Customer Reviews

Black Eyes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I saw these guys live when they played with Q and not U and they left me both blown away and perplexed. Their music is the kind of unique, experimental hardcore (if you can even label it as that) that belongs on a great label like Dischord. Their set was as engaging musically as it was visually. Seeing the somewhat spastic guitarist hack away at his axe creating ferocious yet brilliant waves of distortion. That is, of course when he was playing guitar. It seemed like all the members played at least three instruments and were continual switching out between (and during!) songs. Two drummers, saxaphone, something that looks like a 5 yr old musical toy, and occasionally a pot or pan on the snare. These are just a few of the instruments used to create the wonderful, unclassifiable sonic experience that is Black Eyes. The only downfall is with so many different elements in play and so much axperimentation going on, occasionally the experiments fail. HOWEVER, this is an excellent album and should be purchased by anybody who is a fan of dischord-style hardcore...scratch that. This album should be purchased by anyone who is a fan of things that are cool in a weird way.

This is one of the best new bands I've heard all year. The perfect combination of the Dischord style with a desire to be as experimental as possible. Listening to this, I am constantly reminded of bands like Fugazi, Q And Not U, Lightning Bolt, The Blood Brothers, Pavement (one singer sounds exactly like Bob Nastanovich), Polvo, Les Savy Fav, June Of 44, and countless others, but Black Eyes never attempt to just copy a preexisting style, they take these styles and so something completely new and original. Produced by Ian Mackaye, this one is a keeper. I haven't heard an album as experimental and creative as this since I heard Liars "They Threw Us..." in 2002.

Black Eyes are an innovative act that imposes scatter-shot music onto organized patterns, creating a tumbling orgy of tribal-punk. There's a dark room hidden somewhere within the confines of the U.S. capitol filled with sweat and bodies writhing in tumultuous patterns to blissed-out rhythms. Dual bass lines curl around each other, filling the listener's every orifice. The vocals range from psychotic screams to rational low-end delivery. This might be what a Black Eyes rehearsal is like, or at least those are the images the act's full-length debut evokes.

The band, comprised of ex-members of Trooper, the No-Go's and the Rapture, supposedly plays in a symmetrical configuration onstage -- drummers on the flanks, bass players in front and back and a guitar player in the center. Their music focuses on Crash Worship-style cacophonous drum beats that throb along with throaty bass lines, making the songs feel like a slap on the back that is just a bit too hard. Sometimes evocative of Joy Division on PCP, sometimes of Arab on Radar on codeine, Ian MacKaye's production maintains the right balance of tin-can sounds with bullfrog disco stylings. Screeching guitars and sex vocals fill out the space on tracks like "Pack of Wolves" while dysfunctional disco drums chain a song like "Deformative" to the bedrock. "Speaking in Tongues" almost totally devolves into mush-mouth vocals and busy, busy instrumentation, culminating with a cowbell rising above the fray.

Black Eyes may be following a familiar trend in music by using the word 'black' in their name. But look at the bands they emulate -- Big Black, Black Flag and Black Sabbath, not to mention current trenders like Black Dice and Black Keys. That doesn't matter one scratch, though; the music they are creating is pulsing, pounding and original. And in a live setting, it should inspire the slack-jawed yokels to dance -- a valuable commodity in today's world of hipster apathy.

Jonah Flicker

Junkmedia.org Review

I can honestly say that I have never heard a band this unique, and this chaotic in a LONG time!

The music is pretty unique in its own right; 2 bass players, 2 drummers, 1 guitar player (who only plays noise), and 5 singers. All of this gives it a sort of Free Jazz sound with a hint of Noise. And since there are 5 singers, well, only 2 main ones but everyone contributes at some point, they have their own unique sound. One of the main singers has a fairly normal voice, while the other has an impossibly high and screechy voice which perfectly compliments their sound.

The lyrics are pretty interesting too; take the song "Deformative" for example. It's basically about a young man getting molested by a "man of the robe." Hmmm, so this band has a great sound, interesting vocals, AND inventive lyrics? AMAZING!

It's a shame they broke up after their second (and equally amazing) release.

This disc is a little tough at first, but worth it. The vocals are very raw, but they definitely grew on me. The lyrics are interesting and the music is inventive. I like the bass grooves a lot and the drumming is very cool. I saw these guys in Philly w/ Q and Not U and they put on a hell of a show. My only complaint is that I feel they could do more w/ the drums/percussion parts, since they all play drums and have 2 drummers playing simultaneously at their shows. Worth getting if you're into the Dischord sound.

Why can't every album Dischord puts out be like this? I love this album and I loved this band so much. It's the most beautifully chaotic album I've heard in a long time. Two drums, two basses, two singers, one guitar - any band with that sort of instrumentation which can stay togther is going to be good. Black Eyes really did their own thing, but I'd say this is about halfway between Lightning Bolt and Fugazi. Did I mention the thoughtful and well-written lyrics? Finally, unless you're a turntable-deprived dork, you ought go buy it in the deliciously thick 150-gram vinyl LP format. Whatever. Just buy this album.

I purchased this the day it was released. Wow! 2 drummers, 2 bassists, guitarist, keyboardist and 5 vocalists, and only 5 people in the band. (thats what Dischord said) I give This album 3.5 stars, better than pretty good but not great. i rounded up cos i enjoy this album even though it has its flaws. First off, my biggest complaint about the album is the drumming. whilst it is good solid drumwork with 2 drummers they should be playing different rhythms instead of copying each other. the Basses succeed more, they rarely play the same line. I like guitarist's guitar as power tool, noise machine approach. He is the most interesting instrument player of the bunch. the vocals and lyrics are well done most of the time. the shrieks sometimes teeter on the edge of annoying. this is noticable on the 6th track, which has great lyrics but you can't understand them. Black eyes seem to have rhythm down pretty well, i would like to hear more experimentation and keyboards (i didnt really hear them on this record) its a promising debut though. Some of my fav tracks are someone has his fingers broken, pack of wolves, and the last track. Black eyes is worth checking out, especially if yr into the D.C. hardcore scene (which i like a little bit of but im not a huge dischord fan). I can only imagine Black eyes have a crazy live show. I look forward to their next release.

honestly, if anybody knows any bands that are like Black Eyes because ive never heard a cd that sounds this good. I'm not saying this is my favorite cd, im saying I like Black Eyes' sound A LOT. Q and Not U just don't work like Black Eyes does for me and I know they are usually tossed in the same sound like them, Aids Wolf somewhat reaches the sounds I like... so, let me know people. And buy this cd for god's sake. Caugh is not very good.

I went to high school with Jacob. He played bass in a band he formed called the Drunk Cows. A couple weeks ago I saw some old high school guys at a wedding and someone told me about The Black Eyes and how it was the most original thing they ever heard. They told me how Jacob is now like some kind of underground cult hero and has a beard that makes him look like the dwarf from Lord of the Rings. That's funny because we remember when it was just a goatee. Anyway Jacob rocked back then and he still rocks today so get this album.

AFTOR EYE GOT DEES CDEE I WUS INSTURTLY MAAD AND HAD TEW THROUW AUWT MY STEREEOOHH(HARD WORD) SO IN CONCLURSION I HATE DA BLOCK EYES PEAS AND THEIR HAX0R MUSIC WITCH IS TERRIBLE.

PS . DONT BUY THEES ALBOOM UNLESS YOUR A NOOB.