Disrespect "2004 Recordings" CD
[Profane Existence]
This CD contains the two previously released 7"s from this Minneapolis punk band that features current and former members of Misery, Destroy, Pissed, and Civil Disobedience playing relatively straightforward hardcore/punk inspired by (but not a copy of) the 80's UK style, using three vocalists (male and female) shouting over simple and moderately fast chord progressions with a few dirty lead lines and such. My biggest problem with these 7"s was the guitar tone, and I still feel the same way hearing the material on CD. I'm fine with raw recordings and stuff, the mix and most of the tones here are fine, but the guitars are thin and unnatural, so they sound like a direct line recording or something. The distortion just doesn't have the rugged warmth it needs to fit in, you know? First up is the self-titled EP, where "No Sign of Life" has one stuttered break that's a little slower and more melodic, offering a different feel from most of the other tracks; while female vocals take the lead in "Rich Kid" and make for a more memorable track that also has a different sort of rhythm style. Then it's the "Justice in a Bag" EP, where the writing is stronger and they make much better use of their three vocalists with lots of vocal tradeoffs, which adds more movement to the writing and lets the female shouting play an equal role. Definitely a good move. There's more variety to the songs on this one well, while still sticking to the same basic style of hardcore/punk. "Hung, Drawn & Quartered" is more melodic with some really unexpected riffing across the board, and the lead vocals are almost spoken; while "Timmy" is also much more openly melodic with faster vocal patterns and a good energy level. The production sounds similar to that of the debut 7", but for some reason it sounds muddier and quieter on CD, which is a shame, so maybe the mastering job could've been a little more accurate in evening out the track volumes? Tacked on as a bonus are three previously unreleased cover songs that sound like they were recorded during the "Justice in a Bag" sessions. "Vicious Circle" by Abrasive Wheels of course fits in quite well with a number of Disrespect's own tunes; while L7's "Just Like Me" is a little more midpaced and dingy; and Turbonegro's "Denim Demon" is, well... rock 'n' roll! Though given a punk twist, of course. The packaging basically includes all of the text and visuals from the two EP's, as well as some color band photos, so you'll get the original record covers and all of the lyrics and stuff. The material takes on cops, drugs, and politics, while other times venturing into more of a storytelling approach that deals with everything from the torture of prisoners in Iraq, to jock/bully mentalities, and showing no remorse for rapists. "In the midst of this hell an unwanted child was born into a family already shattered and torn, Neglected and abused, a childhood spent, Another ball and chain for mom to resent, Not good enough to earn father's respect, 'My loser kid' is what he rejects..." I'm definitely into the more memorable and catchy (not to mention diverse) tunes on this thing, so I'm interested to see what comes next from this band, but they haven't floored me yet, and I definitely think they need to work on securing a recording that suits their sound (and financial constraints, I know that kind of thing factors in) in order to better represent the progress of their songwriting. Some of the songs on the more recent 7" definitely kick ass, so... (6/10)
Running time - 29:24, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: M.P.D., Rich Kid, Hung, Drawn and Quartered, Death Insurance, Just Like Me]
Profane Existence - http://www.profaneexistence.com

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