*I am a lifelong friend and former band mate of Zirp, founder and lead singer of Chaoscillate. However, I approached this record like any other.
People seem to run hot or cold on Live Albums. Some hear it as a way to catch a band in its truest form. Others feel like an album should be a overdubbed work of art unto itself and live albums therefore are inferior filler.
I def fall in the former category, though I love me some immersive albums.
When you press play on Chaoscillate- live at O'Brien's (the bands 1st show no less!) What grabs you immediately is how Tight the band is. They are playing no nonsense street punk,, but doing that well is MUCH harder than you may think. The songs are concise slices of a life lived hard, and a refusal to live by society's arbitrary rules. Zirp's Voice and Words proves when Joe Strummer said "Anger can be power, you know that you can use it" was pure truth. The music pushes forward with a creativity in its song craft (those basslines! The drums, that GUITAR) That many hardcore bands seem to forget is as important as rage and fury. There is also a wry sense of humor in songs like "redneck zombies" that is refreshing to hear.
Put this one on when you feel the urge to indulge in your wild side. Or, if you are like myself and the members of Chaoscillate then you live on the wild side, so this is your personal soundtrack. 10/10
-Lou Toad Dec 30th, 2022
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