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From the ashes of Philadelphia’s BLACKLISTED rises STATICLONE, where former BLACKLISTED singer George Hirsch, alongside Dave Walling and Jeff Ziga are propelling themselves ahead with classic hardcore punk inspired by the likes of AGNOSTIC FRONT and CRO-MAGS. With that in mind their debut record Better Living Through Static Vision is sure to satiate the appetite for that era of hardcore.
As much as the record feels like a homage to hardcore’s formative years, it takes brave steps to do more than just become a tribute to that. Opening with the title track, you’re consumed by slow swampy riffs that lock you in place for what’s to come, however satisfying the ever stretching chewing gum riffs are, they make sure to only speed up from this point forward.
Whilst the fast punk tinge to the hardcore elements of Better Living Through The Static Vision are responsible for most of the blistering atmosphere, there’s the rare moment of change that compliments that extreme speed like the priming boozy synth that opens Alone In Philadelphia before poignant lyricism becomes the focal point and drives home the main themes of the LP, loss, change, isolation, a touch of nihilism married to equal parts nostalgia. Memories and the past being an untouchable thing is brought to the forefront when Hirsch sings “A stranger in the place that I was raised, everyday it grows more demonic and strange.” and being one of the more gut wrenching lyrics you’ll hear this year.
This Light Burns Like Poison hits on references elements of isolation and its effects on the mind, which gets carried on during Sullen Me where Hirsch points the finger at himself instead of someone else like in the prior track, mutating and warping their meanings. Thin Places casts a creates an image of a shady and anxious adventure, and thanks to it’s simple chorus is the catchiest track out of all and stands out with little effort. An infectious hook isn’t the most common in hardcore, especially amongst heavier styles with distorted growls and screams, but the clean vocals from Hirsch, even with his gristly tone, allow for the simplicity to have maximum effect.
The biggest weakness of the debut is perhaps many of the tracks being susceptible to becoming repetitive pretty quickly over the course of the 25 minute run time. It’s a rapidly burning fuse which anticlimactically doesn’t end in a cartoonish boom. Honeycomb, Alone In Philadelphia, and Thin Places, for example, all stand out in some capacity, they’re a breeze to listen to, but there’s moments where, sonically, it starts to become a little one note. The ability for Better Living Through Static Vision being incredibly cohesive is absolutely a strong one, but there’s a fine line to be walked between being cohesive and monotonous.
Better Living Through Static Vision is a steady foundation for STATICLONE to build on in the future, and STATICLONE itself will be an opportunity for Hirsch and company to accomplish things within hardcore that they never would have in BLACKLISTED — that’s a win-win for them, listeners, and the scene alike.
Rating: 7/10
Better Living Through Static Vision is out now via Relapse Records.
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The post ALBUM REVIEW: Better Living Through Static Vision – Staticlone appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
