Album
Type:
Full
Length
Date
Released:
June 09th
2015
Label:
Tankcrimes
Stoner
Violence - Track Listing:
1.Circle Of Heads
03:18
2.Pot Hole 00:55
3.The Camper 00:25
4.No Dice 00:25
5.Full Blown
Marijuana Addict 03:44
6.I Am The Weed
01:40
7.(Destroy The)
Smoke Machines 04:40
8.Sweet Buddies
01:13
9.Brick Weed 00:23
10.Machinegun
Grenade 00:19
11.Orc Summer 02:01
12.New Amsterdam
03:28
13.Smells Like Teen
Dispirit 01:18
14.Ashes 07:17
Bio:
Likening themselves
to Earth Crisis if they “smoked weed and listened to Spazz,” the
Smokeland, California-based trio, CONNOISSEUR, deafens the weak with
an upbeat/d-beat barrage of West Bay powerviolence packed with
resin-coated sludgedowns and chronically brutal, comically
cheeba-charged vocal onslaughts that consume the listener in a
violently stoned, inescapable haze.
Band
Members:
Dan: guitar
Carlos: vocals
Lyle: drums
Review:
From
the glorious artwork, the album name, the title of pretty much all
the songs and from paying a visit or two to the bands Facbeook page,
I think it's fair to say that Connoisseur are a band that have
enjoyed the odd jazz cigarette in their time. This is very much a
stoner's record, but what it's not is another typical record from the
huge array of BongWitchMountainGoat bands that appear to be cropping
up here there and everywhere at present.
As
the first track "Circle Of Heads" comes leaping out of the
blocks it's apparent that this isn't going to be another typical weed
themed record. Starting with an almost punk approach the guitars and
drums take off at a break neck pace and pretty much stay there. More
of the same during the minute long second track "Pot Hole"
as the drums build into a wall of double bass and tom fills. More of
the same on the next track "The Camper". The first time I
listened to the record the song had ended before I even realised it
had begun!
Not
until we hit the track "Full Blown Marijuana Addict"
(another subtle reference!) do we see Connoisseur slow things down. A
little. In fact the next two tracks "I Am The Weed" and
"(Destroy the) Smoke Machine both keep the tempo a little
slower, and to my mind both have an almost hardcore feel to them.
Imagine if you will Hatebreed if they were pissed off about a bad
weed supply, rather than, well.. whatever it is they are actually
pissed off about.
The
next three tracks, "Sweet Buddies" "Brick Weed"
and "Machinegun Grenade" revert to the more punk approach
of the first few tracks. In fact so punk that these three songs
barely manage a minute combined. This is a seriously quick and
aggressive record. As the tempos build the vocals become more and
more enraged to the point where I actually had to stop listening to
this in enclosed spaces for fear of what I might do. As we move
towards the conclusion of the record Connoisseur play about with
tempos a bit more and switch between the frenetic punk energy of the
earlier tracks and the more deliberate pounding rhythms from the
middle section.
Last
track "Ashes" is a little different. Clocking in at a touch
over 7 minutes it shows a slightly more patient approach to things.
Largely instrumental bar some samples at the start it's a bold and
confident way to close the album. I'm unsure if that's what they
intended or were just so high they forgot to stop playing after the 2
minute mark. Either way it works for me and closes an excellent
record.
I
loved the production throughout the record, balancing a fine line
between polished yet raw which gives the whole thing a nice live feel
to it. Not a band I was familiar with before and maybe not a record I
would have sought out to listen to, but after living with this for a
while they've definitely made a new fan in me.
Words
by Simon Ross Williams
Thanks
To Earsplit PR or the promo. Stoner Violence is available to buy on
CD/DD/Vinyl from Tankcrimes from June 9th
2015
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