A strange subdued feeling
keeps its grasp on me as I write this review. No, the music doesn't make me
feel like this. Quite the contrary. In that aspect Palkoski always gets me
going and has me wired to the teeth, as I soak up their candid stories about
grime, filth, misery, mass murder and schizophrenia, played in excellent spastic
grindcore fashion. Instead, it's the sense of writing an obituary about a great
band who's calling it a day, rather than writing a review about a great band
who I just discovered thanks to this gem called 'Never Again'.
Made up of the four-track
'Reflections' EP and the epic one-hour long title track, which is
divided into 17 parts. The EP is not completed because, after much soul
searching, remaining members Steven Kerchner and Todd Wuehrmann decided to
honour their fallen brother, drummer Nick Crisostomo, by leaving those four
songs as they were. Nick sadly and tragically passed away while on tour with
his other band, Khaotika. So instead of bringing in someone else to finish the
drum parts, Palkoski left the EP unfinished as well as ending the band.
I have followed these
knuckleheads since the days they were called The Seventh Gate. It all started
when I visited the US
in the summer of 2007. On the way to the beach one evening, my future wife and
I stopped by the legendary Sidebar in Baltimore,
where The Seventh Gate, amongst others, played, and they blew me away. When the
band morphed into Palkoski, it was a natural step which didn't alter their
sound, other than enhance it. Therefore, I kind of knew what to expect when playing
'Never Again' for the first time. But man, these hoodlums sucker punched
me from the word go and wouldn't let up until the album ended. And as the
apparent masochist I am, I keep coming back for more. That, dear waveriders, is
one of the best signs of great music, regardless of the genre.
Five seconds
into opener ‘All At War’, Palkoski
has sucked the air out of my lungs. Coming on like a tornado, total destruction
is at hand. And that’s how the initializing EP plays out. Nothing but
annihilation even in the slow folky parts where reflections – no pun intended –
on horrible occurrences hovers like mustard gas in the air. Schizophrenia, or
is it real life, ends part one.
In true homage to Frank Palkoski, the
band’s main character, ‘Never Again’
is trippy, scary and completely freaked out. The mind of a deranged serial
killer has never been better portrayed. As disharmonic as the music is and as fucking
terrifying as the lyrics are, Palkoski ties it all together with such elegance
that you don’t even know if you’re listening to an album or if you’ve actually
woken up in your proper reality, a true living nightmare.
Several songs are instrumental where the
percussive work brings out the horrible mind of Frank Palkoski. Also, to me
those instrumental parts depicts the serial killer in full swing as no words
are needed when he slaughters people. Not only that, it truly shows the man
when the demons burst out and the insanity begins.
Not to forget, a lot of times the band
goes for slow songs with odd percussive patterns and strange sounds. Add the
messed up, frenzied and chaotic singing courtesy of Steve Kerchner and the
hellfire and brimstone world of Frank comes to life even further. Amidst all
this, the band switches to furious tempos with chainsaw riffing guitars, chants
and sound patterns from the very depths of Hell. It gets so intense sometimes
that I have to pause and get myself together, but the respite never lasts long.
Within minutes, I’m drawn back into the maelstrom, just can’t stay away.
Instead, the insanity washes over my battered and bruised being and I welcome
the band with open arms as my saviours.
As sad as I am to see Palkoski bid
adieu, they couldn’t have left in a better way. ‘Never Again’ is such a strong body of work, the kind most bands want
to release, so musically I can’t complain. Go out with a bang, instead of just
fizzling out. And in that same way this album is the perfect eulogy and homage
to their fallen brother Nick. Wherever he is now, I’m 100 % sure he has the
biggest smile on his face watching over us knuckleheads thrashing madly at the
sweet crazied tunes of Palkoski.
Thank you so much for everything
Palkoski. You’ve left a legacy few can match and I am so glad to have been
allowed to take part in your madness!
-Swedebeast
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