A 3-track release like Mars Gou’s Revenge deserves a small, bizarre review. So here it goes, folks! What we have here from Locutus is a mashup experiment. Noisy hardcore that sounds something like a mix between Converge and The Blood Brothers mashed up with Party City retail store merchandise. Huh?
What I mean is, Locutus sounds like a nine-year-old’s birthday party moshpit. There’s a juvenile spirit here when it comes to songwriting. The band doesn’t give a fuck about how annoying they may seem. Nine-year-old birthday parties are all about climbing on the furniture, knocking over precious vases and pulling the streamers off the walls. And considering the musical talent behind the anarchy, these kids are ninjas of destruction.
The riffs are piercing, jagged and yet cunningly composed. If the guitarist is going to cover the house with Party City finger-paints, he’s going to leave the parents with a masterpiece to clean. Seriously, the guy has some chops. The vocals sound like birthday boy temper tantrums. The lead singer wants his juice and presents in various degrees of frustration, ranging from screamo outbursts to melodious group protests. Hey, his two other friends want to play with cheap Party City toys too!
Speaking of the rhythm section, the tightness and discipline are apparent, and yet there’s still an essential element of careless action. The music always sounds like it’s just about to spiral completely out of control, and even though it’s the drummer’s job to keep everything in line, she’s perfectly content with leaving collateral damage in the process. She’ll keep the music from complete chaos, but she’s going to smash her fucking instruments in order to do so. Add a few Push This Button And Play Me toy sound effects here and there and we have an official police party noise complaint on a Saturday afternoon.
When this eight minute birthday party is over, the listener has played the part of the parent. You’ve put up with the mayhem, excused the demolition and ignored the ringing in your ears. And you have to admit that despite the insanity, you had a pretty damn good time. And in my case, I wish the party had been a whole lot longer. There’s so many more priceless artifacts for Locutus to smash. Like the framed album sleeve of my once favorite rock EP. I need the wall space for Mars Gou’s Revenge.
Great fucking party, guys!
