CHINESE BURNS UNIT Composed of veterans from LAWNSMELL and FRENZAL RHOMB, CHINESE BURNS UNIT now have their debut album out. The band play "passionate melodic punk rock." It's one I look forward to hearing.
Their music is described as "a quartet who could sound as weighty as FEEDTIME, but preferred quicker tempos and slightly more standard songs." - Pitchfork
TURBOBELCO / BRUCE / HOSTILE OBJECTS / NURSING HOME STALKERS /ONE TAKE EARTHQUAKE Hermanns Bar, Sydney 19 October 2013 Review by Derek J. Huckel
It was one of those weird nights where it was a bit chilly to get out in this hot weather. Confused? Well upon entering this haven of audio iniquity, those blues were soon blown away...
I walked in on ONE TAKE EARTHQUAKE. They're a kind of thrash rock, you might say a cross of IGGY POP / STOOGES and THE DIRTBOMBS. With all instruments turned to 11, a heavy drum sound, and singer Mo screaming himself nearly hoarse, they belted out numerous catchy numbers like 'Separation Wall', 'It's Your Last Day', and one I think called '12 Hour Fun'. Cool stuff.
NURSING HOME STALKERS were a sonic assault from their onset. The singer launched himself on to the stage (yes, from the floor to stage). Being about the only animated one in the band, the vocalist was like a tightly wound spring going off intermittently. The machine gun metal style of playing was relentless, only slowing at the intros and taking breaths between tunes. The singers' brief between song banter either explained the songs, or asked for spare hash in the crowd.
The HOSTILE OBJECTS drained every centilitre of their thrash shit and very being into their show, in doing so they absolutely killed every tune tonight! I mean this in a very good way. This made it hard to pick a fave - maybe the opening new tune, or 'Young Gods'? But I'll go with the last two 'Turkish Knives', and the crushing 'Cave In'. The sound wasn't the best but the Hostiles didn't let this burden them, with vocalist Rod inviting the audience closer to "look into my eyes." The crowd were willing to comply...
I was sold straight away on BRUCE with their cool sounding rock, a bit faster than oz rock but not quite thrash. Maybe you could call them an Aussie style of HELMET. They are hard to box as with tunes like 'Brown Paper Bag' then after a few tunes their style changed with the slightly slower but hypnotic 'Captain'. It got the crowd in, as did 'Shapes and Numbers'. The pace changed again with 70's styled 'In The Box' - like a heavier STATUS QUO – and two screamo numbers with the femme fatale guest vocalist. Check ém out!
TURBOBELCO hail out of not the cold climes Norway – like their adopted Norwegian 'fore-fathers' - but rather via those of Canberra. Well they might as well have come from the Scandinavian fjords as these camped-up Canberran minstrels, in their TURBO-garb, seemed to have the essence of the Apocalypse Dudes that are TURBONEGRO perfected down to their lil' pinkies. (You decide which pink appendage!!) The crowd of jugends and non-chapter crowd were mostly denimed up for the night. The boys made up hit their cock rock stride immediately with 'The Age of Pamparius' being a chip off the old TN block, as was 'Self Destructo' which they dived into. Disrobing his cape, the Baron not only revealed his belly but BELCO and the postcode of Belconnen, from where they hail, emblazoned in black on his chest. Proceeding to play many off 'Apocalypse Dudes' like 'Back to Dungaree High', 'Monkey on Your Back' and Don't 'Say Motherfucker, Motherfucker' the crowd loved it all! Even closing with 'Good Head'. A fave of mine I think was 'Hell Toupee' and you'd have to love the on-stage sing-a-long of 'Érrection'.
The tongue in cheek, or not, of the lyrics doesn't matter, this is bloody good rock (cock or not) whatever the tunes are about. If you couldn't get a ticket to the TURBONEGRO boys on their recent tour here or just like rock, put these guys on your bucket-list. A great night out!!
