GREG PUCIATO goes on a visual and sonic rampage.
PRIVATE STUDIO, LOS ANGELES
Maryland’s sonic polymath gets a spectacle to match
LAST OCTOBER’S CHILD Soldier: Creator Of God, the debut album by ex-dillinger Escape Plan/current Black Queen frontman Greg Puciato, was a startlingly diverse collection of songs that managed to provide a vivid and multi-faceted insight into the mind of its creator. Fans of his work know that he is not the sort of artist to do anything by halves and his
Fuck Content livestream is no exception.
Part live performance, part studio footage, part fly-on-the-wall documentary, every aspect of Fuck Content bears the hallmarks of an artist uncompromisingly pursuing a singular vision. Collaborating with visual artist Jesse Draxler – responsible for artwork by Daughters, Zola Jesus and Poppy among others – gives the stream a striking visual aesthetic that matches the songs perfectly.
Lurid, distorted imagery gives the unnerving feeling that we’re watching something we shouldn’t be, evoking the VHS video nasties and grindhouse aesthetic of 80s exploitation flicks. At some points, it’s a genuinely disorientating experience whilst, at others, it creates an hypnotic sense of calm.
The performances are as visceral as you’d expect from Greg but also flawlessly executed, flanked as he is by a band of excellent musicians – Chris Hornbrook, Nick Rowe and Jeff Geisser – who easily flit between the many and varied styles the project demands. From the ferocious caterwaul of Roach Hiss to the sublime, warm synths of Fireflies, every song seems enhanced beyond its studio equivalent.
We’re also treated to four previously unheard songs presented as studio footage and interspersed throughout. But this is no mere bonus content, all four songs sounding as vital as anything heard on the record, proving that Greg is a creative visionary who refuses to rest on his laurels. We all dearly miss live shows but Fuck Content provides something that even they can’t recreate. It’s a shining example of the forwardthinking approach that more bands should be adopting during these times.