Here's a nice review of our new CD from Brainwashed, with thanks to Creaig Dunton:
Compiling their vinyl debut and follow-up EP, this compilation
captures the Chicago rock supergroup (made up of some of the city’s best
known noise artists) honing and perfecting their surprisingly
restrained and tuneful, but appropriately grandiose work.
Consisting of Mark Solotroff (Bloodyminded, Intrinsic Action) on
vocals, Greg Ratajczak (Plague Bringer) on guitar, drummer Dylan Posa
(Cheer-Accident, Flying Luttenbachers), bassist Kenny Rasmussen and
percussionist Blake Edwards (Vertonen), there are a lot of recognizable
people here to those versed in the harsh noise world, so my interest was
piqued when I heard Anatomy of Habit was more of a post-punk death rock
band.
Within the first few minutes of opener "After the Water" (the
shortest track at about seven and a half minutes), I immediately felt
some kinship with the short-lived Freek Records label, who also captured
some more noise-oriented bands doing more guitar-based music, such as
Bodychoke and Ramleh. Maybe not in a direct manner, since those artists
leaned more into a distorted, occasionally psychedelic squall while AoH
has a much cleaner, almost ascetically sparse approach to their epic
length compositions.
For example "Overcome" sticks to a sparse echoing bass and quiet
feedbacking guitar structure rather rigidly, with Solotroff's vocals and
slight variations to keep things moving. Slowly but surely noisier
guitar drifts in, building to an aggressive climax of slow, but
monolithic guitar riffs, stabbing drums and raw, aggressive vocals. It
is not a song to just casually listen to; it demands full attention,
which is rewarded at the end.
Repetition is a key piece of these songs, most of which clock in at
around a full length side of vinyl in duration. "Overcome" and "The
Decade Plan" open with elongated passages displaying simple, but
effective variations, with Solotroff's vocals occasionally drifting more
into mantra like repetitions. Never is it dull and tedious though,
because the songs consistently build to dramatic crescendos that make
them captivating.
While there is a variety of sounds and approaches, it is a dark
record. "The Decade Plan" opens as closed to upbeat as it gets, which
is quickly contradicted by a dark, doom-laden closing. Even the more
Joy Division tinged "Torch", with its majestic rhythmic dissonance is
reformed into an early '80s metal riff-fest later on, bearing a passing
resemblance to Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” in the best
possible way.
With the debut LP ("Overcome" and "Torch") coming out in 2011 and
last year’s EP ("After the Water," "The Decade Plan") both being
relatively recent, there is a noticeable difference that can be heard
between the two, with the more recent work showing a bit more variation
and nuance in comparison to the more bluntly aggressive earlier work.
The material works together as a consistent whole though, and feels more
like a full debut album rather than a collection of previously released
material, managing to be both powerful, but also memorable and catchy.
http://www.brainwashed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9579:anatomy-of-habit&catid=13:albums-and-singles&Itemid=133
