Drid Machine seems to have a monopoly on gnarly weirdo music
coming out of Scandinavia. The last tape I reviewed from them (Freddy the
Dyke/Bloodsprut) blew my mind, and this tape has only made me more trusting in
the tastes of whoever runs this sick Norse label. This No Balls tape has 11
tracks, and about 11 riffs all told. Pummeling but almost entirely static
instrumental (save for one track) noise rock from two members of Brainbombs
that finds a groove and sticks with it endlessly, denying much in the way of
rock n roll catharsis. Their method for keeping each track interesting while
never really changing the pattern to the song is hypnotic. The secret to each
track is the glacial pace the band takes to alter the groove, mixing in minute
drum fills and muted horns that change the song ever so slightly enough that
you don’t go mad thinking your tape players busted and just playing the same
twenty seconds over and over again. They shake their experiment in rock
minimalism a few times, the last track on the A side has a lot of movement, and
the first track on the B side rocks out pretty hard. Later on that side they
interrupt one of their monumental grooves and dive out of nowhere into a spacey
dubbed out passage. Even though many of these tracks might seem to consist of
the guitarist just down picking his muted strings over a funky drum pattern ad
nauseum, it’s hard to find this boring. Each riff or pattern sticks around just
long enough for you to be frustrated by it, so that when the next song starts
it has your full attention. This bands onto something really novel, and I can’t
wait to get my hands on more of their material.
-- Tim Johnson
Posts
