EX-MODELS Chrome Panthers CD

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Troubleman Unlimited (2007) NEW / UNPLAYED / SEALED IN SHRINKWRAP

DOMESTIC RELEASE

[PLOT SUMMARY]
DESCRIPTION:
Another older Troubleman title from a couple of years back, Chrome Panthers delivers the same sort of metallic No Wave noise rock crush that Microwave's Contagion Heuristic is pushin'; on this album, the Brooklynites are stripped down to the duo of Shahin Motia and Zach Lehrhoff, who hooked up with drummer Kid Millions from Oneida for this six song blaster, splattered with some always-boss eye-frying artwork from the Monster Island team. And this is exactly how I like my skronk: the band grinding away at uber-repeated noisy riffs, churning over and over elliptically, as they're beamed out of blown amps like Arab On Radar applying Justin Broadrick's mantric approach to bludgeoning ya with relentless repeato riffage; meanwhile, Kid Million's is back there bashing away with twenty arms at dizzying herky-jerky motorik rhythms and hyperspeed fills. They call it "Fundustrial Noise", and it's a bludgeoning assault of rusted guitar clang, in-the-red feedback and hypnotic repetition, like Devo, Throbbing Gristle, Arab On Radar, early Boredoms, and krautrock smashed together into a bulldozing feedback-spewing juggernaut. Heavy, mesmerizing, and terrifically noisy, this is on a whole 'nother level from previous Ex-Models releases, and has all of the caustic crud that most bands that attempt to ape the "no wave" vibe generally seem to miss out on.

REVIEW FROM ALLMUSIC: Right from the get-go, this offering from art rockers Ex Models reestablishes that they are not here to deliver a finely crafted, well-polished piece of work that will tickle the senses and delight the ears. On the contrary, with Chrome Panthers they have decided to deliver a sonic onslaught to shred your inner ear with the audio equivalent of a razor blade. Imagine the Go Team if they had developed a serious addiction to methamphetamines and decided to make a project's worth of material about how much they wanted to assassinate someone and you will get the general gist of the production values at hand here, as well as a reasonable profile of the group's state of mind. Many of the songs rely on long episodes of repetition and tension-building before releasing it all into a series of shrieks and indecipherable howls that come close to replicating the formulas found on earlier records. It may seem like a bunch of dudes getting drunk and rocking out in their parents' basement as they record demos, but the musicianship is complex and top-notch. Clocking in at 27 minutes, it's their longest offering to date and almost perfectly timed; any more and it would have disintegrated into pretentious noise, and any less would leave a feeling of incompleteness.

REVIEW FROM TINY MIXTAPES: While it is the common assumption that most bands follow an uncomplicated career trajectory that begins with the more off-putting and daring achievements and slowly metamorphosis into a more grounded approach to all commonly held notions of normalcy, certain artists just seem to head into paths much more alien and eccentric as the years pass. Tom Waits is possibly the most mainstream example of this reverse on the typical artistic life-cycle, and in the indie rock underground, acts like the Liars and now Ex Models appear to be forsaking any easy attempt at widespread cult stardom by challenging the fortitude of their audiences. Like the Liars, the Models have lost some members along the way, more than likely because the thirst for far more risky ventures into the murk of experimental tomfoolery is not a prospect shared by all. The Models have always been one-step ahead of their peers, even when they were ripping off Brainiac and Devo on 2001’s Other Mathematics; but since 2003’s spastic and brilliant brilliant Zoo Psychology full-length, it was clear that the Models were headed for an identity much more thrilling than their modest beginnings let on. Now reduced to a duo of founding member Shahin Motia and Zach Lehrhoff, plus Oneida’s Kid Millions on live drum duties, the Models have purged most of the friendlier quirks from their sound (i.e. the funk and pop influences) for a sonic blueprint that’s all-around bludgeoning in its post-no-wave force. The songs are longer this time around, and although a tune like "That’s Funny I Don’t Feel Like A Sh*thead" appears, for the first 45 seconds, to be familiar fare from the group, the closing four minute guitar-duel drone tests listener patience with its generally unchanging repetition. But the experience avoids monotony in an almost inexplicable way, whether through Millions’ intricate warp-speed fills or because of the sheer beauty noise die-hards find in these piles of ear-splitting fuzz. It’s the Models’ impossibly frantic stamina that keeps Chrome Panthers from assuming the guise of the work of another standard spazz-rock outfit. The guitar chords are little more than fractured punctures, and the vocals are a blur of indecipherable yelps, resulting in an experience almost chokes on its own preposterousness. "Headlines" feels constantly on the brink of collapse, and the fact that it’s able to keep pace with its own unseeming energy is a feat in itself. Likewise, the closing epic "Chrome Hearts" proves that the Models’ lack of concern with polishing their sound for accessibility’s sake is a crucial plus; it’s sprawled with feedback and in-the-red static, and it’s all the more glorious because of it. Chrome Panthers, like most by-products associated with the noise genre, won’t be for all tastes, but it’s hands-down one of the year’s most compelling and vaguely straight-forward expressions of rock-based white noise-scrawled terror. Six tracks and 27 minutes may seem like a sham, but it’s as deliriously addictive and soul-stirring as only severely damaged atonal reverberation can be.

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[CONDITION+INFO]
BRAND NEW, UNPLAYED ITEM STILL SEALED IN SHRINKWRAP.

>> WE DEAL IN HEAVY JAMS

CRUCIAL BLAST is an independant underground label and mailorder specializing in cutting edge, "experimental" heavy music from the indie universe with a particular focus on avant-Metal, heavy mutant noise and drones, and edgy/abrasive/weird "outsider" rock and pop. You'll find everything from art-damaged European metalcore to amplifier-exploding psychedelic drones in our listings, which we update every week. We like our sounds weird, and we like 'em heavy. You're not going to find the popular flavor-of-the-month "alternative" music here...these are new mutations in extreme music.

>> SHIPPING AND PAYMENT INFO
In the U.S., Winner pays $3.00 USPS 1st CLASS MAIL shipping/handling for this first CD, 7", or audio cassette, unless specifically otherwise stated (in the case of specially packaged items that require special packaging and handling). Shipping/Handling is $1.00 each for any additional CDs, 7"s, or audio cassettes that are purchased at the same time. THIS IS FOR US BIDDERS ONLY!
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