The Middle Class
Homeland (1982)
eatdogs
I dig deep when trying to find certain music. I like to
speak with people who know more about genres or bands than I do. You can get a
great community feeling when discussing the awesome qualities of different
artists. If I can’t find folks to speak with, I traverse the net and look at
blogs and such. Such a place is where I discovered “Homeland†by The Middle
Class.
I was curious about this band. This can’t be those same guys
who made the awesome “Out of Vogue†ep right? That one four song ep that paved
the way for American hardcore? Well, after searching through Discogs I came to
the knowledge that yes, this was the same freakin’ band. This was going to be
interesting…
Homeland is a Post-Punk record in the purest sense. It’s like
the sister album to Joy Division’s “Unknown Pleasuresâ€. It’s also incredible.
To get a feel jump right in with album opener “The Callâ€. The bass rift by Mike
Patton carries that song, and most of the album with it. It harkens back to the
production wizardry that Martin Hannett did for Joy Division, except this album
came out in 1982 and it isn’t as cold or calculating, which was a product of
Joy Division’s talent and Martin’s maniacal style.
Second track “A Skeleton at the Feast†is the song I first
came in touch with on a random playlist. It’s almost too perfect a song in the
Post-Punk style. It hits all the right marks, and maybe it gets a deduction for
unoriginality, because these lads from Orange County REALLY liked Joy Division,
but regardless it’s a standout. Also singer Jeff Atta doesn’t sound like Ian
Curtis, which is a good thing, but instead has his own style and it fits the
music perfectly like its own instrument.
There are other key tunes like “Listen†with its ferocity
that is reminiscent of old Gang of Four and “Mosqueâ€, a track that pounds the
listener as if standing by the speakers in a small club watching the band on
stage. The bass is once again a key figure on this song, which is great since
all good post punk often has the bass heard more loudly in the mix. You can
blame Public Image Ltd for that.
Lastly the album closes with “Everything†and it’s not a slow
burn funeral march, but as the track is titled, this is everything the band has
done on this album all mashed together.
Homeland was the first and only LP by the Middle Class.
As with a lot of the old hardcore bands, The Middle Class
didn’t stay around for too long (1977-1983). They left the violent early days
of the scene, changed up their sound and made Homeland, toured for a bit, then
broke up. They reunited back in 2010 but officially called it after the tragic
death of guitarist Mike Atta.
Give this a listen. It’s worth the time and
appreciation. Dig it…