Metroschifter - Capsule

Year: 1994

Label: Conversion / Slamdek

Remember this band? I had almost forgotten about them until I happened upon this cd in an old binder of stuff I never listen to anymore. Too bad really, because this was a cool record, I probably should have kept up with this band a little closer. They were the brainchild of K. Scott Richter who was a linchpin in the fertile Louisville hardcore/punk scene of the early nineties, and wanted to do a band that emulated the math rock lineage of his hometown (Rodan, Crain, etc.) , and marry it with the still not maligned emo hardcore of the other side of Louisville...mainly Endpoint. 

For their first record, Richter wrote demos and mailed them out to drummer Mario Rubalcaba, and bassist Patrick McClimans. They had the album for sale before it was even recorded, and booked their first tour before they had ever been in a room before. But that was the diy spirit back then...fuck it, it'll work out somehow. And oddly enough, this is a very cohesive album, you would  never have guessed the circumstances under which it was recorded (had I not just told I suppose).

Here's a list of bands that are represented by the members of Metroschifter; Rachels, Sunspring, 411, Thingy, Black Heart Procession, Hot Snakes, Rocket From The Crypt, Clikatat Ikatowi, Earthless, Endpoint, and Falling Forward. Later incarnations of the band had members of; Coliseum, National Acrobat, Black Cross, and Shipping News. Point is, there's some real talent in this band, and in the songwriting. 

Sonically, it's late 80's math rock as filtered through early 90's hardcore. You'll probably like that. One unfortunate sidebar, for some reason they decided to break the 15 tracks up into 99 parts, which still plays seamlessly, it just just seems kinda retarded. Hey man, diy. Also, this is the Conversion Records re-release with a couple extra tracks not on the vinyl pressing.

DL