LOAD-Drunken Warrior Chief (Rat Town, LP)
When I think of Florida, it’s not just the tourist areas that come to mind but the uglier undercurrent–hot, sticky, miserable and Load’s sound was a prickly, aural expression borne of that. It’s dirty, nasty and loud. This 12″ is a collection of this 90s-era Miami band’s output. The late Bobby Load spat out the vocals with a demented and unhinged cadence and the band’s musical arsenal combined blistering hardcore with a nettled-sounding heaviness (some Black Flag-inspired touches in there, as well). The speed-driven “Pastor’s Day” remains one of their best tracks, careening like an out-of-control firebomb.The download tacks on another dozen songs, including the wanton and manic “Palomino Steaks” and “595 A Lezzin.” The lyrics can get dark as fuck, especially for the lurching, murderous “Pa’s Moonshine.” When people talk about 90s era hardcore, Load often seem to get unjustifiably overlooked and they stood apart from knuckle-head metal core, youth crew silliness and angst-filled emo-core. (PO Box 50803, Jax Beach, FL 32233, http://www.rattownrecords.com)
Suburban Voice: Suburban Voice blog #114.
