PITCH BLACK “S/T”
Somewhere between the haunted stylings of TIGER ARMY and AFI, there’s been a developing act known as PITCH BLACK. A couple of things intrigued me about this band, including the fact that it’s lead by Kevin Cross, formerly of THE NERVE AGENTS, and the band’s drummer is Jamie Morison, former skin basher of one of my all-time faves, SCREW 32. I’m still not sure where I stand on this release, as it leaves a “quirky” impression – sure, the speedy, punk rock sound is alive and well, and there’s loads of energy to be located, but it just seems like the whole “horror” motif is set on overkill. The artwork, especially on the back cover looks like a total rip from AFI’s “The Art of Drowning.” This disc does have some sheer moments of brillance however, as both “Scientific Method” and “Destructive Criticism” pack a furious punch, headed mostly by some seriously wicked drumming. I also dig the inclusion of some keyboards, that for some reason, remind of me one of the higher levels in Sonic Two for Sega Genesis. Paul Miner (DEATH BY STEREO) lends his stand-up bass skills on the first track, “The Wrath” and it’s one of the best on the disc. Miner also produced and recored PITCH BLACK at his For The Record studio. I suppose one of the main reasons why this disc hasn’t grabbed me wholeheartedly is that it straddles the line between rockabilly and hardcore and never moves far enough in either direction to completely please my expectations. While I have nothing to say against PITCH BLACK and what they are trying do, I can only wish that perhaps the band would make a deeper impression in following releases.
Revelation
