This Moment in Black History
(Smog Veil)
Eight years and three full-lengths in, these blistering punk-rock-screamers show no signs of slowing down. Harder and more metallic than Cleveland's post-punk forefathers (Dead Boys, Ubu, Easter Monkeys), This Moment in Black History toys occasionally with the pure distorted glories of classic rock "Pollen Count"), but more often pushes faster, harder, more discordantly into angsty, thrashy nihilism. "Theophylline Valentine" runs roughshod over hammer-jammer beats, double speed, double volume, while "MFA" hauls its full-on mayhem into abrupt, head-spinning dead stops.
Sometime in the ‘00s, the band got tired of answering questions about its multi-racial make-up -- for the record, drummer Bim Thomas (from the late, great Bassholes) and bassist Lawrence Caswell are black, shouter Chris Kulscar is white and guitarist Buddy Akita is Asian -- but they're not above a PC-baiting jab or two. Track two's "Forest Whitaker (In an Uncompromising Role)" lights blowtorch guitars to frame a sort-of tribute to the nation's best black actor, in a refrain of "Lazy eye/good looking out." And for those who have trouble processing the idea of a half-black punk band, there's one rap song slipped in for reassurance -- the short, ultra-out-of-place "My Notes," which may or may not be a put-on.
Public Square really gains momentum near the close, with the fire-blasted, guitar, tortured "Photo Negative," the metal-dramatic title track, and the long, sludgy, blues-inflected "Precinct," a hallucinatory dirge that opens up like a hall of mirrors, its distortion crusted guitars leading off into all sorts of interesting byways. Except for the screams, "Precinct" could be coming from a psych band along the lines of Dead Meadow or Comets on Fire, another intriguing direction for this genre-crossing outfit.
Standout Tracks: "Public Square", "Pollen Count", "Precinct" JENNIFER KELLY
