit”’s outro is a complex piece of work and Northover
doesn’t lack in restraint on “Mistaken for Strangers.” But Larivee’s vocal
flexibility is eye-brow raising levels of impressive. He moves from the
aforementioned hollering to screaming, speaking, and charming vocal-pop. That
last quality comes up on the excellent Cursive cover “From the Hips.” Larivee’s
voice duets with itself only occasionally reaching into his harsher tones and
Northover drives the song along at a great clip after the intro.
Out of the seven tracks here five are evenly solid tracks
that flow well. However the other two tracks swing to farther ends of the
spectrum. On the less fortunate end is the Infest cover which never comes
together as cohesive. It’s the only time that Larivee feels out of place and where
Northover falls into classic drummer traps making the song boring, bordering on
annoying. Thankfully on the ridiculously surprising end of the spectrum lies
“No Love.” Yes it’s the Death Grips
cover and it’s shockingly good. With a little help from guest vocalist Charlie
Mansion MONOLITHS turn MC Ride’s serial killer flow into some seriously angry
white boy rap, insane in its own way. And that’s not even mentioning how the
rest of the band turns the song into a trashing industrial mess that comes to a
terrifying head with Northover pulling off a brutal double kick-drum outro.
It should be mentioned that even after the band ran out of
free downloads on their bandcamp they’re still insisting that you grab it for
free. With their energizing and horrifying work this might be one of the best
(legal) free downloads you’ll get this year.
Listen here: http://monolithswillkillyou.bandcamp.com/album/black-santa-rides-the-fire-train
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