Monday, January 19, 2015

Ladder Devils- Clean Hands

So, I wasn't going to post anything until I came across something really worth it. Ladder Devils are it.
I haven't been all that into them, They seemed a little too bandwagonesque, based upon what people were saying about them, People are wrong. This stuff is on no one's trend. What they do is next-level post-hardcore. If you want me to do the musical hairsplitting thing- it's like Unsane meets Cro Mags,  like Young Widows meets Gorilla Biscuits, Like Black Flag meets Refused.  Confused? You should be, such comparisons are bunk, and they're why I didn't hear this excellent music until now. What you have is really loud post-hardcore song structures- Amphetamine Reptile, later Victory Records, and Temporary Residence styles all get some airing, played with  Bro "Core/crew" vocal style, and echoey, atmospheric guitar melodies alongside. You'll hear bits that will remind you of others straddling the Hardcore and Noise Rock "genres" but like many of those bands, classification is a disservice. Ladder Devils don't sound like Unsane, KEN Mode, Ritual, Coliseum, Milligram, Refused, Quicksand, Botch, Quiet Arcs, Metroshifter, Moutheater, The Powder Room, Bl'Ast, HOME, War Brides, Tyranny is Tyranny, Roomrunner, Black God, or Fight Amp. But, if you like any three of those, you will like Ladder Devils. If you only like two? You'll think they're too this or that, too off the mark- and they are. This doesn't fit any genre, and defies expectations, along those lines, but still is definitely intended for people, like me, who live right in that valley where post and sludge metal, post and old school hardcore, and eternal midwestern noise rock interact.
Put it this way- use the expletive of your choice, follow it with a "YEAH!". That sound like you enjoying a record? OK, put this on.