Geronimo! is an indie rock, noise rock trio from Chicago, Illinois. It consists of Kelly Johnson on lead vocals and guitar, Ben Grigs on bass, and Matt Schwerin on drums. This album is the third installment in a cassette series the band has been doing the past couple years. The Metal David Byrne comes as the follow-up to their second album, Exanimate (2012), and two other cassettes in the Buzz Yr Girlfriend series.
This release is a tad more abrasive and noisy compared to their last couple. The very intense yet tight playing throughout this album made even more harsh with the mainly screaming vocal deliveries by Kelly Johnson. Lyrically, the album is very angst filled. They’re mad at the world in the best way possible.
Right out of the gate with the tracks “Brain Congratulations” and “No Fascination”, it’s a loud, rocking experience; this album is something I’d compare stylistically to that of Sonic Youth, Pavement, or any band to come out of the indie/noise rock scene of the 80’s/90’s.
The first two tracks were enough alone to get heads banging and ears ringing, but things really get bombastic with the third track, “Hangten Hamberg”. This driving, pulsing track sounds like a surf rock jam taking place in hell. “Hangten Hamberg” is then followed up by “Genius is Dead”, which has a very subtle, effect-laden intro but leads right back into the distorted indie rock that characterizes the rest of the release. The track caps off with a killer jam toward the end much like “Hamberg” before it.
The release closes with the track “Immortality”, a much tamer sounding affair going for a more straightforward indie rock sound pushed with a great post-punk drum-and-bass groove, especially towards the later half.
To sum it all up, The Metal David Byrne kicks a lot of ass and covers a lot of ground in six short tracks. This cassette by Geronimo! comes highly recommended to anyone who’d like to enjoy a good piece of 80’s noise influenced rock.
(77/100) Very Recommended
Track Picks (*)
1. Brain Congratulations
2. No Fascination
3. Hang Ten Hamberg*
4. Genius is Dead*
5. New Day Rising
6. Immortality
UPCOMING SHOWS:
July 13 at Neverland in Chicago, IL
August 3 at Quencher’s in Chicago, IL
August 31 at Cole’s in Chicago, IL
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