by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
A few weeks back we claimed Blacklisters to be one of the best noise rock bands on the planet, and you can make a similar argument for Austin’s Exhalants, quickly emerging as America’s finest contender. The trio will release their sophomore album, Atonement, on September 11th via Hex Records (USA Nails, Gaytheist, Pinko), another flawless example of the genre’s dense and primal characteristics done right, with a touch of art punk, post-hardcore, and brawn that’s always balanced with brain. From their sense of tonality to the dynamic approach to their songwriting (something that can otherwise plague noise rock), Exhalants are forever changing shape, but keep things consistent with volume, force, and intense tension. They are a national treasure and it’s about time they get recognized as such.
The record’s third single and centerpiece, “End Scenes,” is a furious take on their post-hardcore inclinations, calling to mind heavyweights like Unwound, Tar, and maybe even a touch of Chokebore, as they wrap themselves in complex structures that ripple their framework and rebuild it anew. It’s a massive song that shows its full hand at once, always progressing, worming its way beyond The Jesus Lizard inspired guitar riff and the colossal hypnosis of the rhythm. “End Scenes” rarely stays still however, as fills crash with the destructive ease of a wrecking ball, Bill Indelicato’s bass line swerving in every direction in the most incredible of ways., tangled together with the brute force of Steve Pike’s caterwauling guitars. The world awaits the return of live music because bands like Exhalants are out there.