Anarchy Lace "Dark Mazes"

It's time once again to turn up the speakers, fellow Skulls! Submitting from Sacramento, California, Anarchy Lace is here to rock your face with their fun, energetic blend of Southern and Punk rock styles. Their 6 track EP "Dark Mazes" was submitted to 5 Skull Reviews and will be given the full treatment!

An official release date was not given on this EP. I went digging, and found a mention in their bio section on ReverbNation stating that this was released in August of 2017, which would move this out of the fresh category, being a year old. However, I'm not sure if there was a delay. Being an underground band that does everything themselves is difficult and with multiple social media platforms to control on top of having to cough up cash up front for every aspect of writing, rehearsal, recording, release, and promotion... I get it. We're going to go ahead and give the "Dark Mazes" EP a pass here on 5 Skull Reviews. Not sure if fresh but I won't hold it against them.

Anarchy Lace has a purposeful and crisp, yet obviously Punk sound. They list Social Distortion as one of their bigger influences, and that influence makes sense. These songs are obviously crafted with care, but it still has that middle fingers up attitude.

"Circus Of Lies" almost has a Suicidal Tendencies feel to it, starting off with one hard panned guitar and the whole band joining to fill out the riff. Lena Campbell (Vocals) begins singing by following the guitar riff melodically. Campbell's voice and seemingly nonchalant attitude reminds me instantly of Donita Sparks (L7), and I love it. James Cundiff and George "The Butcher" Bogue (Guitars) have this song slam packed with style, showing off multiple solos instead of the traditional chorus song structure. It's all verses and solos here.

"Love Rage Chaos" starts off slowly, with Josh "The Missing Element" Collinson (Bass) lulling the listener with the melody before smacking them over the head with angry punk rock. Gang vocals are a strong feature on this song, and Campbell's vocal style is much more aggressive. "Don't hate me for my honesty or for my bigger balls" proclaims Campbell. She's on a war path, and doesn't care who gets in her way! This is my favorite song on the EP and Campbell's best performance.

"Demon Seed" features a snarling male vocal, after a cool snare build in from Aaron "BRZRKR" Haakenson (Drums). Another gang vocal is strong here, chanting the haunting melody that's been introduced by the guitar. Campbell joins the band again for a third part, before everything starts over. This is the longest song on the EP due to its multiple distinct movements that repeat.

The title track, "Dark Mazes" is really where the Southern rock style influence is apparent. The intro especially has a blues heavy Southern stomp to it. Campbell sings this one, delivering many verses with her straightforward style.

"Sweet Dance" features more of a duet style, with the male vocal trading lines with Campbell. This also features a flashy long form guitar solo.

The final track on the EP, "America, America" shows off more Southern rock influence. This is a play on patriotism, including a reciting of the Pledge Of Allegiance. The founding of the United States and their expansion West was a bloody story, and Anarchy Lace say with this song that America will face judgement. This is a longer tune as well, but keeps a steady pace throughout with an interesting solo section.

Anarchy Lace and their "Dark Mazes" EP is a fun listen for those who appreciate well written punk rock tunes. Lena Campbell's voice and style of following the guitar melody isn't going to be for everyone, and the distinct lack of any real chorus parts is an obvious deviation from the norm. However, those who dare to be different are the trailblazers of rock and should be celebrated. I really dig the guitars in this band. I would say that the recording quality on this EP is quite good, and I enjoyed the mix because I can hear the guitars, drums, and vocals well.

You should NOT take my word for it! The only way to truly know if you enjoy the band Anarchy Lace is by going and listening for yourself! The band has a couple shows coming up opening for Flaw and Stryper, so if you're in the Sacramento, California area you should definitely consider supporting your local music and getting your ticket. Thank you to Anarchy Lace for submitting to 5 Skull Reviews, may you find great success and send us some more fresh music very soon!

UPDATE: I was contacted by the band, and added 2 songs to the end of the review. I was also informed that prior to joining this band, Lena Campbell had never performed as a singer before. Kudos to her for sticking with it and again thank you to Anarchy Lace!

"DARK MAZES"

Type: EP release

Release date: August 2017 (?)

Label: Self-released

Tracklist:

01. Circus Of Lies (3:40)

02. Love Rage Chaos (2:29)

03. Demon Seed (6:42)

04. Dark Mazes (4:26)
05. Sweet Dance (3:04)
06. America, America (6:08)

How to get it:

Official website:
https://anarchylaceband.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AnarchyLace

ReverbNation:
https://www.reverbnation.com/anarchylace

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT1QDCkVL0Bq18pTTq942Wg

THE VERDICT:

3 out of 5 Skulls

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DeadCentered "No Escape From The Human Race"

Baton Rouge, Louisiana based hardcore punk band DeadCentered are no strangers to heavy music. The band originally started in the early 00's but took a long hiatus to find the right members. Between sifting out big talkers and lining up schedules, forming a committed band is difficult! However, with DeadCentered, persistence has paid off and founding member Joshua Selser (Guitar / Vocals) has found his dream team.

This EP release boasts 6 songs, and a raw but clear recording style. Nothing seems buried in the mix, as is sometimes the case with independent releases. "To Live" begins with a sample and the dirty stylings of Bill May (Bass). This song shows off the band's ability to switch from fast riffing to tasteful, well orchestrated breaks, and a blast beat just for added flavor.

"Skin Deep Cattle" is an unhinged and rampant ride. Selser has a unique tone to his hardcore voice, like a lowered 80s Henry Rollins. In fact, this song reminds me of Black Flag quite a bit, but someone turned the heavy and the crazy all the way up. There are two kinds of people: Ones who would enjoy hanging out and getting wild with this band, and ones who might not make it through the night. Are you brave enough?

"Famine" is an oddly placed acoustic piece, with two distinct movements. It cleanses the palette and gives the listener a small reprieve from the hardcore punk styles that have been represented so far.

"Conflict" is a return to form, with more fast work from Mike Poole (Drums) and intricate parts from Selser and Jeremy Fish (Guitars), including an intriguing break and solos section before an extended scream from Selser. The song seemingly ends, and then the harp comes in. I was somewhat taken aback by this... a hardcore band with a harp?! What's going on here?! This song is very well put together and probably my favorite out of the bunch.

The EP continues on with DeadCentered's interpretation of the classic Guns 'N' Roses song "It's So Easy" featuring Selser's tortured screams. Poole shows off a pummeling tom beat during this cover as well. This is definitely a unique approach to this song, and it works for the band's abrasive style.

The final track, "Joyless Life Of Discontent" is a loud and raucous scream fest, and the vocal mix on this track serves to reinforce the wild energy of the song. Changing in points between a traditional hardcore punk feel and dissonant mathcore sounds a la The Dillinger Escape Plan, this song is the harshest track on the EP. It also contains the line for the title of the EP, breaking down at about the 4 minute mark with the chant, "No Escape From The Human Race." The song ends abruptly with a sad and detuned piano.

"No Escape From The Human Race" is an EP release that this band has obviously overcome struggle to accomplish. The seemingly random insertions of classical music into their fast and angry tunes came as a bit of a shock, but the band held my attention. This EP takes the listener on a journey, and introduces you to a band that is both talented and eclectic. Rooted firmly in hardcore punk, DeadCentered has found an interesting balance. I applaud them for their hard work, and I would like to encourage them to continue exploring their sound! Selser's vocals aren't going to appeal to everyone, but as a fan of old school hardcore I found them to be an interesting evolution toward the heavier side.

Being from Upstate New York, I had no idea there was such a thing as BRHC, but here it is folks. Underground music is really interesting like that, if you just ask, there's a whole world full of really great bands for you to discover! I will continue to do my best to find you new underground music to check out, but as always, YOU have to listen for yourself to find out!

"NO ESCAPE FROM THE HUMAN RACE"

Type: EP release

Release date: May 22, 2018

Label: Self-released

Track listing:

01. To Live (03:12)

02. Skin Deep Cattle (03:08)

03. Famine (01:09)

04. Conflict (04:41)

05. It’s So Easy (03:10)

06. Joyless Life of Discontent (06:41)

How to get it:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/deadcentered

Bandcamp:

https://deadcentered.bandcamp.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVAwwFuNqUj8YkdCb0CIkTg

THE VERDICT:

3 out of 5 Skulls

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