Another instrumental act to recently pass my way is the Massachusetts trio Disappearer (featuring members of There Were Wires and Doomriders), who recently issued a self-titled EP on Trash Art!. The last two songs on this release actually come from a limited edition EP that came out back in 2004, but whatever the case you'll get a total of three tracks in over 35 minutes, so these are some real whoppers. Some of the material does flirt with a few of those effects and transitions that I've mentioned several times lately as being a little overdone these days, but I like the fact that they keep things relatively open and spacious rather than trying to beat you into the ground with oppressive heaviness, and as far as the somewhat "typical" elements are concerned, they do fit, and you can tell that these guys are coming from an entirely different direction than most of that stuff. The openness of the sound especially benefits the basslines, as they're quite prominent in the mix and play an extremely significant role in laying the foundation for the material as a whole. Really the entire rhythm section kicks ass—basically holding things down while also adding energy and color. The guitars kind of wander around and do their own thing, reuniting with the bass and drums on occasion to lock into a more straightforward rhythm. It's heavy, melodic, and dissonant all at once, while also combining naturally rigid structures with looser and more relaxed playing styles. Oh, and the packaging is printed entirely on vellum for some nice transparent effects! Good stuff.
Disappearer "Crownfire" (excerpt)
I would've posted a slightly longer clip for these guys, but I didn't have time to fix one up this morning, so I just jacked this one from the label's site. You should get the idea. And you know how it goes... buy the shit if you dig it:
Comments
from the clips i’ve heard of souvenir, i think if there’s a comparison it’s tarantula hawk.
6.27.2006 | By George Korein
i bought that souvenir’s young america cd based on this review and that mp3!
it’s quite neat.
7.31.2006 | By harrison