Doubt It/Snakepit
Doubt It
Dang It // Grind Central Records
The first track on Dang It, the debut full-length from prairie indie punks Doubt It, hints at a slight departure from their brand established by their first three EPs. Right off the bat there’s a swelling of noise, followed by a riff, followed by a hard-core breakdown, before a facemelter races to the tune’s finish line. The rest of the album is more decisive, but there’s a conscious feeling that Doubt It are doing things differently these days, and the result is a well-rounded collection of songs that utilizes this Regina supergroup’s gift for open-minded collaboration.
The members of Doubt It would probably hate having the band referred to as a supergroup. Sure, these guys have played in a bunch of stellar bands, but “supergroup” brings up connotations of self-indulgent ego battles caught on tape, and Doubt It, who have cultivated a reputation as a 90s indie/shoegaze outfit with silly song titles and even sillier social media posts, probably don’t want that kind of pressure. Now, in 2020, Doubt It are in rare form on social media (their posts leading up to the release of this album were a bizarre delight amongst Covid-19 and murder hornet news), and they’ve delivered some more inane yet memorable song titles, but the music has evolved. Their previous EPs were great, but they weren’t as diverse or collaborative as Dang It is. In recent discussions about the new album, the band members reflected on their creative process, insisting on how important it was for at least three of the four members to work on the songs together as they created them. Doubt It has always been a vehicle for Daegan Harper’s songs, but Dang It reveals a secret weapon in calling on the band’s other musicians as songwriters as well. Harper’s songs on Dang It are as strong as ever, but the band’s other members get more mic time this time around. And why not? Between the projects of other members Gage McGuire, Chris Dimas and Tom Duffy, which include Surf Dads, Blue Youth, Grovner and enough other bands to fill the total word count of this review, these guys have all earned their stripes.
One of the best examples of this collaboration is the track “Daegan Harper” which features call and response vocals from Harper and McGuire. The dynamic between the two vocalists serves the song perfectly, and so do the instruments, which is extra impressive given the fact that it’s actually bassist Tom Duffy fuzzing away on the guitar, and co-guitarist Chris Dimas soaring in on the synth. Doubt It may want us to think they’re slackers, but that myth is busted upon taking a glimpse at the album’s credits and seeing that the members are switching roles, and instruments, from song to song. The fact that this doesn’t feel disjointed is a testament to the band’s vision on this album.
Rest assured, Doubt It haven’t turned their back on their wheelhouse, and songs like “Same Riff” show that they can still rock that fuzzy early nineties indie sound like fellow shoegaze revivalists Yuck, but McGuire has cited Turnstile as more of an influence on their new album, admitting though that the result came out a bit poppier than expected. This isn’t pop music, but there is a fun pop sensibility in the falsetto backing vocals of “I Wanna Die,” even if the song is wistful over all. On “Let You'' and “I Think You’re Nice” the band shows that it isn’t afraid to sing love songs either, but these songs don’t have any less teeth. The latter is an uptempo number with almost Offspring-style vocals from Dimas and a chorus that simply chants “I think you’re nice. I want you all the time.” These simple and unpretentious sentiments are at the heart of Doubt It. Even if their song titles are goofy, the music is sincere. The lyrics explore love, heartbreak, self-doubt as well as feelings of angst and helplessness. The only time the music matches the goofy tone of the song’s title is on “Country Western Monologue” which serves as the album’s mid-way interlude featuring the members messing around on an old organ with a sampled monologue playing over top of it. This vignette helps launch the blistering next few songs, and it’s a perfect intermission before a strong finish. “Black Metal Iron Man and Morrissey” borrows from the agitated punk delivery of Jay Reatard and brings some scuzzy grit to the album. Then the final track “Just Bruce” features an almost unrecognizable, but charismatic, vocal from McGuire that flaunts another side of the drummer’s voice. The surprises don’t stop coming, and the album benefits from these deviations from the formula.
On their first full length album, Grind Central Records’ Doubt It take advantage of the extra minutes, and they fill them with experiments that pay off. There are enough classic Doubt It moments to satisfy the band’s fans, but there’s also enough straying from the formula to set this record apart from their previous work. Instead of staying in their seats, the band plays musical chairs on their debut full length, as the members switch instruments and move in and out of the spotlight without slowing down. In doing so, they have created a multipronged record that is as fun to listen to as it probably was to make.
- Devon Dozlaw
Snakepit
Eternal Conflagration // Independent
Snakepit is certainly not a new face in the Calgary scene, but as their lineup has changed, so has their sound. Most recently, the addition of dedicated vocalist Cole Hadley has given the band a nice Death Metal face lift! Along with the Death Metal influence, Eternal Conflagration brings a healthy dose of Thrash, with shredding tracks such as “Greed”, and even a hardcore influence that you can two step to!
The lyrical themes throughout this album are heavily intertwined with death and suffering. Burning in hell (“Enduring Abyss” and “Eternal Conflagration”), corruption and the struggle of life in the city (“Greed” and “Concrete Wasteland”), being devoured in a… ahem… Snakepit (“Consumed Within”), etc. The lyrics are executed with the dynamic presence of Snakepit’s multi-vocalist brigade! Cole’s monstrous grunts, groans, and growls are met with Frank’s “Snakepit signature” screams, along with Cody’s mighty chants.
One of the many things that makes this album such a fun front-to-back listen is the fantastic, diverse collection of riffs! Whether it be fast or slow, groovy or aggressive, the riffs will have you wishing you were moshing at Snakepit show the moment you hear them! The melodic and shreddy solos throughout this record make for a captivating 30 minute ride, teamed up with mind melting drum work and hair raising vocals, this record takes no breaks, nor prisoners!
We were blessed with three features on Eternal Conflagration, and all of them bring their own flavors to the album that makes it whole! The first featured artist to appear on the record is Calgary Death Metal/Satanic Tea Enthusiast, Crucifix! He can be found unleashing his beastly, unrelenting screams on track six, “Misery Lives In Me.” It is the shortest song on the record, at 27 seconds, and it is packed full of Death Metal fury and aggression, this feature fits in perfectly! The last two appearances fall on the last two songs, and it’s a great one-two punch to finish it off! The first of those two is “Sewer Spawn” featuring Connor Leo, who previously did vocals and guitar for Snakepit, and is now apart of Western Canada Metalcore outfit End Ever. His growls are a excellent addition to an overall crushing song! The third and final guest spot on the album is Sarah Christine, previously of Sellout, and has a wonderful solo project, utilizing her magnificent voice to create soothing and emotional music! It was really cool to hear her voice in a different light, releasing visceral screams to the tune of killer thrashy death metal.
Every song on this album could be viewed as a highlight in its own right, but my personal top three are “Greed,” “Flesh No More,” and the title track, “Eternal Conflagration.” An earlier version of “Greed” can originally be found on their 2014 split with Undertaker. This updated version perfects what was already a banger of a tune! In my opinion “Greed” is the thrashiest offering on the record and that’s a sure way to get my attention. “Flesh No More” is a highlight for me because I had the most fun while listening to it! The structure of this song feels like a rollercoaster of groove, death, and thrash. The title track of this record really stuck with me from the first listen, it gives off the vibe an energy of a massive army marching forth! Eternal Conflagration as an album certainly does more than scratch a single itch, it has many elements that will appeal to fans all across the heavy/extreme metal board!
- Justin Olson
