Customer Reviews

Dying to Meet You

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

 

 

Man, 2 SURLY dudes making EVIL new wave music. They are totally slept on in NEW YORK, this record is great, I like to listen to it after a night of running in the FOREST in my invisibility cloak scaring FARMERS....but they are BETTER live. GO SEE THEM LIVE.

This 2nd release from Vaz (a project from the band Hammerhead) will never be labeled as a "sophomore slump". The chaos of these songs blazes through 30 minutes of rock so quickly you'll miss it the instant the last note is struck. The duo juggle time signatures and rhythms from one moment to the next, leaving barely enough time for them to breathe in between songs.

Beyond the eerie similarity to Ian Curtis's voice, what stands out is how melodic the vocals are. Downright catchy at times, these tunes are what mainstream rock radio could sound like if it were actually interesting. But songs about drive-by swordfights and lifelike headless statues are not mainstream fodder, and for that we have Vaz. We should consider ourselves lucky.

At first listen or three I was a little disappointed with this record, being such a huge fan of their first, Demonstrations in Micronesia (as well as all of Hammerhead's output). So I put it away for months, knowing there would come a time when I was ready for it with fresh ears. Sure enough, I now recognize it as the slab of murderous pop genius that it is.

I love that these guys keep pushing themselves. It used to be that they pushed for sicker and sicker (and heavier) sounds to wrench out of their instruments. Demonstrations in Micronesia definitely blows anyone out of the water for sheer power and "Oof! Holy...oh Sh**!..What the hell?..Did I just hear that?" jams. This time around they seem to be experimenting wildly with new melodies (yes, melodies) and hooks. As another reviewer stated, some of this should be the pop hits on the planet perfect earth (see "Blue Lip Special"). Another thing they've worked on is the vocals, which are much more mature than in Hammerhead. Overall, not quite as full-on kick your ass as their first (though close), but still miles beyond any other mortals. I gave it a five because there is so little coming out these days that is fresh and original. Give it up for Vaz.

From start to finish a gd masterpiece. Listen to it and it will be the best half hour of your life. 'They've won' would've been a billboard smash hit if this was a cool world. but it doesn't stop there; every song will have you singing along and throwing your fists in the air. i promise, you will be begging for more as the last track ends!

They opened in Webster Hall with melvins as main event. They showed great respect for the melvins. There best song on this album is Elastic-C no argument. I love the fact they dont have a bassist. Anyone who likes dying to meet you go see them live if u can!

This is one of those albums that can't maintain the same momentum throught all the songs, but on the strength of the first 5 tracks, it gets a solid 4 stars. The sound here is like a post-Amrep sound (their previous incarnation, Hammerhead, was on Amphetamine Reptile Records) with a lot of twists and turns. The opening cut "They've Won" may just be the most perfect song I've heard all year. It has a dense-yet-dreamy feel, like the great band Failure. At other times ("White World Of Death") the drums speed by like snowflakes in a blizzard in front of a blinding guitar whitewash (yes - they've used overdubs). Vaz can also lope into a haunting slower mode, yet still maintain enough melody as not to be heavy for heavy's sake, which is where a lot of the bands of this genre lose me. These lads are breaking into some challenging new ground, and I'd love to see them do this live. The disc wanders off into some lo-fi clanky stuff near the end, but 80% of these songs are well-crafted and have been growing on me over time.