 Various
Artists
"The Socomtonar Collection Volume 1" CD
Ascetic
Records
Genres: rock, indie rock
Ascetic Records
5248 Bancroft #B
St. Louis MO 63109
Apr 28 - May 5 2003 |
The
Socomtonar Collection Volume 1 is Ascetic Records' new sampler and
it features some nice contributions by four bands on its roster - DMS,
Riddle Of Steel, Houston, and Ring, Cicada.
As far as samplers go, it's a pretty good one, especially
considering the fact that most listeners will likely be unaware of the
bands on Ascetic's roster.
Some of the most interesting music on Socomtonar is that
made by Ring, Cicada, one of St. Louis' best new rock
bands. Their first track, "I Can Hear You Breathing,"
is a catchy instrumental that calls to mind Iron Maiden's riffs
just as much as it does modern indie rock bands, even though it's
nowhere near to heavy metal territory. Their second contribution
to the sampler, meanwhile, is "I Remember," a moody little
number that features some nice vocals, proving that the band can work
well with both the instrumental and non-instrumental styles.
Meanwhile, Riddle Of Steel (whose EP we reviewed
recently) offers up two straightforward (yet enjoyable) rock numbers -
the best of the duo is probably "Cat In A Birdcage," which
takes a while to build up and then really pays off. It feels as
if it belongs on a spy movie soundtrack or something. Houston
contributes a couple of tracks - the emotional, catchy "Trainwreck
2" and a neat, yet bizarrely-recorded little scorcher called
"The Corner Song."
DMS (no, not d.b.s.) donates 3 songs to the
comp. The first, "Daze Of Dreams," is an atmospheric
instrumental that doesn't quite work that well, but they make up for
it with "Roulette Musiceaux," an interesting (albeit
misplaced) track composed of drums, guitar, piano, and
electronics. Their final contribution is "Collision Course
With Failure, Complete With Instruction Manual Under Front Seat,"
which is a funky little tune that spends its entire duration building up to
a climax that never occurs.
Altogether, this is an interesting compilation that may be
worthwhile for rock fans looking to broaden their horizons and learn a
bit about the St. Louis music scene. While DMS' tracks
may seem out of place, they also add variety to the album that will be
appreciated by listeners with open minds.
83%
Fun Fact: Socomtonar is a surfing term
that is short for So Completely Totally Gnarly.
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
9 songs, distributed by the
label, released 2002] |
