Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
Crossover. Almost anything in the world of underground music these days can be classified as ‘crossover’, really. Mainly because we exist in an age where basically anything goes, even the kitchen sink should you want to toss it in, too.
To be honest, that’s kind of what the Line Lexington, Pennsylvania trio Black Friday Death Count does, too. Alex Millard, Sam Pinola, and Porkchop may call their band Punk Rock, which – make no mistake – it is, but it also has truckloads of other stuff going on as well.
‘Cut Through The Noise‘ is eleven songs, every one of them under three minutes playing time, that delves headlong into a variety of genres and styles. From frenetic garage rock like that on “Rats Jump Ship“, “Rock And Roll, Jackass“, or “Bride Of Jackass“.
Personally, I like the material where the guys incorporate some melody and take things in a more Post-Rock direction. Songs like the fantastic back-to-back tracks “I, Behemoth” and “Chords And Words” keep the aggression intact, but with a little lighter fare in all the right places.
Other times are no-holds-barred Noise Rock, in the vein of greats like Unsane or early Helmet. See “Red Jawn“, “Trash Panda“, or “Stoopid Kidz” and you will know, and hear, exactly what I mean.
If you’re old enough to recall labels like SST, Touch & Go, or AmRep (Amphetamine Reptile) like me, then Black Friday Death Count is THAT kind of band. Caustic, abrasive, and in your face, with the sonic equivalency of a middle finger. Yep, that sounds about right.
