108
18.61
Deathwish Inc

My relationship with 108 dates back to 1995 if I’m not mistaken. Pre-95 there was no way for me to be subjected to any scene drama. I didn’t have the internet coming out of my ass, there were no message boards for me to voluntarily pollute my mind with. there was nobody there to tell me that 108 was silly, lame, strange and hard to swallow. the conservative and infuriated supreme court of hardcore couldn’t reach me. I didn’t know that I was not supposed to like 108. the few zines that came my way didn’t even feature them because they frowned upon religion in hardcore (an opinion I can understand). I was on an island (literally), that no one toured and one which had no store that focused on a punk or hardcore selection.

When 108 came into my life it was all music. I got a mix- tape in the mail from a UK pen-pal of mine. It was late 95 and this tape ruled my life for a couple of weeks, and what stuck with me the most was 108. I didn’t have the lyrics, only three jams on a tape. the connection was a sonic and aural one. I didn’t know what the hell Rob Fish and Vic DiCara were screaming about. I felt the intensity and I was grateful for that.
In 96 I found myself in Germany hunting for hardcore and the culture that came with it – still so foreign to me. I bought Threefold Misery at a show in Chemnitz. my suspicion was confirmed. 108 were entirely in a league of their own musically and since then they have continued to impress me with their courage, intensity and inventiveness. I wasn’t a dedicated fan but they always loomed in the back of my mind, arbitrarily poking my senses, telling me not to forget them. Their music left a lasting impression on me. that is power. That’s what real art and intense expression can do to you. It’s not to say I thought all their releases were incredible, but they were memorable and special. A rare thing indeed.

Fast forward to 2007. 108 is back together and record A New Beat for a Dead Heart. A bold, loud, hard hitting war cry and declaration of uncertainty and discontent even though the members seemed personally and emotionally stronger than ever before (according to interviews and blogs). I’m trying to avoid abusing the word “intense”, but it was intense as fuck. This record put most young bands to shame and was easily one of the 20 best to come out that year. But the youngins had a hard time moshing to it, so it didn’t get all the love it so rightfully deserved.

Three years later the geezers are back with a new exercise in expression and this time it’s even more intense, louder and wild. There’s hardly anything keeping the band back on 18.61. which consequently has it’s pros and cons. mostly pros.I’m tempted to break out with a track by track account of what this album sounds like but this far in, I’ll try to avoid that.

After the explosive, hectic and angry beginning of “God Talk” (“She fears “her God” like she feared her parents… get the fuck away from me I just want to be in love”), the listener is dropped head first into the two-speed rager “Crecent Moon”, a song that just gets harder and harder, providing most of what a self-respecting headbanger will ever need. things get wild again with the outrageous title tracks. huge bass sound and an unconventional rhythm section, wicked bass chords, back beat, creative drumming and creepy guitars all veil Rob’s desperate and lonely screams spitting “I am lost to the metallic bones of machines… Pushing my mind to eat itself alive. I am, have become, dead matter, no more.”. How anyone could stand still to this track and come out unscathed, is beyond me. “18.61″ is so close to falling apart and yet doesn’t, which makes it fantastic.
And the pummeling doesn’t let up, although “Reduced” is much more listenable. Easily one of the bangers of 2010. This number is unexpected, fresh and catchy. If you don’t like this song – I don’t like you. Simple. “Enslave (my) being, my intellect, (you’d) slit my throat, if itproduced (more) profits” echos something you’d expect from a crust band, but 108 touches on pretty much everything, so I’m not surprised by the disappointment and pessimism articulated in “Relentless Masters”. one of the most matter-of-fact lyrics on the album. Again, a monstrous main riff, stunning drum fills, headbangability through the roof, gnarly one-string stinger that pulls the song closer and closer to the edge. Awesome.
“Falling Angel” angel, much like the name, loses a bit of the altitude the band previously reached. Everything before it is so captivating, it gets covered by the shadow. But it’s a rager alright that will leave you sweating, either way. In “Mannequins” 108 finds itself in an area populated by Amphetamine Reptile and Exit/Wreckage artists. and they do it well. An exciting track with a considerable amount of “space” that paves the way for bursting drive, back and forth, featuring Rob’s signature spoken word, perfect for statements such as: “Undigestible, I trouble you, I trouble you. Confused by image, hypocrisy? Yet I am Satan and Jesus too. yes I am nothing but not like you.” A powerful track for sure, but its progression leaves a lot to be desired.
I don’t particularly feel “Ashes/Dust”. the rock doesn’t suit 108 very well. the song’s saving grace is the Karp-like chorus. A proper air-puncher right there.
They get back on the horse on “Forever is Destroyed”, that sounds like some tribal gathering meets Melvins. Everything is right about this track. It sounds loose and directionless but it’s one of those rare things, that despite it all, it just works. An ugly mess and better for it.
The thing I like most about the acoustic closers “Early Funeral” is that it has this eerie feel of closure, much like a final act. Like a boat pulling away into the mist with lyrics that heighten that sense “Can your thoughts still feel the sky?
Or does your soul make you want to die?”. that being said, it’s not a very good song. There’s something missing there that I cannot real put my finger on. Maybe the arrangement is just a tad predictable. But it marks the very end. In more ways than one.

18.61 is powerful, challenging, stimulating and alarming. It’s a pleasure to behold and engage in. the electric bombast captured herein will spark debates. 108 is a captivating entity and you’d be a fool to ignore them or refuse to put away your apprehensions about the group and not give them a chance. 18.61 is heavy, creative, intense, restless and fragile, thus it moves me and gets to me. It’s not without its flaws yet one of the most rewarding listens of the year so far.

There’s a tendency to talk only of Rob and Vic, understandable as they exhibit quite a presence. Michael Justian’s (drums) mark on this 18.61 is hard to ignore. He never fails to surprise and impress me, always dragging something new out of his bag. Without him 18.61 would not corner you as indisputably. Trivikrama Dasa (bass) role in the department of heaviness and intense is sadly, often overlooked. ever since Curse of Instinct and Threefold Misery he has been peeling the paint of my apartment’s walls, with his fat, distorted, hard-hitting strums. just count all the bass-breaks of his that make you gnaw your teeth and want to smash things. You’ll be flabbergasted when you find how many. Add too that tasteful chords and leads. A proper bass player.

One can only hope it influences other artists to take the high road, open up and create something worth all our time. for all this I’m grateful. You can say all you want about 108, but extreme music is better for having this band. for them to have set out on this uncertain and turbulent journey is one of the most rewarding I’ve witnessed.

P.S. I did real good avoiding the track by track thing, didn’t I?

Halifax Collect: 108 – 18.61

Tags: hardcore selection, music, relationship, supreme court

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 3:45 am and is filed under Pen Pal Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.