An explosion of a million ideas, a geyser spraying high into the sky, those ideas spilling across the dusty landscape. And only one creature capable of collecting the scattered notions and concocting it into any reasonable semblance of cohesion. We have detected this beast on the landscape previously, and now one of its brains has even gone public and taken up position full time on the surface at a place called Deep Thoughts in Jamaica Plain. GUERILLA TOSS are tearing it up across New England and beyond. And their reach keeps growing. And with the help of their most recent recording, a self-titled six song no wave tilt-a-whirl (released by none other than JOHN ZORN’s TZADIK label), their extreme and perverse take on no wave/post-punk methodology will probably grow that much further into the collective consciousness. The ferocious offbeat drum approach is there, the inventive use of synthesizers, the unholy guitar alliance in full force, the balls to get funky in the midst of it all, and of course the unbridled assault of human sound making, the “singer”. It’s all there, here, of course. And maybe there’s a little less grime on this recording, but that can’t even come close to being an issue with a song like “Drip Decay” among the lot. Guitars and vocal sounds vie for the win initially resulting in a tie and being carried off by the rhythm section and placed several feet from where it all started. Nasty guitar riffs, heavy in a queasy wonderful way arrive, riding an amazingly funky bass/drums wave that finally eases into some kind of Crass feel thing led by singer Kassie’s insane bark. And back again and oh boy I’m feeling dizzy. What have they done to me? Getting lost in GUERILLA TOSS’ songs is the fun. Their music is disorienting, but presented with a level of trust that their maniacal bastard funk will remain true. Spazz music to live by. Glass in your ear, but it feels good, and somehow it broadens your ability to hear.
2023 YEAR ENDER – Father Alexander
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