Review Summary: The days ahead are behind us
What began as an effort to dismiss “just another hardcore punk band” doing “just another hardcore punk album,” ended in my realization that sometimes “just another hardcore punk album” is exactly what I need to hear.
Spinner is perhaps not the most profound record in my ever-expanding discography of heavy music, but its combination of raw aggression and stylized chaos serve to make it a highly enjoyable listen.
I’ll start with the fact that
Spinner is unrelentingly aggressive. It is twenty-seven minutes of a bunch of angry Danes swinging fists equipped with brass knuckles. There are no pauses, and “atmosphere” isn’t a thing; the album moves at a speed so breakneck, I practically get whiplash thinking about it. It’s almost refreshing to listen to an album that stays so true to its basic compositional philosophy—all of the meticulous riffing and high-speed time signature changes add up to an album that tries as hard as it can to beat your face in. No frills, no fuss, no attempts at “melody”—just a straightforward ass-kicking that throws down from beginning to end.
Underneath the chaotic songwriting, however, is a solid understanding of what makes music like this enjoyable, and EYES’ refinement is not so much in the use of melody, but in their methodically precise composition. While the album is frenzied, it never feels like it loses control of where it’s going or what it’s trying to do. More impressively, that attention to detail is subtle enough that it doesn’t interfere with the average listener trying to have a good time—an excellent example being, “Deflating Rooms,” which showcases the rapid-fire stylistic changes, slick riffs and fist-pumping energy that highlights Spinner—not to mention it has one of the best breakdowns I’ve heard this year.
Of course, the album isn’t perfect. The production (while I understand what the band is trying to do) could have done with a tad more polish, and the shifting vocal style throughout the album did not sit well with me for the purpose of cohesion. Another track or two also wouldn’t have hurt, although the runtime is certainly not something to be upset about.
Look, at the end of the day
Spinner is exactly what it’s supposed to be—a balls-to-the-wall hardcore punk record. It doesn’t pull punches, it doesn’t loosen its grip, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
