Blastmat – “Broke Life Working Class”
So I awake behind the back door of a Laundromat. I check and it seems I have no clothes inside. In fact, I have no clothes on at all. But I have nothing to hide and nothing to show, to be proud of. Indecent exposure? Sure, I’ve been nabbed for that before but it was thrown out of court- lack of evidence, you see.
I pick up a few pieces of debris to cover my manhood, or lack thereof, there’s CD casing here in the gutter. As Oscar said, “We are all in the gutter; but some of us are looking at the stars.” The CD is by a band called Blastmat. I make a point to listen to this if I make it safely home, undetected.
Hey, these soothing sounds are just what I need for my hangover. Oh wait, I haven’t turned it on yet, that was just the sound of my electric toothbrush buzzing away. Perhaps a nap is needed.
Okay, refreshed and replenished I’m truly enjoying what I hear. After my two glasses of water, heavy breakfast and Diet Pepsi with lime have revived me.
So Blastmat is a band I’ve been hearing about for quite a while. And good things, too, but I feel it’s bad to get your expectations up because then you feel let down when you finally here them.
Not so in this case. When I saw them recently for the first time I was totally impressed. They are a hardcore band at heart with strong, hardcore vocals provided by Ryan and musically they have a lot of metal, psychedelic garage rock and sixties punk in their sound. But this recipe all adds up to one scrumptious musical meal.
This band is from Connecticut, home of a lot of our best bands, and has Gerry providing solid bass, from the excellent punk band Bad Lieutenants, Andy providing exciting guitar and Joe, who I know as a great drummer from seeing him in the awesome Oi band, Forced Reality.
But talk is cheap and as The Bee Gee’s sang, “But words are all I have to steal your heart away.” Well this band has many songs I fell in love with, so let’s give a listen.
“Falling Down” starts with some nice chugging chords roaring along at a rockin’ even pace. Then the vocalist leads the battle cry and we’re off to the races with a slightly dissonant metal chord change. Emphatic vocals, they’re aggressive but melodic like John Sox of The F.U.’s. Charging rhythms are provided by the able bass and drums. “This is the message I must send.” A message well received. This song is like a fight breaking out in an old Western movie in a saloon with cowboys breaking chairs and bottles over each other heads. A short, great squiggly wah wah guitar solo effectively pokes its face in for a few seconds as the song races to a gloriously, splendid end.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/01-falling down.mp3|titles=falling down]
“Breeding Seed” starts off with some guitar chords that wouldn’t sound out of place on a classic Motely Crue tune but then the crashing rhythms take off with the passionate vocals bleating away. The drums double up as the guitar chops away, then we take a break to reload, as the vocals come back to blow everything to smithereens. My favorite cut on the album.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/02-breeding seed.mp3|titles=breeding seed]
“Ten Years Down” has a garage punk chord change with the intense, hardcore vocals wailing on top. Some psychedelic guitar riffs pop in here and there like Ron Asheton plucking away on some long, lost Stooges tune. This song reminds me of a long, lost Seattle band I loved during the grunge days, Tad, and that is a thought that makes me smile. “Ten years down and nowhere to go.” How about going to musical ecstasy with this song.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/03-ten years down.mp3|titles=ten years down]
“Broke Life” (after the humorous sound bite) is off at a hundred miles per hour from the get go. The slammin’ chord changes groove along with the rhythm section setting the scenery on fire while the vocals rant along intensely throwing bourbon on the flames. “Trying to do what’s right, trying to overcome, doin’ what’s gotta be done.” Little pause in the rhythm but none in the intensity, power or truth in this excellent song.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/05-broke life.mp3|titles=broke life]
Blastmat is a blast of pure, fiery energy bursting out of a rock’n’roll furnace scorching your eyelids and bits of your heart away. They elevate your senses then puncture them with a sharp musical point till your cares fade away under the avalanche of their musical bliss.
This six song CD is every bit as powerful and exciting as their live set and I’m glad to be finally acquainted with their hardcore, metal, garage, punk sound.
This CD is a blast.
(Slimedog)
