There’s something sludgy in Philly’s drinking water. I haven’t heard of any three-eyed fish popping up in the area, but it’s well known that the local mutant noise rock bands are not to be messed with. Case in point: FIGHT AMPUTATION.
The three-piece’s newest offering opens up with the slow burner “Ex- Everything.” From the very first chord, the listener is punished with a sound so thick, you’re not sure if the next notes are going to be able to crawl through the speaker cabs to catch a breath of fresh air. It’s a track that would be right at home on the Melvins 1991 release, Bullhead. The next track, “Survival Is Strange,” picks up the pace and reminds you just how long you’ve been waiting to jump face first into a brick wall. You haven’t? You will. A beautiful barrage of drum and riff, the track is kind of poppy, in a ‘we’re still nastier than you’ kind of way.
“Levelling In A Dream” is the third track. I feel like if I saw this album played live, it would be a perfect halfway point. It’s when you start to feel your muscles burning; the Dex you took earlier is wearing off, and mixed with the beers you slammed before you got back in the pit, it’s doing some pretty terrible things to your insides. With one hand on your gut and the other grasping at the invisible oranges in the air, the guitar comes in with a long driving intro (convincing you to keep fighting the urge to run to the bathroom and void every fluid in your body). The rest of the band kicks in, and every nauseous feeling slips away as once again you’re sucked into the noisy pop insanity that brought you out that night. You’ve got your second wind now, and it came just in time for you to be leveled by “You Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” a completely unforgiving rock assault on your senses. A stringy vocal chorus, combined with the brutal simplicity of the pounding drums will put you on your ass in a matter of seconds. This is a strong contender for my favourite song on the album.
“I Perceive Reptoids” changes things up a little bit. The dynamic shifts between different parts of the song are definitely characteristic of the early 90s alternative scene, but leave no aftertaste of pretentiousness. Clocking in at just 2:27, it’s the shortest song on the record. That being said, it’s a perfect example of keeping things short and sweet.
“Happy Joyful Life” wraps things up. It starts with a conversation between the instruments that, again, is very Melvinesque. It takes you for a bit of a cruise in a big filthy Cadillac before revealing its final form to be a massive punk rock monster bred for speed and destructive potential. It accelerates to a maddening pace, and then without any warning, it’s gone. A sudden violent end to the Philly Sludge Beast.
Demand this wherever you buy records, or go to fightamp.bandcamp.com/album/constantly-off to give it a listen and buy it directly from the band. (Brutal Panda Records/ KNIFEHITS Records/ Lost Tape Collective)
Andre Cornejo