Prolapse – “Demo 1”
This is music like if you’re jumping on a trampoline with firecrackers attached to the side of your head. And you’re on a pogo stick at the same time. And the ends of the trampoline have caught on fire while someone else has also, built a moat on the outer edges filled with piranha.
But all this doesn’t concern you- not one bit. As you’ve just consumed a pint of Jager and assorted adult beverages before you’ve ascended into the atmosphere. Up into the air. As you go up and down, up and down.
You do realize the perilous predicament you’ve placed yourself in, but the soundtrack playing to your own demise is so enchanting- you welcome your certain extinction with a carefree, hapless, smile on your lips-
Prolapse is a rock ’em, sock ’em, true punk/Oi/street punk band that keeps the spirit and energy of the original punk, never letting it get too polished or contrived, but embracing and embodying the rebelliousness, the recklessness and the fun of the original punk rock bands.
And they are brand spankin’ new and this is their brand new spankin’ demo, let’s leap off of the trampoline, for just a bit, and give this a listen:
With a grumbling bass line followed by a surging, trilling guitar chord, scratch and a rock’n’roll guitar intro. “Aggressor,” really comes alive when the vocals of P.J., from the great punk/Oi/chaos band Mooseknuckle, arrive, while the drums stumble in like a drunk roused from his slumber. But here, P.J.’s vocals are in such a high register that at first, I thought it was a girl singing. (Hey, we have girls singing death metal so I guess, it’s all good.) No cookie-cuter, pristine, emo pop/punk here. This is sloppy, raw Oi/punk that- what it may lack in polish and sound quality, more than makes up for it in guts, passion and excitement. This song has the raw power of Iggy & The Stooges and theirs no higher praise that comes from me.
“Parental Control” leaps out at your throat and ears with a hardcore, driven rhythm, frantic guitar strummin’ and raspy vocals ranting in pain and desperation above. As choppy cutting chords, eventually, lead to a bridge that I’d gladly jump off of, as it reminds me of Damn Broads, one of my favorite bands we cover. That is before we blast towards the finish line of another great tune.
After three smashing chords, “Deadbeat,” ignites with energy and a Ramones like rhythm guitar that ends each line, in the chorus, with a Johnny Thunders squeal. The vocal surge, throughout the song, like a tidal wave moving towards dry land. This song is corrosive, abrasive and great. There’s nothing lazy about this emotional, energetic, effervescent (Wait! strike that last word,) emission.
Starting with a sound bite, “Thin Blue Line” is another kick ass punk/Oi tune with growling guitars, slicing hardcore rhythms and expressive vocals. Eventually, this song gets to a melodic chorus and then a rockin’ beat while chiming, high guitars are led in, before we’re roped back to the beginning. This is their most conventional and catchy song and I expect it to be on “American Idol” or “America Sings” any day now. (No clue as if those shows are still on the air!) But any song that ends with a sample from a John Waters film deserves to be in the true, fucking Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame!
“it’s ur fucking birthday,” sounds like when they were starting to record, someone realized it was one of the bands members birthday, so they let the tape roll and this is was they came up with, or as the jazz musicians say “improvised.” I don’t care, I still fucking love the song.
If I thanked this band for catching the spirit and feeling of punk ’77, they’d probably laugh at me and say “we just all get drunk and play whatever, the best we can play.” But what they capture is still, something I feel and hear that’s very rare. It’s not as easy as it sounds, believe me. Though many more bands are catching on in recent years.
This band, I may not have a lot to say about, but I do think this is the best new band I’ve heard this year. And that’s saying something and I think, their music says something that not a lot more needs to be said about.
This music is like you’re riding down the hand rail of some steps on your skateboard and the second before you make your leap towards the pavement, you realize- you fucked up and you’re gonna take some lumps and bumps with your journey. But you’ll still survive and the thrills and spills you took to get to that point, is well worth the gravel embedded in your face cheeks after, when you fall.
This music is so good that the blood and pain of the life experience, what’s thrown at you, you know you can take because, you have yourself and music like this, it’s all your need to recover.
So you’ll keep on riding.
Let me suggest Prolapse as the soundtrack for your next run.
(Slimedog)
