Band : Antioch Arrow
Album : Gems of Masochism
Release Year : 2003
Genre : Post-Hardcore | Emo | Noise | Experimental
Tracklist :
1. Paper Moshay
2. Too Bad You're Gonna Die
3. Date With Destiny
4. David
5. Dead Now
6. Gotta Love the Lights
7. Introducing Elizabeth
8. Picnic Pants
Weird, artsy, dark hardcore was nothing new to San Diego in 1995 when Antioch Arrow released their seminal masterwork, Gems of Masochism. The presses had been putting out consistently darker and stranger albums each passing year, mostly thanks to upstarts Gravity Records. Gravity had bands that were few and far between, but things were on the upswing, as Angel Hair’s spastic squeal and roar methods had kicked up the insanity a notch on top of Clikitat Ikatowi’s chaos theory rock, which had in turn cemented the foundation that forefathers Heroin had laid down. The intensely personal lyrical matter and destructive musical work crafted earlier in the decade had transformed things around town in the time that it took Antioch Arrow to unleash their trademark record, making driving, passionate, artistic electric guitar rock a viable commodity in the fledgling San Diego scene.
Which makes it strange that everything that was to be expected about Antioch Arrow is nowhere to be found on this album. Originally limited to a small run, Gems of Masochism was re-released in late 2003 by the fantastic Three One G record label, spearheaded by Mr. Justin Pearson, well-established in the music scene in San Diego due to his label, as well as the whole legion of fantastic bands he’s been in (for those of you playing at home: the Locust, Swing Kids, the Crimson Curse, Some Girls, Holy Molar). Upon listening, it’s easy to see why this record went out of print, because there’s absolutely nothing that you’re expecting found on it. Refer to that previous paragraph, the writing about “intensely personal lyrical matter and destructive musical work” and “electric guitar rock,” and then note that these things are few and far between on this record. If there’s one thing the whole Jawbreaker fiasco taught us, it’s that scene kids don’t like it when they aren’t given the kind of music that they’re expecting.
It’s to Antioch Arrow’s credit that they revealed themselves to be far more avant-garde on their last record than their two previous records, In Love With Jetts and The Lady is a Cat, would allow people to assume. Certainly the band was artistic and more than a little bizarre before this album, but on this last long-player, the band revealed themselves to be more than just another quirky hardcore band. The album is so dark it practically seeps out a scene from some long-forgotten film noir through the speakers, complete with thick fog, moonlight, and the smell of cigarette smoke.
Whispered and breathed vocals with nary a scream to be found are shoved right up front, blurts of organs and pianos pop out of nowhere, shards of guitar and bass are distorted and shoved down as far in the mix as possible, and drums seem to come from all sides. Yes, it’s pretentious as all hell, but it’s invigorating and subtly thrilling at the same time. The music seems impossible, as someone sings to you about jack-o-lanterns, nighttime, and mascara, thumping drums pound away, and a whole calvacade of instruments bounce around in the mix. Unlike most of their contemporaries, Antioch Arrow never seem to be aiming their attack at the listener, rather, they instead seem to be focusing it inward, crafting their sound relentlessly.
2. Too Bad You're Gonna Die
3. Date With Destiny
4. David
5. Dead Now
6. Gotta Love the Lights
7. Introducing Elizabeth
8. Picnic Pants
Weird, artsy, dark hardcore was nothing new to San Diego in 1995 when Antioch Arrow released their seminal masterwork, Gems of Masochism. The presses had been putting out consistently darker and stranger albums each passing year, mostly thanks to upstarts Gravity Records. Gravity had bands that were few and far between, but things were on the upswing, as Angel Hair’s spastic squeal and roar methods had kicked up the insanity a notch on top of Clikitat Ikatowi’s chaos theory rock, which had in turn cemented the foundation that forefathers Heroin had laid down. The intensely personal lyrical matter and destructive musical work crafted earlier in the decade had transformed things around town in the time that it took Antioch Arrow to unleash their trademark record, making driving, passionate, artistic electric guitar rock a viable commodity in the fledgling San Diego scene.
Which makes it strange that everything that was to be expected about Antioch Arrow is nowhere to be found on this album. Originally limited to a small run, Gems of Masochism was re-released in late 2003 by the fantastic Three One G record label, spearheaded by Mr. Justin Pearson, well-established in the music scene in San Diego due to his label, as well as the whole legion of fantastic bands he’s been in (for those of you playing at home: the Locust, Swing Kids, the Crimson Curse, Some Girls, Holy Molar). Upon listening, it’s easy to see why this record went out of print, because there’s absolutely nothing that you’re expecting found on it. Refer to that previous paragraph, the writing about “intensely personal lyrical matter and destructive musical work” and “electric guitar rock,” and then note that these things are few and far between on this record. If there’s one thing the whole Jawbreaker fiasco taught us, it’s that scene kids don’t like it when they aren’t given the kind of music that they’re expecting.
It’s to Antioch Arrow’s credit that they revealed themselves to be far more avant-garde on their last record than their two previous records, In Love With Jetts and The Lady is a Cat, would allow people to assume. Certainly the band was artistic and more than a little bizarre before this album, but on this last long-player, the band revealed themselves to be more than just another quirky hardcore band. The album is so dark it practically seeps out a scene from some long-forgotten film noir through the speakers, complete with thick fog, moonlight, and the smell of cigarette smoke.
Whispered and breathed vocals with nary a scream to be found are shoved right up front, blurts of organs and pianos pop out of nowhere, shards of guitar and bass are distorted and shoved down as far in the mix as possible, and drums seem to come from all sides. Yes, it’s pretentious as all hell, but it’s invigorating and subtly thrilling at the same time. The music seems impossible, as someone sings to you about jack-o-lanterns, nighttime, and mascara, thumping drums pound away, and a whole calvacade of instruments bounce around in the mix. Unlike most of their contemporaries, Antioch Arrow never seem to be aiming their attack at the listener, rather, they instead seem to be focusing it inward, crafting their sound relentlessly.
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