Ok, full disclosure: not only are the guys from Hidinginsidevictims old friends of mine, but I was once among their ranks, and will be touring with them across the western U.S. this May. As such, it seemed fitting to kick off my series of record reviews with the HIV/SS split.
This thing is a feral, spitting, crusty goddamned beast.
Hidinginsidevictims (CA) barge right out of the gate with "Above the Microscope," a track that rolls along like tank treads over junkie corpses. Once the song really gets moving into the chorus, we are treated to their signature (?) melodic crust riffs. Tragedy, Wartorn, and From Ashes Rise are not bad reference points here. Jacketed, dreadlocked folk, this is your kind of shit. We then cruise straight into "Graveyard of Empires," which heps and rumbles along before hammering into a push-pull between the vocals and instrumentation, setting up nicely for a nailbomb of a semi-breakdown. Joaquin (drums/vocals) is a monster behind the kit throughout the entire track, and Chris (guitars/vocals) starts to lay down a wiry, battle-scarred solo midway through and keeps it going right up to the end. These cats have a progressive streak running through their tunes, a strange chromatic layered sort of melody, that serves the music well. I'll be hearing those bent notes in my sleep. Get up on it!
On the flip side, we have Suicide State from Holland. These gentlemen are a little more bare-bones in their approach, favoring less layers and more traditional punk/hardcore riffage. The vocals are dry, harsh, not unlike smoking cigars in the desert sun. "No Reason" starts off with a somber populist sound clip before exploding into pure punk rage. D-beats and slams abound on "Reality/Misled." That second song really got me drinking this here beer, and trust me, you want to be moshing when this bad boy starts, The production on SS's half is a little more rough around the edges than H.I.V.'s, but it lends a great "drinking in the garage" sort of vibe to the entire proceedings. All in all, a mighty contribution. I wish I could have seen these guys when the two bands toured together last year.
So there you have it, my first-ever record review of my adult life. I hope it was informative and unbiased, considering the circumstances. Both of these groups are fantastic and deserve a wider audience, so maybe you should stop reading and pick up a copy of this savage little seven inch at one of the shows or at their bandcamp page.
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