9 Shocks Terror "s/t" CD
[Mad at the World]
These tracks were slated to be released on a split LP with Out Cold but ended up on a 7" instead, and here they are on CD with a DVD to boot. This is the usual fare for 9 Shocks Terror with a few minutes of raucous hardcore/punk with recklessly cackled vocal screams and a lot of noisy ruggedness. Some of this stuff is subtly more rocked out and memorable than the band's past work, notably the awesome "Inside Information", but they definitely aren't shedding their bite at all, and the moderate speeds don't let up too much. "My Nerves Are Shot" even has some unexpected dissonance that honestly has a post-hardcore/indie sort of twist to it, which sounds crazy when you're talking about this band... but it's true. Some of that comes back up in the more straightforward "Ceiling Bender", though admittedly some of the vocal effects strip away the power a little in that one. The production is rough but works great. Everything is really tightly knit and dense, and the drums actually sound pretty damn good. The basslines don't have enough definition to highlight the playing, but they bounce forth sometimes when it really counts. The vocals definitely lead the charge, but they don't feel disruptive at all. I'm fine with it. The packaging is fairly simple with a couple of band photos and minimal little illustrations, plus the lyrics, all over plain black backgrounds. The lyrics seem less direct to me than expected, almost making little sense at all: "Hanging out, Ain't no fun at all, Burning the couch, Didn't know you were there, Moving down, Still making my way down..." The DVD includes a total of around 25 minutes of live footage from Columbus, OH; Amherst, MA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Providence, RI; and Los Angeles, CA. In my opinion some of the sound is way too raw, to the point where you can barely understand what the band is saying between songs, and of course it's rough visually as well, but it's watchable. The Los Angeles footage is my favorite of the bunch because it's shot pretty tight in and sounds a little clearer on the audio. I'm not blown away by the DVD, but there's a good span of footage included, and it's surprising as hell to even see such a thing from 9 Shocks Terror, of all bands!? Not bad at all. I definitely like the fact that the songs on the CD are actually noticeably different from the band's past work without shedding their core sound. Check it out. (7/10)
Running time - 11:36, Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: Inside Information, My Nerves Are Shot]
Mad at the World Records - http://www.matwrecords.com

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