Acid Tiger

Acid Tiger

Written by: AP on 14/09/2010 17:46:34

The second vertex in my pentagram of avantgarde hardcore bands is formed by Acid Tiger, and similarly, it reeks of Converge involvement. Digging a little deeper it does not take long to understand why, as Ben Koller is listed as its drummer, and the band has a recording contract with Deathwish Inc., Jacob Bannon's cutting edge hardcore lab. While by no means inviting in the mainstream sense, Acid Tiger strikes out from the roster as the least extreme band, if not also the least conservative (if indeed there exists a single conservative band on the Deathwish Inc. payroll).

The band's self-titled debut album is an unconventional mix of psychedelic progressive rock, heavy metal and - of course - hardcore punk, bringing to mind the vigorously metamorphosing Cave In as the closest partner in crime. There is also a distinct Southern influence present in all seven tracks, particularly in J. Rattlesnake's shrieking vocals, which resemble those of Keith Buckley and Schuylar Croom almost to the note - just listen to the crushing progressive duo "Big Beat" and "Death Wave". Their surreal, hallucinatory sound art and droning tempo are the absolute highlight of the album, in that they manage to translate sound into imagery, thus transporting the listener into an acid drinker's bizarre universe. These songs are followed closely by the animated drumming of Koller and the absurd guitar leads (courtesy of Thursday's Lukas Previn) in "The Claw" - which make it sound like a less metallic rendition of Converge's "Dark Horse" - and in the hefty Audioslave ("Show Me How to Live") like groove of "Feel It".

The remaining three songs - "Dark Hands", "Like Thunder" and "Set Sail" - are perhaps slightly less intriguing, the first cruising along with a distinct Damned Things feel (if it even is fair to draw comparisons to a band who has so far only published three demos), the second continuing the mind-bogglingly convoluted guitar work, and the third soothing things down with a progressive journey that reminds me of the most recent produce from Priestess. But even in being slightly less intriguing, these are still songs of a quality and inventiveness that is hard to come by these days - you can dance, drink, fight and fuck to its up-tempo psychedelic sizzle. So if bands like Burning Love, Cave In, La Dispute and Lewd Acts tickle your fancy, Acid Tiger should be right up your street as well.

Download: The Claw, Big Beat, Death Wave, Feel It
For the fans of: Burning Love, Cave In, La Dispute, Lewd Acts
Listen: Myspace

Release date 23.08.2010
Deathwish Inc.

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