Demoted - Shit For Brains
Demoted, a three-piece hailing from Brooklyn, NY, are upping the ante with their newest release, Shit For Brains. This batch of songs really proves these guys can hang with the best of them musically and lyrically. It's certainly a tasteful mix of early and later-period hardcore tunes, everything from high powered sleaze-punk jams to sludged out droners are packed into this 9 song mini-LP, and it is not to be ignored.
The record is filled to the brim with dark infectious riffs accompanied by devilish shrieks blurted by frontman Cullen Gallagher and backed by the solid rhythmic duo of bassist Phil Harrington and drummer Chris Hopkins. The overall feel of the production gives the album a rough and gritty DIY quality that makes them feel even more sincere and surely further lends to Mr. Gallagher and the rest of the band's hardcore credentials. These songs are straightforward, aggressive, and in your face without any chance of going away anytime soon.
My personal favorite of the litter, Twitching Eye, really drops into some Jesus Lizard territory dissonance with a menacing groove that comes and goes as it pleases like some mangled beast stalking it's prey before making it's pounce to attack. While tracks, such as Lazy Guy, dive into a much more sleazed-out garage approach. Indeed, a fine reward for any punk with two working fists who will give Shit For Brains all the time it truly deserves.
