steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion


The Lords of Lightspeed

Self-Titled 7"

Self-Released

Genres: hardcore, metal

Jan 20 - 26 2003

Firstly, I'd just like to say that this is a beautiful seven-inch record - it's on beautiful clear vinyl with an excellent DIY sleeve design. Plus, it was limited to a mere 500 copies. We totally dig stuff like this (--hint hint nudge nudge, bands and labels--). But on to the review.

I was surprised upon first listen of this record to discover that the band actually plays really intense hardcore. It's not exactly what I expected from a record with a little teddy bear sticker on it. But that's alright. The record collects four quick songs; each one is a short gust of violent guitars, speedy bass, psycho drumming, scratchy hardcore vocals, and even some keyboard. Be warned that there are some very DIY production values in terms of the songs' recording quality.

Side one houses two tracks, "Murderous" and "Transmission." The first is a destructive scorcher with tons of feedback and tape hiss, as well as those ultra-scratchy, tortured vocals that are characteristic of the genre. The riffs have something of a metal influence to them that can easily be picked up on. "Transmission" also has some metal aspects to it, especially on the small little bits where the guitar goes into "solo" mode. It's quite melodic, as far as hardcore goes.
Side two features "White Chocolate & Brimstone" and "Dance With Me." The first song is an abrasive, powerful blast of guitars and torn-apart vocals. "Dance With Me" is similarly explosive, boasting some fantastically tuneful guitar parts that stay away from becoming too feedback-y.

If you're up for some hardcore stuff with a strong DIY ethic and a bit of a metal influence, then you'll love this record. Go and track it down.

80%

Fun fact: Apparently, The Lords of Lightspeed only existed from 2000 to 2001, and this 500-copy 7" is the only recorded artifact of their existence!

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 4 songs, distributed by the label, released 2002]