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| photos courtesy of Jaden. |
The last time I'd been to The Rebel Lounge was in March of 2020, playing a show with my math rock band, M.O. alongside Dudebabe and Desert Mammoth--each of which have either become defunct or replaced by similar projects, just days before the world shut down for a long while. This time it was much fuller, and in hindsight, under much lighter pretext. It's always interesting to see so many past faces in Phoenix.
The Erased was on first--a minimal duo grasping at rock/punk elements from every era. Corbin's reverb-soaked vocals were reminiscent of Black Sabbath, and his SG riffs, chorus-ey and blasted with low end, ranged from the likes of doom metal to Nirvana. Brayden's galloping drums paired perfectly alongside these amalgamations to add a tinge of more classic rock elements. Somehow, despite this spiderweb of inspirations, tones, and sounds, their presence felt unified and singular--and managed to follow perfectly under the guise of punk.
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| photos stolen from band's Instagram. |
In some songs, quick blasts of sporadic drumming betrayed Corbin's spacey vocals and guttural guitars, in others, they came together to form an attack of meaty sound in doomy soundscapes. What they've already managed to accomplish above all else, though, is gather a following. They'd corralled a huge section of the crowd and are obviously a rising sensation to young Phoenician audiences. I'm curious what the future holds for The Erased and their young voice. Stream Chaka Lives.
Much like their Flagstaffian sister band, Toothache, there's not much I can say about Monette that I haven't already. Most of all, though, the trajectory for their newly-birthed sound is an incredible driving force that I'm sure will eclipse their earlier work. Bryce has distilled their drumming down to its most schizophrenic and deranged components, Bremer has found excellence in his noisy, outlandish, and atonal chords of destroyed guitar, and Adi has perfected her larger-than-anything bass tone. All of them have ventured further into the outreaches of their own voice and proved, together, to be far more than just a "punk" band.
Their newer songs boast a bleach-flavored pleading unlike any other. Bryce's clicking and clacking in I Chose to Push helped usher in a feeling of undeniable dread, nastiness, and ugh to every heart in the room. Some guy started shooing moshers away from the front of the stage bearing a Linkin Park shirt. He was no match for the rumble of breakneck sound that was MK. I wasn't looking and accidentally smashed my nose into someone's shoulder, ready for the never-old fuckening that is its breakdown. Stream Scraps.
Like a fast-paced performance of repentance, Cenӧbite took the stage next. I think I fall more deeply in love with them with every performance. Jack's deceivingly enormous guitar drives their sound into a heavy offshoot of midwest emo, his softer melodies like a frolicking meadow of nostalgia. Brady follows suit, tying melody to rhythm with a deep gutting. Zander's drums bubble like bullets of sound shot off into their fast-paced and sometimes mathy soundscapes. Brought together with unbelievable emotion and passion, Love's ranting plasters the venue with hope and yet also the endlessness of his despair.
I'll never cease to be surprised by the heavier, metal-infused chugging that occasionally peaks its head out of their songs. The Rebel Lounge did them well, making their sound both fatter and snappier than ever. They've found a balance of emo that breaks free of sounding just lame and pop-punk, and becomes something much more real and emotional. Certain songs remind me of Citizen or Gleemer, while others feel more like Absolutely or Still Life. I think something at the core of their music, the heart of those scrapes of muted guitar masking every back-swing of head, is the need to say something to the world out there--words still suppressed by that world and the music itself. Stream The See Through Glove.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting from Police State, but they gave me everything I could've ever wanted. They managed to blend metal, post-rock/punk, progressive rock, ambient, and some jazzish elements altogether into one delicious package--performed with the precision and atmosphere of a big-wig band band. Gage's bass hit like a blaring foghorn. Anders's corroding, guttural vocals were mesmerizing--falling somewhere between that of The Paper Chase and meth. Tyler, underneath his bouncing conglomerate of hair, blasted through the noise of synths and Daughters-esque samples with a both abused and beating guitar sound. Aiden's relentless drumming guided their way through their own dystopian soundscapes with perfection.
They consider themselves metal--at least that's what it says on streaming services, but they are anything they want to be. They're noisy, suicidal, droning, sluggish yet jump to fast paces, tonally genius. They ended the night in a state of pure bliss with a complete cover of Pink Floyd's Dogs, therefore forever winning over my heart. Stream Body Power.
This was a healing show. Such fantastic and surprising performances from bands both new and old to me. This is what makes me excited to keep writing this blog. Keep looking out for this stuff, keep going to shows, keep supporting local bands and local music. Thanks for reading. Also, there may be some changes coming to this blog, more updates soon--extra content and such definitely coming.
- Foster
Continuing Dead Mothers Collective's live series, check out Monette and Heavy Breather's new videos on YouTube.
See 3/4 of these bands (Monette, Cenöbite, and Police State) at the most STACKED festival of the year--I Want a Pet Rat - First Annual Meeting with Toothache, tokillafly, Hernia, and flowers this Saturday, August 5th at The Hive. Also come to check out some awesome local vendors.
See Police State at another stacked lineup (Phoenix edition) with Veronica Everheart, Bethany Home, Freud, TV Messages, Animal Shin, and Strelitza August 10th at The Nile. Also come to check out some awesome local vendors.
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