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Fucked Up --- The Chemistry of Common Life

post #1 of 8
11/7/08 at 1:13pm
Thread Starter 
Jesus, what a great hardcore record. It's in your face, loud, but extremly well produced and incredibly listenable. You want to spin it again as soon as it's over. At first I had to take it in small doses but as I listened more and more I like the whole thing as a consistant, solid, beautiful angry grand statement. I even love the cover art, which is rare these days (all of my favorite records this year save Feed the Animals have had downright shitty cover art).
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post #2 of 8
11/7/08 at 1:24pm
I have to admit that the vocals turn me off a little (and they're probably the most "hardcore" thing about it), but the album's really phenomenal in terms of getting the mood across via the production. It's a wall of energy. I've been listening to the Germs lately, and this is like the album that a band of that type would have made if they'd had a huge budget and a talent for arranging guitar parts... and less of an aversion to the tendencies of metal, I suppose.

In terms of scope and energy, the two albums that really come to mind for me are Trail of Dead's Source Tags and Codes and At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command. Those two are a lot more melodic and ornate in song structure (and a lot better for it, I'd argue), but this has a similar epic guitar feel.
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post #3 of 8
11/7/08 at 1:30pm
Thread Starter 
The vocals do take some getting used to and that was the biggest barrier for me getting into the album (I think you could make pop-punk, Pixies and Husker Du comparisons if not for the guys weirdo delivery).

Reading up on the band, The Germs were a big influence, so yeah, I think what you're saying there is right on. It's just refreshing to hear a band say "fuck it" and actually produce the shit out of a punk album.

I totally get your Trail of Dead and At The Drive In comparions. The problem with Trail of Dead is that everything they've done since that beaut of a debut makes me feel like it was a giant fluke. For some reason, these guys feel like they have more staying power. But who knows what will happen witht heir next record.
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post #4 of 8
11/7/08 at 1:37pm
Agreed on the vocals (I almost get a Dropkick Murphys vibe from them), but I keep cranking this like mad. It's horribly infectious.
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post #5 of 8
11/7/08 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker View Post
The vocals do take some getting used to and that was the biggest barrier for me getting into the album (I think you could make pop-punk, Pixies and Husker Du comparisons if not for the guys weirdo delivery).

Reading up on the band, The Germs were a big influence, so yeah, I think what you're saying there is right on. It's just refreshing to hear a band say "fuck it" and actually produce the shit out of a punk album.
Definitely. It's not like there's anything bourgeois about stacking tons of guitars on an album at this point - you can make a great sounding album on a budget. The reasons behind so many punk and indie bands sticking to old school-sounding, shitty recording have become more aesthetic than principle-driven.

Quote:
I totally get your Trail of Dead and At The Drive In comparions. The problem with Trail of Dead is that everything they've done since that beaut of a debut makes me feel like it was a giant fluke. For some reason, these guys feel like they have more staying power. But who knows what will happen witht heir next record.
Trail of Dead actually had two before Source Tags and Codes (of which I've only heard Madonna, their second, and it comes off like a terrific warmup for Source Tags), so it's not all that fluke-y. And there are a few tracks on each of the follow-ups that are pretty good, so I haven't lost hope completely there.
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post #6 of 8
11/7/08 at 1:44pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
Trail of Dead actually had two before Source Tags and Codes (of which I've only heard Madonna, their second, and it comes off like a terrific warmup for Source Tags), so it's not all that fluke-y. And there are a few tracks on each of the follow-ups that are pretty good, so I haven't lost hope completely there.
My mistake. For some reason I thought Madonna was an EP (nope) and I never checked out their real debut. Worlds Apart, I think, is shit. So Divided is OK. I dig their new EP. Their Replacements cover is pretty good.
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post #7 of 8
11/7/08 at 2:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker View Post
My mistake. For some reason I thought Madonna was an EP (nope) and I never checked out their real debut. Worlds Apart, I think, is shit. So Divided is OK. I dig their new EP. Their Replacements cover is pretty good.
I've been afraid to listen to it. The Replacements are sort of sacred ground for me, and given Trail of Dead's shaky output of late, I was concerned that it might be the final blow.
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post #8 of 8
11/7/08 at 2:01pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
I've been afraid to listen to it. The Replacements are sort of sacred ground for me, and given Trail of Dead's shaky output of late, I was concerned that it might be the final blow.
Best to detach yourself as much as possible. But I actually didn't think it was that bad.

That said, you might want to skip it...heh.
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