Well, this band's already breaking up apparently. Bummer! Meth Mountain do first-wave post-hardcore on the Monotony 7", and it's an enjoyable slab.

"The Regulators" starts out with a calm-before-the-storm riff akin to Give Up the Ghost's "(It's Sometimes Like It Never Started)," only way surfier, before being cut off so that the song can launch into a more rambunctious, rock'n'roll-paced ripper with hoarsely shouted vocals and vintage recording tones. The singer sounds kinda like Guy Picciotto circa All Through a Life, but the music finds more commonality with that of Swiz's harder edges. The surf tones return for the closing title track, though, which finds a slower pace the band is just as good at traversing. Of course, they're most wild with their cover of Black Flag's "My War," a digital bonus whose gaps and guitar noodles they're incredibly adept at tackling.

Nothing against the originals here, which are pretty decent, but I'd like to see what this band could do with a covers record of all SST and Dischord jams. Then again, now that they're finishing soon, I'd love to hear what they could have done, period.

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The Regulators
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