Do you remember when Triclops! played Total Fest VII? They're one of my all
time favorite acts. It was strange and somehow accomplished merging
punk and prog into something that worked beyond belief. That album
still sits as part of my monthly rotation. It was a bummer when they
called it quits, but out of those ashes formed Peace Creep. Although the sound is fairly
different, it's equally successful. They describe their sound in a
series of playful hypotheticals: "WHAT IF Neil Young were on
SST records wearing a dress onstage while playing Meat
Puppets/Dinosaur Jr/SNFU covers. WHAT IF Hawkwind/Husker Du decided
it would boost each other's careers to do songwriter workshops in
tropical locations. WHAT IF San Francisco was still really cheap to
live in and Hickey, Jerry Garcia, Gary Floyd and Steel Pole Bathtub
all shared a practice space and recorded everything, " Peace
Creep covers that ground as well as a vast array of terrain that
feels more like a frantic, crack fueled Johnny Appleseed reaping his
rewards than any itinerary with a planned return trip. There are
landmarks, but everything is so blurry and frenzied that all you can
do is hold on and hope that the landscape stabilizes just enough that
you gain a vague sense of orientation.
They're long time rockers with a few
excellent projects, in addition to Triclops!, under their belts
(Anywhere, Pins of Light, and Bottles And Skulls to name a few) and
recently released a record on Alternative Tentacles
(a small label you may have
heard of). It's an exuberant and thoughtful affair that exploits the
raw energy of punk while mixing in psychedelic overtones, a banquet
of guitar riffs, and enough sludge filled tempos to keep you happy
and wanting more. I've only been stalked by a mountain lion once, and
it was one of the most disorienting feelings I've ever had. Circling
across the trail, lurking in the early evening shadows, appearing to
keep its distance as it closed ground. I'm not saying Peace Creep
establishes a predator / prey relationship, but their songs keep you
on your toes, guiding you into the oblivion of shared experiences
that shatter your locus of perception. The uncertainty is wonderful
once you're not eviscerated and you find the comfort of something
familiar. In a way, Peace Creep uses music to offer up a series of
questions and decidedly refuses to provide answers, challenging you
to fill in the gaps to determine what it is you've actually
witnessed. There's a moment of rage involved when you fail to sculpt
meaning, but it's also a welcome reconfiguration of the boundaries
you erect. Stability is a proven facade, and Peace Creep
assaults it with a polymorphous zeal that dismantles the scaffolding.
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