Alaric / S/t

20 Buck Spin

Comprised of Bay Area punk vets from bands like Dead and Gone, Enemies, Cross Stitched Eyes and Noothgrush, Oakland’s Alaric came together to play dark, ’80s-inspired post-punk that sounds instantly familiar and completely unique. And though dark music has seen a resurgence among the indie scene lately, the group stands apart from such trite fashion and lo-fi tinkering, more inspired by and indebted to the sounds of Killing Joke, Rudimentary Peni, Christian Death and the like. The eight tracks on their much-anticipated debut LP are all standouts, with “Eyes”, “Your God” and “Animal” easy to imagine as being well-received by the more interesting rock radio stations in 1982 or in 2011. The songs display an intense, foreboding aura, with a heavy production that is never “metal.” Russ Kent’s guitar style recalls the adventurous playing on Kaleidoscope-era Siouxsie records, with the formidable, multi-faceted rhythm section providing a perfect foundation on which to experiment. Shane Baker’s snarled singing hangs over it all and gives the album an unforgettable cohesion.

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