As long-term readers of NFI will know I’m all about full disclosure (I do try and stop short of TMI, of course). So upfront I’ll admit that being asked to review 1.0 involves a bit of a conflict of interest because Brighton’s Colonics are all good friends of mine. I’ve known all three of them for at least a few years, have worked with several of them and have been to see their current and past musical projects a whole bunch of times.
This is okay, though, firstly because I’m being upfront about it (so if my review is overly glowing you know to mock me for my nepotism), secondly because I’ve been given carte blanche to be as harsh as I like (the exact words were “DO NOT BE GENTLE”, and thirdly because I’m a terrible liar and too honest for my own good anyway.
1.0 is far from a perfect record. The most immediate impression to take from it, as someone who’s seen Colonics live at a bunch of different venues, is that it lacks the impact of their overpowering live sound. To an extent this is just because the songs don’t seem to have been mixed at a standard level of volume (I had to bump up the volume correction by about 50% in my iTunes… yes, I use iTunes, shut up), but it’s also a side-effect of the recording and production. It’s not a bad job by any stretch, but it doesn’t come close to replicating their live intensity. The drums are, overall, a little tinny; at times the bass feels a touch farty; (I’m not convinced by myself here, but there are points where the sound feels a touch jarring) and the guitars simply aren’t as full as they should be. It’s perhaps unfair to compare a record to a live sound as they’ll never mesh, but as Colonics are robbed of their full impact when removed from that environment it’s something that must be mentioned.
That said, there’s plenty here to like. I’ve not actually mentioned what Colonics sound like yet: they play three-piece noise rock with plenty of groove; Lightning Bolt are a significant inspiration although Colonics are far less abrasive, less unpredictable, and on the whole more riff-oriented. Opening track ‘Creatures of the Deep’ is a fine example of this, looping a big guitar line over and over with plenty of hanging chords allowing space for the bass and drums to come into play. In a similar vein ’10 to 10 Pirate Time’ launches with a crunchy, hooky climbing guitar riff. The trio all kick in for a chuggy 1-2-3 rhythm lick before the bass and drums hang, allowing space for that simple guitar riff to worm its way deeper into your ears. Both songs are based around a single core riff and essentially repeat that for the song’s duration; there’s more to it than just that, the subtleties are there, but it’s what’s at the centre that will stick in your mind.
The 10-minute epic ‘Learning to Speak Microbe’ breaks from this formula. It’s more of a noise-oriented tune with a bunch of different, more varied parts. It vomits out buckets of feedback and improvised noise-making from the stringed instruments, with the drums maintaining a steady beat aside from slick fills at clear transition points. About halfway through there’s a noise breakdown where the drums move away from that beat, moving around the kit instead, with the song building to a false crescendo before the beat resumes. For a ten minute song with no hooks and a ton of feedback it’s pretty cool. That said it’s not as good as ‘Persephone’, the EP’s other 10-minute epic. Launching with a simple bassline, then snare drumming, and then shimmering tremolo guitar, it slowly builds for the first third before an expansive and hooky guitar riff bursts in. Fluidly supported by the bass and drums it slips back and forth between these modes for its duration. It’s more predictable than ‘Learning to Speak Microbe’, sure, but you’ll remember it for longer.
The two tracks I’ve yet to mention are ‘Hessian 2.4′, which evokes a sort of hip doomy sound – a bit like contemporary black metal ala. Wolves in the Throne Room without actually sounding anything at all like that – and ‘Meateor’, which was recorded live and is probably the strongest track present. The drums sound more organic, and once its guitar riff bursts in backed by disco-marching drums and throbbing bass it’s, you know, a bit of a stomper.
I’ve always been a fan of Colonics, as is probably pretty clear from the above, but it’s nothing to do with the fact that I know these folks. Their particular brand of noise rock is one that gels with me; a more accessible Lightning Bolt, a more abrasive and texturally dense That Fucking Tank – they occupy a middle ground that works nicely. It’d be cool to see songs with more obvious variation – modifying those core riffs, allowing the bass more room to breathe as a lead instrument rather than primarily supporting the guitar, perhaps trading licks against it – but that’s Colonics’ path to walk. As a record, 1.0 is a solid snapshot of a band I find genuinely interesting. It’s imperfect and the sound is far from the best, but it’s perfectly listenable and also available to stream / free download. That said, I suggest you check them out live if you can: it’s how these songs were meant to be heard.
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