I've been meaning to get this record for awhile now - being a fan of both Frodus (Jason Hammacher â drums, Shelby Cinca - guitar/vocals) and of course Fugazi (Joe Lally â bass) I knew this record would be a huge surprise or an incredible let down. Thankfully, it's the former!
Decahedron, which was once part of [the] Frodus [Conglomerate] and then Red Sky Above and then The Black Sea (name changed due to copyright), they have created an album of purely irreverent political hardcore, wrapped up in the warm embrace of a highly capable group of musicians. Syncopated rhythms and clever change ups are abound on Disconnection_Imminent.
The first track "Delete False Culture" is a visceral attack on the falsity in mass commerce culture that is propagated by the media, an indictment of commercialism set to the three minute range of punk rock, with a solid guitar riff backed by a booty shaking bass line, intelligent lyrics and polyrhythmic drum patterns. Vocalist Shelby Cinca, also of Frodus fame, lends his amazing throat-tearing scream and soothing croon to the eleven tracks, not including the ones sung by Joe Lally, who has come into his own as a vocalist, making small singing appearances on the past few Fugazi albums and here on Disconnection.
The second stand-out track on the record is "No Carrier," replete with pentatonic grit and a screaming mid boost wah squawk; it hammers the rock with the pummeling force of the ten-sided monolith related to the bands nom de guerre. It's not enough that there are just as many good, high energy, ripped-up-through-box-tops songs on this record! They hit you in the groove place with songs like "Pay No Mind," "Endings," and the instrumental "Dislocation."
The songs play the part of call-to-arms anthems, power rants culled from technological imagery and big-brother-is-watching fear themes that border on the ecumenical in relation to the âpunk' scene as a whole and as an activist culture â a subreligion that is based in guitar distortion and well thought angst. They may be redefining âfringe' bands like their brethren in Dillinger Escape Plan and past tour mates Planes Mistaken For Stars, slicing a niche with their razorblade wit.
This is the thinking person's hardcore band, though some might blanch at such a genre polarization, it's time to take back the word from the pop charts and put some fists in the air. There is hope for the rebellion; Decahedron will help bring balance to the underground.