Record of the Week: Meanwhile: A Conflict of Memory 7"

Meanwhile: A Conflict of Memory 7” (Kick Rock Records) In conjunction with their appearance at the Kick Rock Festival in France earlier this summer, Kick Rock Records brings us the first new Meanwhile record in 18 years, and boy-oh-boy is it worth the wait! Usman—whose detailed knowledge of this vein of hardcore is something to behold—tells me the sound on this new record resembles Meanwhile’s 2005 EP Ghostface Democracy (one of his favorites in their discography), but the main reference point that comes to my mind is Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing. For all the hundreds of bands whose music is firmly grounded in Discharge, relatively few explore HNSNSN’s layered sound, and fewer still capture anything like that album’s power. A Conflict of Memory, though, gives me a very similar feeling, that distinctive reverb, the multitracked guitars, and the wandering, heavily chromatic lead playing coalescing to make me feel like I’m in the middle of a swirling, violent tornado of sound. As with many bands who follow Discharge’s template so closely, there’s an element of collage to Meanwhile’s composing process that might turn people off, and there are several points on A Conflict of Memory when anyone with a well-worn set of Discharge vinyl will be tempted to shout Discharge’s lyrics rather than Meanwhile’s. However, I’ll assume that if you’ve gotten this far into reading this, you acknowledge the value of contemporary bands elaborating on and iterating Discharge’s work. And, indeed, if you’re one of those maniacs who can never get enough Discharge-style hardcore, just know the new Meanwhile EP rips and you definitely need it.