Parallax "Widely Unknown Indeed!" CD
[Counterintelligence]
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up! Now this is what I like to hear! Progression! Actual progression! I heard a few songs from this band on the "From the Mean Streets - Salt Lake City Hardcore" compilation and thought they had some good riffs, but major problems. Well, this demo fucking kicks ass! The songs could still stand to be a bit shorter and more focused, but the playing is far tighter, the recording is stronger, and the writing on the new tracks is really fucking creative, not to mention totally explosive! There's a ton of nonstop energy, and I don't know how they pull it off, because it often almost sounds like a few songs are crammed into one! Not to mention that there are shitloads of tempo changes and riff changes in general. Expect a lot of frantic chaotic riffs with caustic dissonant chords and odd time signatures competing against smooth clean breaks, intense melodic sensibilities, and lots of technical riffing where the instruments all work independently of one another. The fluid basslines actually keep up with the complexity of the guitar parts and branch out on their own at times, and solid drumming with tight fills backs it all up. Think Shai Hulud meets With Honor meets The Dillinger Escape Plan to create a result that sounds only marginally similar to any of it (and throw in some Krakatoa for good measure). The vocals are searing screams, but they're about as good as screaming gets: Aggressive and over the top but not forced, totally relentless and authentically emotional, which actually comes through and sounds awesome. The two songs off of the "From the Mean Streets..." compilation appear here in re-recorded form and definitely sound a ton more powerful simply due to the improved sound quality, though they sound like they might be playing a little faster here too. Surprisingly they close with two Side by Side covers, "Dead Serious" and "The Time is Now", with which they take plenty of liberties - so at points it's unrecognizable as the original, whereas certain portions remain generally intact. The production is fucking great for a demo. It's a little on the thin side, but hell if that matters. The mix is clear and doesn't have any empty space, the drums are natural, the bass always peaks through the core, the guitars are crunchy but not overpoweringly heavy, and the vocals sound absolutely perfect - a little out in front in placement, but perfect otherwise. I'm all for the recording, if and when it gets better they'll just kick my ass even more. The CD-R has been spraypainted black with a gold railroad spike stenciled onto it and comes in a white sleeve with a folded xerox insert for the lyrics and whatnot. The artwork's not bad, though the side with the lyrics looks significantly better. And, I'm pleased to say, the lyrics are fucking great - far longer and more involved than expected, not to mention completely sincere. "When culture replaces nature where do you stand with the struggle within the system? Values change we remain tied to the concept that work will set us free. Tread the beaten path time passes with no relief. I function in the red for an honest day. Killing time. Buy, sell, package passion. Buy, sell, at the price of definition. And I live for nothing accumulating the image of real living. Live for junk. Die for junk. When image replaces substance where do you stand?" Fucking awesome stuff. Fans of contemporary acts like Misery Signals should really check this out. For a demo this is highly impressive. I'm very much psyched to hear more from this band. Keep an eye out... I've not been descriptive enough here, there's a ton going on. Just look into 'em. (8/10)
Running time - 25:25, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: The Romance, Criticize Without Constructing, and the others as well...]
Parallax - http://www.goldenspikemusic.com

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