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A memorable first PRAYER from some SUPERIOR MOTHERS with all necessary bona-fides established in the CLOSED ORDER of Leeds Hardcore (THE FLEX, MOB RULES, PERSPEX FLESH, WHIPPING POST).
Recorded in the shadow of a METHODIST CHAPEL turned CARPET SHOP, “DEMO” by “MOTHER NATURE” exists in a similar liminal space between DOCTRINAL PURITY (Hardcore, 1982-1995) and MODERN COMFORTS (Hardcore, 2006-2023). “DEMO” answers the question of where it all went wrong (Hardcore, 1995-2006).
Our take: Can You Feel the Rhythm? is the debut release from this new hardcore band from Leeds, England. Leeds has a long tradition of left-of-center hardcore bands that is reflected in Mother Nature’s members-of list, which includes Perspex Flesh, Mob Rules, Whipping Post, Beta Blockers, and the Flex (well, maybe the Flex aren’t so left-of-center, but they’re certainly hardcore). Mother Nature isn’t as out there as Beta Blockers’ synth-drenched noise or Mob Rules’ prog violence, but they sound more confident, the distinctiveness of their sound coming more from their voice as composers and players rather than their equipment and effects pedals or the way they reference their influences. The quirky moments often have the biggest hooks, or maybe it’s just that Mother Nature has a knack for highlighting their catchiest parts with the cool ping-pong chorus effect the guitarist turns on from time to time… the fact that it makes it sound even more like the Die Kreuzen LP is a bonus. Again, though, it’s not just the sound, but moments like the knotty rhythms in “Can You Feel the Rhythm?” that evoke the best of 80s outsider hardcore. The vocals and lyrics are thoughtful and distinctive (what I can make out of them… there’s no lyric insert), and the production is excellent, with a sound that feels alive and organic (with such complex music, a sterile and mechanical sound is a real danger). Can You Feel the Rhythm? is one of the most exciting demos I’ve heard in ages, and I’d be surprised if one of the several excellent labels in the UK didn’t snap them up for their next release. In the meantime, though, I think it’ll be many listens before I’ve fully absorbed all this tape has to offer.