STILL SINGLE

A space for thoughts on music and culture, as written by Doug Mosurock and a select handful of individuals. This is intended as a supplement to our regular feature Still Single, published on Dusted Magazine. Updates will run here more frequently, and may feature writing on music not covered in the column. Compact discs are still not accepted for review -- we have more than enough vinyl and the occasional cassette to worry about.

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August 19, 2010

Chicago Thrash Ensemble – s/t one-sided 12” EP (Plastic Airlines)

According to most underground metal elitists, in order to be of “the true,” one must fall from the womb clutching an original copy of Dark Angel’s Darkness Descends on vinyl (ouch!), or do more time in the woods than in school between the ages of 13 and 16. “True” folks love to bemoan its underrated status. “True” folks will probably not like the Chicago Thrash Ensemble, but fuck those lonely assholes; this is exactly the type of record that metal needs. That’s right, metal needs a one-sided, 45 rpm interpretation of thrash metal by a bunch of dudes that cut their teeth in ‘90s hardcore bands. And as for the current thrash revival? This stomps the life out of all but 10% of that ridiculous cause.

Obviously, the charm of this record is not in the ground that it breaks, which falls somewhere between “none” and “nil”. Zach Petrusa and Mike Heerboth, the two guitarists at work here, should be applauded for their complete dismissal of solos and embrace of riffs, riffs, riffs, a pick-squeal here or there, and even more riffage on top of that. A lack of technical know-how? No … thrash stores its hooks, its heart, its feeling, and its general catchiness in RIFFS, not in all that dumbass shredification. This probable one-off is spawned directly from the wiseasses behind Hewhocorrupts, Kung Fu Rick, and Iron Reminders as well as a hundred additional hardcore and fine-grind bands, not to mention its indirect relation to the same Chicago scene that can be thanked for Tusk, Pelican, Russian Circles, and 7000 Dying Rats. The vocals, courtesy of Jimmy Dunn (with everyone else contributing backing or side-bellows/screams), are rooted firmly in the higher register area of ‘90s crust…an identifying factor right out of the gate. Still, dude sounds like he means it, and this is galaxies better than any of that crossed-arm boys-club-boo-foo nonsense that the NYHC scene has poisoned heavy music with over the last two decades. The Chicago Thrash Ensemble’s LP is the eighth release by Plastic Airlines Records, (a label with a tendency towards great packaging and limited editions – only 100 of last year’s wonderful Iron Reminder LP), and is available via a pressing of around 335. The other side of the record is screened, as is the fold-over cover, and the package comes with a laminated sheet of nine baseball cards wherein six are professionally-made representations of the band members (in team garb with stats on the reverse), two are seemingly random choices of real cards (I got the Cardinals’ Willie McGee and the Reds’ Tom Browning), and one is the record’s actual liner notes. Nice. While this one took a few spins to win me over, the cover of The Fighters’ “Motor Man” is one of the more intense and perfectly-executed moments in metal circa 2010 (thus worth the price of admission). A keepuh!! (http://www.plasticairlines.com)
(Andrew Earles)

1 year ago • Notes