Cinemechanica by Cinemechanica
With over a decade of experience under its belt, you'd expect Athens, GA's Cinemechanica to have a pile of records completed. It'd be entirely reasonable to expect that the decade between the band’s groundbreaking debut The Martial Arts and its upcoming self-titled LP would have been separated by more than a single EP, 2008’s double-drum experiment Rivals. Sure, that'd be reasonable – but Cinemechanica is anything but.
While the band cut its teeth as pioneers of the region’s millennial math-rock landscape, those very chompers have now worn into predatorial fangs through years of exhaustive performance, tireless composition, and – most recently – a new level of aggressive sneer honed by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at GodCity Studios. From the opening blast of “Hang Up The Spurs” to the closing hyper-melodic bleed out of “Biblical Noise,” descriptors ash through the mind like subliminal screens in a movie house: Immediacy. Tension. Panic. Pacing. As the sweat starts to pour and the ears begin their tell-tale tingle of exertion, the body/brain divide dissolves into a blur of between the goosebumps of anxiety and full-breath catharsis. This band will move you, literally and otherwise.
Cinemechanica is centered around the constant trio of guitarist Bryant Williamson, bassist Joel Hatstat, and drummer Mike Albanese (Maserati). For this year’s release, the band has collaborated with guitarist/vocalist Jordan Olivera (Manray), while those live duties will be carried out by Bryan Aiken (Lazer/Wulf). The group tends to plot its music meticulously and often works for months for an output of seconds. For lesser bands, that may be overkill; for Cinemechanica, it’s a case of intense dedication to its craft that makes for line-drive focus in the studio and on stage. There’s no doubt that storied engineer Kevin Ratterman (Young Widows, My Morning Jacket) at Louisville's La La Land could tell this from day one, and by the time Ballou mixed this decade-gestating monster of a record, it was poised to stand easily alongside the man’s legendary output.
Tracklist
| 1. | Hang Up The Spurs | 4:28 |
| 2. | Vietnamese Pool Party | 2:05 |
| 3. | I Ain't Gettin' Shot In Louisville | 1:24 |
| 4. | Blood Ties | 3:39 |
| 5. | Trenches | 4:28 |
| 6. | The Battlefields of Cajamarca | 4:10 |
| 7. | Grief Assassins | 2:42 |
| 8. | Mike White's "Spies" | 2:53 |
| 9. | Biblical Noise | 5:09 |
Videos
Credits
Bryant Williamson - Guitar and Vocals, Jordan Olivera - Guitar and Vocals, Joel Hatstat - Bass, Mike Albanese - Drums. Recorded by Kevin Ratterman at LaLa Land Studio, Mixed by Kurt Ballou at God City. Additional editing by Brad Schlosser. Mastered at Audiosiege by Brad Boatright and at High Jump Media by Joel Hatstat.
