Labels: Destructure
Review by: Kunal Nandi
This is the sort of life-affirmingly practical release designed for lazy fuckos like me who aren’t as on the ball as the total vinyl obsessives who probably own all this already. What you get is a bargain-busting 75 minutes worth of music, the contents as follows:
– Coliseum’s “Goddamage” EP, formerly on Manic Ride Records, home of the magnificent Jed Whitey
– Lords’ “Moral Darkness” 7″
– the Coliseum / Lords split 7″
and as a bonus not to be found anywhere else, you’re treated to two exclusive tracks by “CoLordsiseum”, a hideous hybrid mutant featuring both bands sparring off each other. These are fun tunes, disposable as anything else either band has done, but still worthy of inclusion. Opening with an amusing story (that basically extends to the bands playing a house show where they just plugged in every amp they could find) relayed by a former roadie backed by a one-note chugging riff, things get off to a not-bad start. “Pig’s Eye” is what I’ve come here for though – proper bloody-minded, blazing Motorhead worship. Bring it on.
Coliseum do just that with their refreshingly straight-up hardcore punk. No more, no less, and that’s totally fine with me, because they never allow things to get boring. They know not to outstay their welcome, songs ending at just the right time, releases never getting into double LP territory. What makes them so addictive is when they chuck out the odd bit of epic minor chord progression in the riffs that really hit home hard. See “Miracle Cure” for ample proof. And anyway, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Lords are garage rock filtered through a metal upbringing, or The Jesus Lizard Blues Explosion if you’re really pressed for time. It shouldn’t work, all sassy and hectic and hairy, but it definitely, definitely, DEFinitely does because they’re unafraid to get really down and really dirty when it’s needed. It’s cool these two bands hooked up all friendly-like (maybe that was forced upon them in the sparse Louisville musical landscape), as they’re quite different in feel and sound, but it really is a match made in heaven when it clicks.