Review Summary: One last erratic tangent for the road.
If their Bandcamp is to be believed,
Killed Alive will be Stella Research Committee’s last record together. Which came as something of a shock to me, I’ll be honest. After a name change and a critically well-received album (2021’s
A Proposed Method for Determining Sanding Fitness), I suppose I just assumed that the trio was prepping for the long haul, setting up for a brand new chapter together. But, things don’t always work out as you plan. I get that. Honestly, I almost wish I didn’t know this was the band’s final record. Having that context always skews my reviews into the “bon voyage” department. Kind of like I’m writing to a friend about to go on a journey of self-discovery and adventure, except I’ve never met any of these people and it feels kind of silly. And if the band ever decides “hey, just kidding,” it kind of leaves write-ups like this... I was going to say “dated,” but it’s more like “factually incorrect,” isn’t it?
Perhaps it would’ve been better to just ignore it, but
Killed Aliveis actually a very strong and strangely-fitting send off record for a band that never seemed to find their crowd, outside of seekers of niche Bandcamp noise rock bands and independent music blogs. It’s an album of nervous, bitter, frothing energy that sets its fury at seemingly anything that comes in contact with. Title track “Killed Alive,” for example, has vocalist Kevin Hall rambling about the “NFL new green act” and getting force-fed stadium nachos, all atop streaking synth noise and guitar. “Cert” is another frantic, surreal slice of surf-punk-infused paranoia, with the narrator yelling that someone’s coming to take his brain. I won’t lie to you and pretend I have even the slightest idea what they’re so upset about. But what I can say is that this album is a ton of freaked-out, off-the-wall fun, with some of the band’s best songs to date. The only way I could describe it to anyone that hasn’t heard it is the ramblings of not a madman, but someone on the cusp of their sanity. Angry at his job, angry at technology, angry at everyone. Just pissed off at life, in general, really. A relatable feeling (or so I’m told).
Given that
Killed Alive is their last album together, I will forgo the usual “this isn’t for everyone” pleasantries and caveats. If you even tangentially like noise rock, I would wholeheartedly recommend checking this. I said at the beginning that I don’t like having a sense of finality in my reviews these days, but I genuinely do wish these guys the best. Whatever they decide to do next, whether they split up into solo acts or announce they’re getting back together 10 seconds after I post this review, I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled and my ears prepped.
