Album Type: EP
Date Released: 01/04/2016
Label: Independent
“Ring” kicks off
with the sound of the Jesus Lizard being attacked by a malfunctioning robot.
The middle section of “Decorated” sees the band crunch slowly to the edge of
the abyss, as screeching psychedelic guitars wail into the ether, bringing to
mind Cave In at their cosmic peak. “Scissor Lapses” ends the EP in style, a
killer track that devolves into 3 minutes of searing, pedal abuse that leaves
you wanting to listen to the whole thing again before the ringing in your ears
dies down.
“Maps” CD//DD track listing
1).Ring
2).
Decorated
3). Break
Room Curators
4). The
Cartographer
5). Scissor
Lapses
The Review:
The promise of new music from At The Drive In in 2016 has been
met with feverish anticipation. Should the studio return of the El Paso-based
post-hardcore heavyweights result in crushing disappointment, fans can console
themselves with the new EP from Chicago
“Maps” marks the
trio’s debut, with just over fifteen minutes of exhilarating punk-rock mayhem.
The band take the angular guitars, impassioned vocals and melodic flourishes of
“Relationship of Command” and crank
them up to breakneck speed. This is no slavish tribute though, Lower
Automation inject plenty of their own character into the mix as well
as drawing on other influences to keep things interesting.
“Ring” kicks off
with the sound of the Jesus Lizard being attacked by a
malfunctioning robot before the band settle into their familiar rhythm. The
middle section of “Decorated” sees
the band crunch slowly to the edge of the abyss, as screeching psychedelic
guitars wail into the ether, bringing to mind Cave In at their cosmic peak. “Scissor Lapses” ends the EP in style, a
killer track that devolves into 3 minutes of searing,
pedal abuse that leaves you wanting to listen to the whole thing again before
the ringing in your ears dies down.
“Maps” is an
addictive blast of joyous noise that doesn’t put a foot wrong during its short
duration. There are enough hints here
that Lower
Automation has plenty of ideas up their sleeve to explore when they
come to making a full-length too.
“Maps” is
available here
