Great Falls - The Fever Shed

Label: Init / Tapes Of A Neon God
Year: 2015

The folly with making a year end list of your favorite things is...you forget some of your favorite things. Or you haven't heard some of your favorite things yet, and they aren't included on the list.
That's going to be, as the kids say, "my bad y'all".
Great Falls should have been on that list, because this new record is a colossal assemblage of mean and acerbic noise rock. The real heavy, Pacific Northwest strain of noise rock, that borrows as liberally (or in this case, a little more) from the fragmented destructo-blitz of Botch as they do from the staggered thud of Cop Shoot Cop. It means the riffing is a little more pointed and  metallic, and the vocals will roar a constant gale force roar.
Not surprising how ferocious this record is when you remember that front man Demian Johnston has (mis)spent his youth and beyond pummeling in bands like Undertow, Nineironspitfire, Kiss It Goodbye, Playing Enemy, and Hemingway. Drummer Phil Petrocelli (remember when Great Falls had a drum machine?) has a long resume of collaboration, including with Jesu and Eugene Robinson, and bassist Shane Mehling also spent time in both Hemingway and Playing Enemy, so these guys are no strangers to ending a show bleeding and spent.
The basic premise of this album is; be relentless. Never let up, never stop the barrage. It's taxing, not an easy listen, but then again, what the fuck are you coming here for easy listening?
If you like Keelhaul and American Heritage, then this one is right up your (back) alley. Super good!

DL