Review: Metroschifter - Fort Saint Metroschifter (CD, Doghouse 1995)

Currently listening to: Robotic Empire Sampler CD (available here)

I first heard of the Louisville, KY punk band Metroschifter a couple of years ago from a friend who described them as one of the best bands that no one knows about. I heard a couple MP3s, but never followed up on it until seeing their picture disc 7” record for sale at a small record store in Traverse City, MI this past summer. The picture disc was pretty good – it’s basically mid-tempo punk driven by an aggressive guitar with some interesting flanging effects. After listening to the 7” for a while, I decided to pick up their 1995 Doghouse Records release, Fort Saint Metroschifter. Although it clocks in at thirty-five minutes, this isn’t a proper full-lenth: the first six tracks are from an EP, with the remaining 4 tracks from assorted 7” records.

The one track I heard prior to buying this CD was the amazing sixth track, “Equation.” It’s got everything you look for in a punk song: it’s short, fast, and intense. Scott Ritter delivers his strongest vocal performance here: he sings off-key as usual, but on this track he’s passionate and enthusiastic enough that it doesn’t matter. A swirling analog flanger carries the song forward, although some might think the effect to be a little overdone. Sadly, nothing else on the album sounds anything like “Equation.” The rest of the album is divided between medium-paced Fugazi-influenced mid-90s emo, and instrumental tracks. Some of these tracks (notably, “Piddly Looper”) have a very strong math rock influence – it’s easy to imagine Steve Albini recording these songs and Touch and Go Records releasing them. But this variety of styles really damages the album’s flow and cohesion. Even though it’s not a long album, it’s difficult to listen straight through.

The artwork is pretty interesting, with a dorky summer camp/space camp theme. The inside of the liner notes have pictures of Boy Scout-style patches with pictures of space capsules and “Metroschifter” written in pseudo-Soviet lettering. The actual CD has “Metroschifter” written in fuzzy, out-of-focus letters: presumably, it’s what the kid in the cover art would see if he were missing those glasses. Decent album art, but nothing too interesting.

While this album isn’t bad, I wouldn’t recommend it to people who are unfamiliar with the band. You’d be better off downloading “Equation” and picking up their picture disc first; if you like that, then maybe Fort Saint Metroschifter is worth a try.

Metroschifter Homepage
MP3: "Equation"

Thoughts on the Vinyl Reissue of Pelican's "The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw"

Currently Playing: Verse - From Anger and Rage (LP, Rivalry 2006)

Hydra Head Records recently reissued Pelican's breakout 2005 album in a gatefold color vinyl 2XLP package. The packaging and artwork is stunning, perhaps some of the best vinyl packaging I've ever seen. The record is pressed on 180g vinyl and comes in several different colors; mine is a translucent/opaque light/dark blue splatter mix. The ink used in the cardboard liner is sort of metallic, giving an interesting look. The whole package seems very heavy and serious, unlike the compact disc version of this album where the liner notes were practically printed on tracing paper. Hydra Head did a really great job here.

OK, so the packaging is great -- but what about the music? This album, with its pretentious and dorky title, was one of the most talked-about records of 2005, appearing on several "best of" lists. It's certainly a good album, but I find it very hard to recommend over more traditional post-rock acts. There are really no songs on this album that come anywhere close to the emotional weight of a good Explosions In The Sky song like "Yasmin The Light" or "Memorial." The playing style is sort of mechanical, and the drumming is rather weak. Rather than building up each song to a climax, most songs keep the same emotional intensity throughout, depriving the listener of the sense of anticipation that makes post-rock so enjoyable. After I discovered Explosions In The Sky last spring, I found it very hard to listen to The Fire In Our Throats... or Pelican's similarly overrated 2003 release Australasia. When I listened to this album the other day, it was the first time in a couple months that I had played it all the way through.

After further familiarizing myself with post-rock and waiting a couple months between listens, has my opinion of this album changed? Sort of. I can imagine certain instances where I'd listen to Pelican but not some other post-rock band; it really depends on what type of music I'm in the mood for. A band like Japanese quartet Mono can be very loud and heavy, but this heaviness often comes from a solid wall of guitar distortion. Like fellow Chicago instrumental band Russian Circles, Pelican's heaviness comes from its downtuned guitar riffs, and this sort of music can sometimes be more interesting to listen to.

The other thing about "The Fire In Our Throats" that I've come to appreciate is its absolutely perfect sequencing. Each song is exactly where it should be. The first and second halves of the album have a very different feel to them: the first half is heavier, features longer songs, and is more metal-influenced, whereas the second half feels more optimistic and upbeat, and is strongly reminiscent of standard post-rock: It's no coincidence that Pelican chose the opening song from second half, "Red Ran Amber," for its 2006 split with Mono. The two halves are separated by a very good acoustic track that does its job without dragging on. In the vinyl release, each half has its own disc.

My recommendation: If you like metal or post-rock, this album is worth picking up, preferably in its vinyl format. If you like it at all, the very next album you buy should be Explosions In The Sky's "Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever." You won't regret it.