Spider Bite - The Rainbow And The Dove
You’ve Changed Records
Released June 16th, 2023
Here, in the twilight of my 30’s, I’ll admit that my tastes have mellowed and meandered a bit. I thrash a little less than I used to. My skateboard sits idle for longer and longer stretches. My album picks for an afternoon might trend a little more towards the chill side of things than the Suicidal Tendencies and NOFX records that once filled my CD wallet. Into this sellout, old fogey poser malaise, enter Spider Bite. Spider Bite is the pandemic project of Daniel and Ian Romano (the Outfit, Ancient Shapes, Attack In Black) and Steven Lambke of the Constantines. As a slightly heavier companion to their self-titled record released in March, June’s The Rainbow and the Dove reads as an intimate love letter to punk music. And while these days I may be more inclined to listen to the band members’ other respective projects, The Rainbow and the Dove maybe comes at the right time of my life to serve two purposes: 1) To shake me out of my consumeristic stupor and remind me there’s still a whole lot in this world to be angry about, and 2) But damn, there’s something so satisfying about punk done well.
On point number one: The Rainbow and the Dove is, among other things, a protest album. This is as it should be, because while punk can be a lot of things, once it loses its way and stops being against, it sort of also becomes impotent. Fun, but maybe appropriately left behind with adolescence. But here, Spider Bite has delivered a record that is against, and more importantly, against the system - honouring the roots of punk and hardcore. Here we have a reminder of punk’s ability to give voice to the disenfranchised, provide a sense of power to the outsider, and create community even through rage and disgust. The Rainbow and the Dove throws proverbial bricks through the windows of colonialism, environmental racism, pollution, greed, consumerism, and state violence. That said, there’s also a lot of tenderness on the album, as it weaves a distinct thematic thread recognizing our interconnectedness to each other and the natural world. We get imagery of smashed glass and teeth, but also of natural sacredness - forests, gardens, and community. Throughout, but maybe most obviously on “Hopeful Monsters”, Spider Bite paints a beautiful picture of the and the hope and vibrancy that can emerge and thrive within the sweaty mutual aid of the pit: “A world reborn beneath our feet / Dancing like we’re planting seeds / Garlands and crowns, / No kings, no queens, / We’re punks and freaks.”
Which then brings me to point two: The Rainbow and the Dove is pretty pure, straight to the roots punk music. Slightly thrash, slightly speed, a touch of skate, it verges on hardcore, and at times brings metal influences along for the ride. But at a breakneck 14 minutes, 41 seconds from end to end, there’s no getting around the fact that this is a punk record (the title track is the longest, at a whopping 2:40). The Rainbow and the Dove is a driving and screeching album just dying for a circle pit. But its noisy front belies a nuanced, layered, and clever piece of art. in the hands of these three masterful musicians, you’re reminded how (literally) breathtaking punk can be.
