Review: Code Orange Kids - Love is Love // Return to Dust

Code Orange Kids

Love is Love // Return to Dust

Deathwish Inc.

Tracklisting:

1.  Flowermouth (The Leech)

2.  Around My Neck // On My Head

3.  Sleep (I've Been Slipping)

4.  Liars // Trudge

5.  Colors (Into Nothing)

6.  Nothing (The Rat)

7.  Roots Are Certain (Sky Is Empty)

8.  Choices (Love Is Love)

9.  Calm // Breathe

10. Bloom (Return To Dust)

When I attended This is Hardcore 2012 I knew that Code Orange Kids were playing, but to be honest I wasn’t particularly looking forward to their set.  I was tangentially aware of the group, especially since their signing to Deathwish Inc. had been announced long before, but was put off by simple things like the band’s name, aesthetic, etc.  Are those stupid reasons to not check out a band?  Sure.  But what can I say; sometimes I’m lazy and try to wade through the sea of up-and-coming bands by less than perfect means.

So going into TIH I was expecting a quick and unremarkable early day set from these too-young-to-drink-in-America looking kids, but was blown away as soon as they hit the stage.  This group was tight, loud, chaotic, and brought an intensity to the show that sent me running for the merch table to pick up both of their 7”s and the cassette they had for sale.  In short, I was completely wrong about Code Orange Kids and has now kicking myself about missing out on these guys/gal for as long as I had.

The only question that remained was whether they could put together a full album that would match the quality of output their 7”s and live performance promised.  Unfortunately, a full length LP can often spell doom for hardcore bands, who are able to string together 5-10 minutes of intense music, but fall apart, get overly-artsy, sound boring, etc. when it comes to a lengthier release.

Luckily, Code Orange Kids don’t fall prey to the LP-curse.  Love is Love // Return to Dust completely delivers!  Songs like “Flowermouth (The Leech)”, “Nothing (The Rat)” and “Roots and Certain // Sky is Empty” stand out as punishingly heavy tracks, but still offer enough variety and dynamics to not seem monotonous or overly repetitive.  There is no shortage of memorable riffs, crushing bass lines, and sludgy breakdowns, and the group also delivers on several more atmospheric tracks (although these tend to drag a little in places, but not enough to detract from the album as a whole). 

So be smarter than me and get into Code Orange Kids as soon as possible.  Definitely check out their earlier output, but Love is Love // Return to Dust will deliver the destructive, doomy, down-tuned art-rock/hardcore that I know you are craving.

It’s not available to buy just yet, but when it is you can get it here.

Review: Pharaoh - This House is Doomed 7"

Pharaoh

This House is Doomed

A389 Recordings

Track Listing:

1. This House is Doomed

2. Waste

Prior to six months ago I had never heard New Jersey’s Pharaoh.  Unfortunately, the sheer volume of music that gets put out every year means that certain bands simply fall through the cracks.  Luckily, A389 put up a deal a couple months ago where the buyer got five 7” records for some bizarrely low price (I think it might’ve been $10), but the catch was that, in true ‘grab bag’ style, there was no choice of what music was purchased.  With such a low price I decided it would be foolish not to pick up a few mystery records, and lucky Pharaoh’s self-titled 7” was among them.

As on their self-titled 7”, This House is Doomed provides 2 tracks of distorted, doom-laden hardcore that never really lets up.  Not fans of the ‘all songs should be under 3 minutes’ mantra, Pharaoh begins off this offering with the title track, a seven minute ode to misery and despair that employs the mid-tempo riffs and anguished screams that have come to mark the Pharaoh sound.  Waste finishes off the 7” with more crunchy riffs and lyrics that are both poetic and incredibly depressing (“I’m going to die as an unknown/no day in my life spent alive”). 

One of the things I really love about Pharaoh is that although their songs regularly run in the 5-7 minute range, their music never seems drawn out, indulgent, or boring.  As a lover of all things fast/frenzied in music, I’m usually hyper-aware of song lengths and can quickly lose interest in anything that I feel drags on.  Fortunately, everything Pharaoh does on this release keeps the listener engaged and wanting more.  So if you like doomy, apocalyptic, purposeful music, then This House is Doomed is a must have, and is hopefully a tease for a full-length release in the near future.

It will be up on the A389 webstore soon, so keep checking back and buy it when you can!