You Can Be My Wave

There are a few bands I can think of that attempt to deliver harmony and chaos simultaneously, but none are going to quite the same lengths as The Armed. Blistering tempos, pummeling drums, messy mixes, and vocal damaging screams are contrasted with blissful melodies and uplifting orchestrations. Ever since getting on the train with ULTRAPOP, I've appreciated what the collective was trying to do, however, my issue has been consistency and memorability. For example, I didn't have a particularly negative opinion of their last record Perfect Saviors, but I can tell you that I barely remember anything about that record, nor do I really have the burning desire to revisit it. That being said, I'm still very much interested in their sound and aesthetic, enough to check out this new six-track addendum. The Everlasting Gaze EP excitingly delivers three brand new tracks, and uninterestingly, not one, not two, but three remixes of album single Sport of Form.

Starting with the new material, the EP opens with Puzzler, a low key intro that slowly evolves through a couple different phases. It initially begins as a piano ballad with hushed vocal performances, descending melodic lines, and some skittering percussion. Towards the middle of the track, some droning strings are introduced, mixing in some oddly unsettling vibes to the otherwise beautiful arrangement. By the end, all elements coalesce and sour, forming an exhilarating mess that we should come to expect from The Armed at this point. It's a strong start. Although, the two other new tracks clear everything the band has done on their previous two records in my honest opinion. New! Christianity is everything I love about The Armed; an explosion of love and anger expressed through hyperactive drumming and divine melody. At one point during the chorus, we have three layers of vocals: Tony Wolski singing a soft lead vocal melody, an unknown performer providing a falsetto accompaniment, and what I believe to be Cara Drolshagen and friends screaming their hearts out in the background. This track also made me consider the mixing a little more closely. The bass and drums are very forward, very crunchy, and the compression doesn't feel the most natural, making the blast beat sections particularly intense. That aspect is perhaps not very revelatory, but what I discovered is The Armed achieves the balance by keeping the high end - the clean vocals, the lead melodies, etc. - incredibly pristine. It's frankly genius.

To prove that New! Christianity wasn't a fluke and the band has truly elevated their sound, they hit once again with Martyr Song. The guitar riff is killer, Wolski's raspy delivery and melody are stellar, and I love the way the chorus explodes unexpectedly. It's pummelling of course, however, the arpeggiation in the guitars or synths (it's unclear) provide a catchy pop of colour. The song has a spectacular finish as well; a quarter time breakdown with blaring horns and vocal layers. If that wasn't enough noise, we get machine gun kick drum blasts on the second go around. I'm honestly floored. There's no other words to describe it other than perfection.

As for the remixes, I could do without them. My favourite of the three was from Model/Actriz who offered a surprisingly new age take. The underlying chord progression feels weighty while the soft synth pads and twinkling instrumentation create a fairly meditative soundscape. The runner up was the IDLES remix whose first leg is amusingly glitchy, although after a while it becomes quite monotonous. The last half of the track introduces some heavy bass synths and crashing drums culminating in a pretty cacophonous ending. I found the Water From Your Eyes remix to be boring, at points just playing the isolated vocal over drum loop. In the end, I'll be charitable and recognize that these are essentially bonus tracks for the hardcore fans. The important thing is the new material is by far the most impressive stuff I have heard from The Armed. While I had a mild curiosity surrounding the band, these new tracks are now making me highly anticipate whatever they have coming down the pipe next. I think hardcore punk, noise rock, and alternative fans would be daft to pass this up.