Wednesday 26 September 2012

Rabbits - Bites Rites (Album Review)

Rabbits are a 3-piece Sludge outfit based in Portland, Oregon.



Their line-up consists of:

KG - Drums
Booze - Vocals/Guitar
Sethro - Vocals/Guitar

Tracklist:


1. We and Zoo
2. Fight Right
3. Lame in Vain
4. Move Her Body
5. Meth Valley 99
6. 2:35
7. Suck It or Blow
8. On Mars II
9. What's Going On




This almighty trio features members of ex- Angel Hair and various side-projects from the punk/hardcore scene. They carved out a sound of their own as Rabbits and were signed to Relapse shortly thereafter.

Rabbits are back with their latest monster 'Bites Rites', another sludged out, yet upbeat full-length full of awesome and win only they can pull off. This band has stuck with me ever since I caught wind of them back in early 2011, with 'Lower Forms'. Another heavy-duty release worth a spin or ten.

I'm not too sure when they got together but they are pretty active at this point, playing live gigs fairly often. I enjoyed 'Bites Rites' from the  very first listen because it's that pissed off sludge I love so dearly with added grittiness thrown in.

Honing a style all their own, the sound is a blend of doom, sludge, punk, thrash, and hardcore elements churned into one entity. They can be likened to many bands out there, with the sludge label being the prominent tag attributed to Rabbits, we would expect alot of monotonous, steady paced riffs, and the occasional groove. Well, not with these guys - even though I enjoy that style immensely - they tend to bring on the right amount of violence nicely.

I'm very pleased they are so active right now, as I thought we wouldn't hear from them after 'Lower Forms', although they have played tirelessly alongside other notable bands in the meantime (YOB, Red Fang, Burmese), hinting towards more material. Well, this release is  definitely not lacking in delivery and conception, not that I suspected it anyway, because they fucking slay!

The artwork is also another eye catching feature worthy of a poster print. I have a bad habit of collecting music with excellent art, but the sound is usually up my alley in those cases, as is with this one.

Incredibally, I have been blessed with yet another album that is flawless from beginning to end, but that is what this is all about. We take great pleasure here in highlighting gems like this. Song for song does not disappoint, and things really start to kick in mid-way through with 'Meth Valley 99'. Vocally, I sense a sort of hybrid blend between Cable, The Melvins, and High on Fire . Sonically, they are as turbo-charged as ever, outdoing their first full-length entirely, in my opinion. Truly an entity to be reckoned with.

'Bites Rites' was released September 18th, 2012 on Good to Die Records, which can be previewed and purchased with the provided links. Get those asses in gear and support these dirty bastards.



Rabbits - Bites Rites Promo
 
 






RABBITS will gnaw their way across the Western US on a live shitfest in support of their newly-birthed sophomore LP Bites Rites beginning tomorrow. Since previous announcements, new gatherings have been confirmed, the now thirteen-date excursion including live mayhem alongside Black Cobra, Dietso, Witch Mountain, Castle, Sons of Tonatiuh, Drunk Dad and others.
RABBITS: Thirteen-City Western US Rampage Begins Tomorrow
Newly Birthed Live Footage And Sophomore LP Now Playing


Catch a whiff of what all the fuzz is about with some freshly harvested live footage of the RABBITS shredding those in attendance at their hometown Bites Rites record release show last week at the Good To Die Youtube portal and listen to the whole goddamn LP, dubbed the Onion's A.V. Club LOUD #10 of the month at Rabbits’ Bandcamp joint.

RABBITS’ Uncaged Stage Rage:
10/04/2012 Thee Parkside - San Francisco, CA w/ Black Cobra, Diesto
10/06/2012 [afternoon BBQ] - San Francisco, CA w/ Diesto
10/06/2012 Sugar Mountain - Oakland, CA w/ Diesto, Owl
10/11/2012 Plan B - Portland, OR w/ Witch Mountain, Castle, Holy Grove
10/12/2012 The Kraken - Seattle w/ Monogamy Party, Lord Dying, Same Sex Dictator
10/13/2012 The Shredder - Boise, ID w/ Drunk Dad, Phantahex
10/15/2012 Aqualung's Community Music Space - Denver, CO w/ Sons of Tonatiuh, In the Company of Serpents, Western Ritual [ALL AGES]
10/16/2012 Lost Lake Lounge - Denver, CO w/ Glass Hits, Damaru
10/17/2012 Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO w/ Witch Mountain, Castle, Primitive Man
10/18/2012 Burt's Tiki Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT w/ INVDRS, Oldtimer
10/19/2012 Zoo City, Missoula, MT w/ Drunk Dad, Shramana, Darshan Pulse
10/20/2012 Baby Bar - Spokane, WA w/ Belt of Vapor, The Ax, Drunk Dad
10/21/2012 Ray's Golden Lion - Richland, WA w/ Drunk Dad

Bites Rites captures RABBITS’ disharmonious riffage is at the most scathing yet, the nine pulverizing poems engulfing twenty-seven minutes you’ll never get back. The follow-up to their Relapse Records-released 2011 debut Lower Forms was recently issued by Good To Die Records on 180-gram LP and via digital download, the album recorded and mixed by Fester at Haywire Studios, Portland, (Wizard Rifle, Atriarch, Nux Vomica) and mastered by Ryan Foster at Foster Mastering, Portland (Agalloch, Muslimgauze, Fishbone). The cover art was created by Sacramento artist Skinner (author of Every Man Is My Enemy) and the layout includes drawings and titles by Portland artist Kevin Abell (co-editor of Nudity in Groups).
-The Doomentor