Fig 4.0 - Stand - Tarts & Vicars split - 7

Labels: SuperFi
Review by: Andy Malcolm

What the fuck! This record is so thick that I could kill a guy with it. It is also pink, and has some of the most hideous packaging I have ever seen but I think that’s the whole idea.

Fig 4.0 I haven’t heard in ages, but they are still rocking out in a way fun fashion. 4 songs of riotous hardcore / punk that seems to cover a lot of ground, going from fast and straight up hardcore to tuneful and melodic Lifetime style stuff at the drop of a hat. Everything seems to happen within the space of one song. Even when they play really fast there is always some super melodic guitars blasting away underneath. Good lyrics too, particularly “Millenium Mosh Manifesto” about twats at shows who don’t understand how to dance nice.

After using a forklift to prise the record off my turntable I got to listen to Stand who I had never heard before. A dude once told me that one of the guys in this band likes Honeywell (my guess is that it’s the singer), well that guy needs to make the rest of the band listen to Honeywell too I think. Stand is not really up my alley, playing chuggy hardcore with a metal edge on the first track. The vocals are screechy and harsh in a Jeromes Dream type way, or spoken at other times. I really like the vocals. The music does little for me at all though I’m afraid, although there is a nice quiet part with talky vocals on it. Good lyrical content here too, mind. The second song is much more my thang, a quick blast of emo violence a la Reversal of Man. Props.

Good split, and make sure you read the insert too, ya big dope.