No Gang Colors - This Is Your God EP

MySpace
Release: 2010
Type: MP3 / CD-R
Label: Self Released

I don't get around to music like this as often as I should. It's two distinct things living together in harmony. On one hand, it's a three way, no holds barred grudge match between hardcore, industrial and metallic crust with Double Picked Riffing as the impartial referee. On the other it's effects heavy, we recorded this in the middle of an empty warehouse, extreme ambiance. The combination is interesting, expressive and worthy of repeated listens.

To elaborate on that, the guitars take center stage in the production. The band's aggression comes directly from the amount of space their riffs take up. Then they add samples, effects pedal sounds and feedback as a means to focus this. The drums are sparse yet powerful in that industrial, almost sequenced way. There are few blasts and a little more mid-tempo double bass. That minimalist approach to drumming adds a nice contrast to the riffs.

Some of the sound-scapes they create, like Who Fed My Indian and the last half of Chicago Churches could run on for a few minutes longer and no one would complain. It's like they wrote a full album and then intentionally trimmed it down to a bite-sized sample platter. I would have been happy with the full length, but their idea of brevity sits well with me.

I enjoyed this thoroughly. The first track serves as an intro. It has a lot of static and a lo-fi feel, like it was recorded separately. The EP proper is tracks 2-6 with the final song, Darkman, serving as outro filler. In my opinion, This Is Your God should have ended with the closing sample in Chicago Churches. I think it would create a more rewarding listen. Also that would be six songs in 10 minutes which is about right for an EP. Either way, I look forward to some more from these guys.

There is a band-sponsored download here along with their back catalog. Give them a chance.