Born Losers Records – 08 Dec 2022
“Sink or Swim, Jump Right In”
Shh… I am a bit ashamed of what I’m about to say but it needs to be said. I always felt too stupid to enjoy Anthony Green and too embarrassed to not fake it for the scene points. I also didn’t really care much for RX Bandits after the release of Resignation, again the experimentation and unconventional timing made me feel aloof and out of step.
I first saw and heard Anthony Green when he was in Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer, and I didn’t care for what I saw. I listened, and probably bought every Saosin or Circa Survive record, but never really more than a tinge of ambivalence toward them, I jkust knew all the cool kids got into it. Same can be said for the first The Sound of Animals Fighting record, Tiger and the Duke, which I admittedly only wanted to check out because Craig Owens has the voice of an angel. When he left, so did my interest and I’m not sure I bothered at all with Lover, The Lord Has Left Us or The Ocean and The Sun.
I was never good at turning my imposter syndrome off and because I didn’t feel like I fit the sound, I didn’t let the sound fit with me. That was my mistake, I admit. One I am proud to say I am learning from, because in May I caught Anthony Green on the Carousel Tour and something clicked. The following month I had an opportunity to catch the Bandits for the first time and figured I needed to at least go hoping they were going to play a Progress heavy set. Once more, it all came together for me at the moment. Being there, feeling the beats shimmy through the floor, letting the sound take over, I got out of my own way and let myself actually enjoy the ride. The new LS Dunes record was one of my favorites of the year, and I’ve got a feeling I wouldn’t have gotten through the opening track last Spring. My mind opened to a new appreciation from what RXB and AG could provide, so it’s little surprise that The Sound of Animals Fighting’s first EP in 14 years hit me like a metric ton of post-hardcore bricks.
Skipping all of the aforementioned and extensive exposition, it’s easy to say that these four songs are nothing short of phenomenal. The vocalists each bring a very different sense to their respective bars, but each is breathtaking in their own way. The instrumentation and backing cacophony is enough to arouse a base, animalistic, craving for more in anyone willing to open up their senses to the sound. The songwriting is incredible, not surprising based on the members’ individual accomplishments.
The ethereal poetry and post-hardcore dramatics of “Apeshit” blend into electro-chill vibes on “Wolf” before top track, “Sharon Tate, Despite Everything” brings forth a triple threat of vocals, descending into madness with a non-commital approach to genres. The track shifts in and out from indie to post-hardcore, electro and bedroom, the kind of carnal haunting that can make even a grizzled, old, bastard like me blush. I close my eyes and visions of dancing naked in a cemetery abound and a new fetish is unlocked after hearing this track.
Apeshit is 20 minutes of genre-bending, mind-expanding and celestial intricacy. I still may not understand what TSOAF is putting out there, but I definitely feel something from it. I can not wait for the tour in the new year, and will keep fingers, toes, and whatever other appendages, crossed for more and more to come from this talented outfit.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
