I can't lie. The twelve year
old in me loves Gay Witch Abortion. The name alone is enough to
furrow eyebrows, curl lips, raise blood pressure, get you sent home
from school or inspire a rogue group of grandparents to rip stickers
off of every skateboard and electrical box across the country.
Yep. Making people uncomfortable is
awesome.
It's not all surface antics for Jesse
and Shawn. While the novelty of the name allows you to feel like
you're getting away with something, the noise furnace they generate
between the spastic drums, cheek-gnashing guitar and oddly rhythmic
vocals pummel you to delirium. In a good way. There's plenty of fist
pumping groove rock going on, but the hardcore influence and
out-of-left-field changes keep you reeling. They're unbridled and
wonderfully choreographed. Each album / recording points toward an
evolution that may just signal the creation of a new dimension. I'm
prone to exaggeration. I know this. In my opinion, Gay Witch Abortion
is one of the top 5 bands out there. They're tireless in their
execution, ruthless in their song writing, and merciless when it
comes to your ear drums, headphones, or speakers. They were one of my
tops at Total Fest last year, and the records that they've put out
since then land squarely in my tops of the year. (I don't publish
these lists, but I do talk about them).
Plus, they're totally cool dudes.
Seriously chill, unassuming, and funny. It's hard to reconcile. In a
flurry of sound, GWA punches you in the stomach and face, bites your
ear, takes your beer money, and probably pants you in the process.
Shawn and Jesse smile and say thanks. Some people may not be so happy
with the increased vocals, but I dig it. It adds another layer to an
already complex sound, pushing the hypnotic drones into more hyper
explosions and chaos. Somehow it's more expansive and unbounded, but it never loses focus.
Tunes and such can be found at the bandcamp link above, as well as on Learning Curve & AmRep. Give the Held Hostage Rsd Compilation a listen while you're at it.
We're damn pleased to welcome them
back for this year. Don't miss them!
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