Review Summary: Given a few bumps on the road, Material Control chugs from start to finish.
Post-hardcore is in a slum right now. Oversaturated with look-a-likes and one-hit wonders, a dated sound, and general lack of ideas, post-hardcore has been fighting to stay relevant than anything else. After what many call a “revival movement” in the post-hardcore/pop-punk genres, bands have been revitalizing their sounds and styles to give the genre a much needed clean sweep. Out of nowhere, hardcore legends Glassjaw rise from the dead and hit the shelves with
Material Control. Known for their intense concerts and DIY style, Glassjaw made a name for themselves in the 90’s hardcore scene. After the release of
Worship and Tribute, the group went on hiatus and relied on EP’s and re-recordings to keep the fan base alive. Most new material was displayed at live concerts or kept under wraps during this period of their careers.
Material Control is a non-stop barrage of music that constantly keeps listeners on their toes. The opening track ‘New White Extremity’ hits like a ton of bricks. For those missing the rioting guitars, pounding drums, and sour vocal melodies of days past, ‘New White Extremity’ is foolproof to suck listeners into the chaos of the record. There’s a ton of bangers on the record like ‘Shira,’ that has some great swelling guitars and grooving rhythm. ‘Citizen,’ formerly known as ‘Neo Tokyon’ at live shows, has been a staple since the 2000’s, was an unreleased track the band found to be great. The song enters with a huge blast beat and is filled with rising vocals and sludging guitars. The album employs the raw and crunchy tone I’ve been longing for in today’s hardcore and punk releases. There’s a lot of influence from Deftones in this album. The vocals, especially in songs like ‘Shira,’ have that serene tone and melody to them. It’s very similar to
White Pony era Chino.
The lyrics don’t stick to any consistent theme throughout. According to Glassjaw, the album mostly refers to being a family man as well as Daryl Polumbo’s struggle with Crohn’s Disease. ‘Citizen’ taps into the subject during the chorus, “battered/disemboweled/all alone,” focusing on how the disease isolates him emotionally. Consistency is one of the records biggest problems. The songs don’t move past a similar format to the opening track, which is fine, but there are a few songs that don’t fit the mold of
Material Control. ‘Strange Hours’ has an off tone in comparison to the rest of the album. It has a slow pace, slurring riff, and slow drums. Songs like ‘Bastille Day’ and ‘Material Control’ pad the runtime more than anything. The album is quite short clocking in around 36 minutes, so it doesn’t have much material to go on anyways. The instrumental tracks take up space, and while interesting, don’t add up to anything substantial.
Nevertheless,
Material Control delivers on quantity and quality. Given a few bumps in the road, it’s hard to be disappointed with
Material Control in any regard. The songs are fresh, heavy, and experimental. At least the band puts effort into making the songs interesting for the sake of evolution rather than just to have something trendy. Glassjaw proves after 15 years they can make an album up to par with their best work, which many consider
Material Control to be. The closing track ‘Cut and Run’ ties everything together and ends on a good note. Although not as hard-hitting as the opener, ‘Cut and Run’ gives us one last killer track to send us home happy. I’d recommend this record to post-hardcore fans looking for something heavier to listen to. Not to mention giving them a taste of what hardcore *used* to sound like in its early years. Metal fans would also get a lot out of it, especially fans of Deftones. The album reminds me a lot of
Around the Fur and
Adrenaline in a good way. I’d label this as one of my favorite 2017 albums and will be in my top picks once I publish my list. Until then, I think it’s time you guys moshed to Glassjaw for the first time in 15 years.
Standout Tracks
New White Extremity
Shira
Citizen
Golgotha
My Conscience Weighs a Ton
