Majhas "Stepping Into Character" CD
[Hawthorne Street]
This is the second full-length of jarring, rhythmic, and abrasive hardcore from this Indianapolis act that features ex-members of Ice Nine, among others. One thing that gives this a band a huge edge over many of their contemporaries is that they are very competent musicians, and above all solid songwriters. They can get chaotic and noisy without losing direction, they can integrate a lot of changes into longer songs that run more than four minutes without it getting boring, and they balance out their acerbic side with an equally intense dose of melody. "Workman's Comp" perfectly integrates a unique sense of melody into the band's use of discordant guitar textures and basic rhythmic grooves (generally propelled by the rhythm section). The carefully placed vinyl samples (I think?) combine superbly with the slow moving clean guitars and soft drumming during the intro to "NOLA Heat". The 6+ minute instrumental "Intermission" begins with dry, distant drums and jazzy basslines before giving way to a repetitive, driving Fugazi-esque sort of passage that gradually increases in volume and strength. Overall there's just a great mixture of different tempos and dynamics, and I'd really say Majhas has as much in common with Fudge Tunnel and early Helmet as they do with Deadguy and Threadbare. Pretty much the only song that I feel is a waste is the 21+ minute closer, "...Character", which begins with over 10 minutes of various noisescapes before structuring itself into an actual song that proceeds to get rather tiresome after the first five minutes or so, despite excellent moments. The recording is pretty fucking good. The drums sound excellent, the bass is there, the guitars are clear and aggressive without getting too dirty, and the throaty screams are blended right in beside the instruments. At times the volume levels can peak out to slight distortion, but it's not that noticeable so I'm not bothered by it. The layout's awesome, overlaying x-rays of ribcages with high contrast metallic silver images of rib cages, using consistent coloring and small, compact type. I really like the lyrics, they're a bit more involved and creative than usual, and they're also fairly abstract despite their clear-cut imagery. "Holding a grudge is painstakingly hard to do. Socially you swivel and turn, it's like a semi-auto cocked and loaded, or an unlaced steel toed shoe, it's just always with you. Call me crazy, but I keep them with me, ready to combat the stupidity that surrounds me. I'm never claiming anything, and was never really part of the scene in the first place. I love and I hate, just tell me how the fuck we all get along..." This is a great CD. There are a few songs that are on the more typical side that I could do without, but for the most part this shit just drills right through to the core without fucking around. Highly recommended for fans of this style. (7/10)
Running time - 59:01, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Workman's Comp, NOLA Heat, Intermission, Double Life Sentence]
Hawthorne Street Records - http://www.hawthornestreetrecords.com

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