Deviates
Time is the Distance
Epitaph
Tee hee. I just love record company promo copy. The stuff accompanying this second Deviates album (the first was several years ago on Man’s Ruin) says that with this release, the band takes “their place at the table amongst a legacy of some of the greatest hardcore bands of all time.” Honest, it really did say that.
The promo copy (I should point out I never read this stuff until the platter gets at least a couple of spins) also says that the Deviates draw “inspiration from Nirvana and Black Flag.” Which may well be true, but if so, they manage to take that inspiration without sounding remotely like either one. Closer to the mark might be other Bay-area harcore-ish bands like Neurosis and A.F.I. This is solidly played, but the songs aren’t particularly memorable. If you’re one of those people who wrote in complaining about another Ink 19 writer’s panning of the last A.F.I. record, though, you might like it.
Epitaph Records, 2798 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026; http://www.epitaph.com