| CD REVIEW AIDS Wolf |
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Band : AIDS Wolf Formed in mid-2003, Montréal (Quebec) based Canadian Experimental Noise Rock act AIDS Wolf (and mind the way it’s written, okay!) made their debut in July 2005 with a cassette release titled Freedom Summer on Paslymany Tapes, and followed that up only two months later with the Live Deth 3-inch cdR, co-released by the band and Kitty Play Records. Evidently, the band (then comprising singer Chloe Lum, guitarists André Guérette and Myles Broscoe, and drummer Yannick Deesranleau) had already made an impact on the local scene (actually, Chloe and Yannick had already been in the semi-famous Da Bloody Gashes, who released their only album Pedal To The Metal in 2001…they then fumbled around with Electric End before founding, and are also the people behind Sérigraphie Populaire akà Seripop, a rather popular and international screen-printing company which has already produced numerous tour posters and made artwork for several album covers), because already in November did the see an offiicial debut release in the form of a split 7-inch with The Fugue on the Blood Of The Drash imprint. They were then signed to the independent Lovepump United and Skin Graft labels, but apparently on a rather free basis, as releases through other labels do occur in the band’s following series of releases. Debut full-length The Lovvers appeared in January 2006 on Lovepump (CD) and Skin Graft (LP). It was followed by a June 2006 contribution to the S.A.L.A. compilation Suoni Per Il Populo, and the 4-way (other bands were Crack Und Ultra Eczema, Dmonstrations, and Pre) split double 7-inch on Lovepump’s LPU 7” Series followed in November. 2007 was opened with the release of the Clash Of The Life-Force Warriors LP/CD, a collaboration album with Athletic Automation Collective issued through Skin Graft in January. On the same label followed the Live Dates 7-inch, a split with Pre, in Otcober. 2008 was again a very productive year, the band opening procedures with the Chipped Teeth 7-inch on SlowBoy Records in May and donating a song to a Subbacultcha compilation that same month…then issuing a split LP with Night Wounds on Nitco in August, and contributing another track to the August released Ratskin compilation (Trishkaidekaphobia) 13,000.00 Milliseconds…before releasing their second full-length Cities Of Glass (on Skin Graft LP, and Lovepump CD) in September 2008. Info after that becomes uncertain, but I dó know that Skin Graft released the 4-track Dustin’ Off The Sphinx EP in September 2009. Also, in July the band announced that guitarist Myles was leaving the band in October (his last gig with the band would be at the Pop Montréal Festival on Oct. 2nd) to go live in London with his girlfriend, but would still contribute to the recordings of an upcoming split 12-inch with Shearing Pinx. Originally, the band had planned to tour Europe during October, but that was cancelled as the remaining members had to figure out how to make the band work on stage as a 3-piece. They promised to return to the live circuit in March 2010, with a new full-length to be released a bit later. Which has us full circle to current-day events, and the release of this compilation of sorts, which includes the aforementioned Dustin’ Off The Sphinx EP (4 first songs) and an additional 7 tracks released as a cassette with the title Pas Rapport, which were recorded in February 2009 at the 100-Sided Die. I’m guessing that’s a Montréal venue, because the sound on these recordings is quite shitty (sounds like it was recorded with a small portable recorder while standing a bit too close to the speakers). For a seasoned listener like myself, there’s certainly fine moments, but as a whole these 7 tracks mean probably more to those people who’ve already seen the band in live condition. Nah, I’d rather have the proper studio recordings then! To those who have no idea what “Experimental Noise Rock” stands for, you’ll find reference points in the ‘90s releases of labels like Amphetamine Reptile, and bands like Arab On Radar, Lightning Bolt, and the more excruciating moments of The Melvins. Mind you, these references come from an article I read…personally, I was immediately reminded to Melt Banana, most probably due to Chloe’s manic vocal utterings. Imagine a tortured Post-Punk/ Hardcore, with schizophrenic guitars played in a fashion which is apparently completely improvisational, and lacks anny kind of melody. Underneath, the “melody” is carried by the drums, actually! Check it out at myspace.com/aidswolf, where the band has posted 9 tracks off a bunch of their releases. When it comes to rating this “album” (in spite of having 11 tracks the CD lasts less than 22 minutes), I’m somewhat in turmoul. On the one side I’d like to give the EP side of this CD a nomination into my year-lists (I’ve always been fan of wacky experimentalist projects and bands), but in spite of the extra mastering the cassette part of the CD got, it’s sound quallity is really below acceptable levels for people who would put down hard-earned money to buy the CD! So…fuck it, no rating at all this time, in spite of the fact that I cannot hold myself from wanting to listen to the whól album again and again! Tony. |