Newest storc delivery as noisy as ever
Quartet thrashes and slashes its way through new album
Vancouver punk/noise quartet storc delivered its self-titled debut in 2017. The group’s frenzied Northwest sludge sound was immediately embraced by multiple scenes in the city.
The band has pedigree. Guitarist Allen Forrister and bassist Matthew Lyons had both been in popular bands Nasty On and Christa Min. Drummer Ben Frith had bashed his way around with everyone from Thor to the Vicious Cycles. Vocalist Luke Meat was such a scene regular it was to everyone’s surprise he hadn’t been in more bands than all the other members combined.
Engineered by Josh Stevenson (White Lung, Nu Sensae), storc’s debut was a dozen dizzying blasts of Amphetamine Reptile-era post-hardcore.
Returning with its second album, appropriately titled II, storc offers up 13 more tracks of molten heaviness served up with plenty of sarcastic snarl. Recorded by Jesse Gander and Mariessa Mcleod at Rain City Recorders, it’s not music for long attention spans — most songs clock in at under two minutes. It’s also about as subtle as a flying mallet to the headphones.
Here are five things know about II:
1.
Engines Rust
The band was always slamming, but Meat’s vocals are a revelation on the new record, particularly on this song. Coming across like the ringleader for a Barnum and Bailey circus, he implores the listener to “have some water/drink some wine/please eat some bread/and always misheard what was said.” He’s like the maitre d’ of some punk palace, as likely to put boots to you as promise fun. It’s delightfully insidious.
2.
The guitar
Whether aiming for finite aggression (Me and My Bowflex) or atmospheric pop (Lord), Forrister lays down licks that all sound classic. His style owes plenty to the slashing, open chord style of late ’80s hardcore and the alternative rock scene that emerged from it. It’s clean, direct and loud, but with a real knack for melody.
3.
Coalesce Time
The bass line opening this delightfully mechanical basher carries through into one of the album’s most art-rock oriented tracks. As Meat starts to chant “context” faster and faster, the tension builds until the song just ceases. It’s jarring and effective use of space in the recording. And is that some theremin by the one and only Stephen Hamm buried in the mix?
4.
The rhythm section
You know how some albums sound like the drummer is beating the kit with enough force to break their sticks? This is that kind of album. When It Reigns It Pours is positively relentless. Naturally, this makes it one of the best songs on the whole record.
5.
Remains of Comets
In what appears to be a template for its records, II ends with the nearly seven-minute-long Remains of Comets. The group’s debut did the same thing, ending with the six-minute beautifully titled jam (Now You Want Me to Play the Room You Just) Emptied? Remains of Comets is somewhat more classic acid rock, complete with some solos that wouldn’t sound out of place on a classic Black Sabbath record. Seems storc can get psychedelic, and more of that would be really cool on future albums. Plus, Meat does a really cool Ian Curtis-like vocal.
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