Detroit’s
Child Bite have just released their fifth album,
Blow Off the Omens on Housecore Records. It’s another brash dose of atonal guitar jabs, lurching percussion, and cryptic misanthropic themes. The record was produced by Steve Albini in Chicago. Usually this fact doesn’t impress me, and isn’t worth mentioning, but his recording style works well to accentuate Child Bite's idiosyncrasies. As a result, I think this is one of the better sounding releases he’s worked on in years. Lead singer Shawn Knight’s typical Jello Biafra recovering from throat surgery impress sounds suitably unhinged, while Jeremy Waun’s guitar work unnervingly slashes at the listener’s eardrum like a tiger’s paw made out of aluminum and acid; meanwhile Sean Clancy holds things down in the bass department, faithfully laying down sub-tonal backing for his bandmates, while quietly plotting his revenge upon the world. Despite forming in 2005, the band continue to have a pre-hardcore feel to them, invoking the weird, sorted psychotic rage of Fear, early Dead Kennedys, and The Flesh Eaters, with more than a hint of calculating, post-hardcore, jazz-punk animus ala NoMeansNo. Highlights worth mentioning include the desperate, churning peel of “Mock Ecstasy,” the explosive convulsions of “They All Look Away,” the bucking riffs and downward spiral of “Become An Animal,” the nettled, psycho-billy tinged wilt of “The Wrong Ones Breed,” and the fiery social meltdown of “Blow Off the Omens.” If you’re having a bad night, week, or year, then
Blow Off the Omens should be in your rotation.
Grab a copy of
Blow Off the Omens on vinyl
here
