Kaleidoscope Death - Litost (2009)

Litost is a word we don't have in English. It's Czech and means, amongst other things, a state of torment created by the sudden insight into one's own misery. A feeling that is the synthesis of many others: grief, sympathy, remorse, and an indefinable longing. Pretty heavy. This album, maybe heavy in lyrical content, is anything but miserable. Unlike many of his previous albums, Chuck Chambers has firmly planted himself in the rockus world of punk-rock—experimental noisy punk rock, at that. Chuck lets it all hang out on this one. Scratchy distorted guitar, spazz drums and blistering bass lines drop in and out of these 12 songs in an unexpected, lively, and berserker fashion. Almost unrecognizable, Chuck's voice yells and shouts his frustrations and contempt for all things contemptable. Honestly, I think his vocal chords were meant more for this ferocity, then anything else. Being a big fan of the previous 25 (?) Kaleidoscope Death albums, the energy on this one took me by surprise. Every punk enthusiast in Greensboro should crank this shit up loud and drive around town in your beat up car with your stupid faded high school bumperstickers on the back. Crank it, go a little nuts, get drunk, ditch the car, jay walk, spray-paint some stop signs, bark at some dogs, piss in the woods, then hitch a ride home and try to make out with your housemate(s).

Songs:

1. on the clock

2. the saddest sadist

3. sender

4. watch it time out

5. unsubst

6. gravel

7. fingers

8. litost

9. mass culture shut in

10. tired

11. #1

12. shitty

Sonic Fuel to get StupidCrazy To

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