Thursday, December 17, 2015

Album Review: "Peace Killers" by Peace Killers

Peace Killers
Probably the most oft used phrase I see in my email nowadays is "related if you like," typically abbreviated to RIYL.

Why do we need this?

I'd say partially because as music fans, consumers, and writers, we want in immediate picture of what we're going to hear when it comes out of the speakers.

I can dig that, but what if you forgot what you'd read when you wrote down to review an album and what came out was one of the most off the wall records of 2016? (Well I guess 2016 really.)

Peace Killers are a brand new band made up of veterans of the West Coast scene. There's a collective experience of forty years between the four members.

RIYL: D.R.I., Rory Gallagher, Metallica, Death, and Black Flag.

Peace Killers
Yes. I said just that.

When I spun this album, I had absolutely no recollections about why I had decided to listen, but it was next up on my list.

Out of the speakers came a throwback sound. Twin guitars playing bouncy melody with more hooks than Swedish Elite League hockey game.

It was a great change of pace.

Nothing was over played or under written. The songs were the product of quality songwriting and smart playing.

The vocals were a bit forced, but not fake, but as though there was too much volume going through a speaker. It added a fine layer of dirt to the prettier sound.

As time wore on, the songs changed. The timbre changed. There was even a Hammond Organ going through a leslie cabinet! The guitars got bluesier and the vocals got angrier.

From playing 70's hook laden arena rock, they went to dipping their toes into the metal end of the pool and then they jumped in without even shouting Cannonball!

And abruptly, they started getting angry in a different way. More like SoCal Hardcore tunes and then back again.

Peace Killers is an off kilter album of a band that has yet to fully find itself that kills it on every track. They could create four bands out of this album with the same members and I'd be in line to see every show.

Release: 1/22/16
Genre: ??? All of them.
Label: Svart
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