Well, it might, actually. But the band’s music sounds as non-damn-giving as can be — in the best way possible.
The rising hardcore enthusiasts steadily have ascended the local ladder with their blistering live presence — a barrage of piercing guitar riffs, staccato rhythm section and singer-guitarist Alex Barnard’s slobbery howl. The impression left has elicited such sacred words as “Jesus Lizard” and “Fugazi,” and culminated in opening stints for revered national acts like Merchandise and Ty Segall.
But, as is evident on its self-titled 7-inch’s four tracks, the Oklahoma City four-piece is fast making its own name.
Side A is about as direct as sides come. “Skip Intro” and “The Best Invention Since the Time Machine” combine for less than three minutes of audio, yet serve as an ominous and, frankly, outright terrifying (in a good way) introduction for unsuspecting listeners.
Side B, meanwhile, does nothing to stymie the momentum, with a raucous live version of “Handsome Vampires” (heard previously on the Chud/Paintscratcher split 7-inch), and the riotous, shrill-inducing “Ctrl+Alt+Complete,” one of the band’s finest achievements of its budding young career.
And before all bearings have been gathered, a mere eight minutes already have passed. For a band that packs as much brawn, these eight minutes serve as a frugal, yet punctual solo debut.
Chud is available at chud1.bandcamp.com. —Zach Hale
Hey! Read This:
• Chud interview
• Paintscratcher interview
This article appears in Nov 7-13, 2012.