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What’s up Sorry Staters?
Yall heard this SOH tape yet? Sorry State got a big ol’ stack of ‘em, and we’ve sold a good amount, but I just think this tape is KILLER. It should sell out by like tomorrow. Now at first, I wasn’t sure what I should expect SOH to sound like with this cover art—the illustration of punks on the cover art looking like some kinda heavy metal He-Man looking shit. It either looks like that, or an obscure, private press Bay Area thrash metal record. I kinda love it, and regardless, the music is killer.
SOH, or System of Hate, is based out of Los Angeles and features members of Sorry S9tate favorites Tozcos and Prision Postumo. Whether you’re talking about those two bands or The Dark, I feel like this crew of people’s bands have a distinctive sound. SOH blends so many sounds into a seamless and potent concoction. The rhythm of a lot of the songs on this tape have that pounding, in-between pace and anthemic fist-pumping power of UK82. And while I wouldn’t call SOH metal by any means, they do have a distorted, metallic edge with some tightly executed chugging in the riffs that reminds of some early Japanese hardcore like Ghoul or The Clay. None of the metal-leaning influences ever seem dull or indulgent, it just adds another layer of intensity. There’s no meandering or boring, drawn out passages. The songs are still constructed with unyielding, snappy urgency, and are so damn catchy. I think I’ve begun to realize that on any given record, I pay special attention to the vocals. I probably mention the vocals on just about every new record I try to describe, and for me, the vocals can be a make or break situation for my opinion on a band. For SOH, the vocals are what MAKES and not breaks the band big time. The vocals are the best part. The singer’s voice is so ferocious, gritty and powerful. Every now and then, the singer departs from their snarl in exchange for an ethereal, banshee-like bellow. Under all the ferocity, SOH conjures a cloud of moody darkness. So good.
I’ll admit that I too was late to the game in giving this a listen. But if you’re reading this, then you have no excuse. Do yourself a favor and blast this rager at full volume.
That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff