The theme of Christmas gifts continues. Local music this time, a band from Quebec city, and their second album (I think). It was my wife who gave it to me, which I suppose she picked at random from a crate at the local record shop. If I've understood the info on the net right, only 500 copies have been printed - 100 on white vinyl, and the rest on black. I have the black version (new). It seems to be a self-published thing, albums like that can mean anything.
It sounds a lot of 90s grunge, not a nostalgic flirt, instead full-blown grunge. If I hadn't known what was spinning on the turntable, I would have guessed Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots or any of the other grunge giants. In other words, quite loud, and lots of guitars. I've always felt that grunge had something dark and destructive in its sound, so is the case here too. No easy-going, harmonic background music. It oozes desperation and anger from the music.
I have some albums from the 90s with Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots (and Smashing Pumpkins if they should be regarded as a grunge band), but the genre has never been a favorite. So I'm not the right target group for this album. It feels like it doesn't work as well to play grunge today, compared to other, earlier music genres. While disco, heavy metal, synth, psychedelia and various other styles from the past, can be re-used successfully, it sounds good, grunge feels as if it belongs in the 90's and should remain there. Maybe it's too early to play grunge again? Jet Black may need to wait ten years. So not a record for me, but for the one who has grunge still alive, it can be something to check out.
Tracklist
Side A
1 Deep Space 4: 9
2 Running in Circles 3:17
3 Smothering 5: 5
4 Air Deprivation 1:03
5 Blank Note 3:46
Side B
1 P. Report 4:08
2 Star Cluster 3:21
3 Pull 3:53
4 Monolith 1: 3
5 In Paradox 5:27
