Comin’ at you hot is this week’s Gr8 Unknown: Bass Drum of Death.
OK, besides their super cool name, they have really awesome music. The band is made up of three members but places emphasis on front-man John Barrett, who founded the band in 2008 as a solo act. Now, they spend their time serenading your ears with garage-rock, lo-fi tunes and sporting shaggy hair.
The band has three studio albums, one of which sparked my interest. A track from their sophomore album, self-titled Bass Drum of Death, is titled “No Demons.” The rawness of this track was captivating. It sounds as if it was made in a basement with lack of professional equipment. This does nothing to hinder its sound. In fact, it enhances it.
The song also has a choppy, hard drum beat, which stimulates listeners to do nothing less than head-bang. Barrett’s voice is similarly raw and hard. His voice perfectly complements the garage-rock/grunge sound.
The band’s freshman album, GB City, also gifts a number of catchy tracks. One song in particular, “Get Found,” pairs well with “No Demons.” This time, however, the emphasis lies in the guitar rather than the drums. The raw, metallic sounds are still present.
In this live YouTube version, viewers can see this in action. The distortion of the guitar and vocals almost makes things sound unclear, but this is part of their inherent punk character and attitude.
“Sin is in 10,” off of their most recent 2014 album, Rip This, is more of a melodic tune. While the garage feel is still there, this song is a little bit more polished. There is a lot of clashing but in a good, rock-ish way.
A lot of the music from Bass Drum of Death sounds somewhat angry. The music is heavy, rhythm focused, distorted yet melodic. Barrett’s voice adds another very welcome layer over the top. So, if you’re ever in the mood to blow off some steam, or go on some sort of rampage, this would be the perfect music to do it to.
Here are some more tracks to enjoy.
