by Anna Solomon (@chateau.fiasco)
Fred Cracklin are about as relentless and absurd as one could hope for from a band called Fred Cracklin. A guitar and drums math-noise duo in the vein of Hella and Lightning Bolt, they’ve released three albums since 2018, and are now back with the song “Head Meet Concrete,” their first release since their 2021 split with First Children. They also kick off their tour next Thursday at the Starlite Gallery in Southbridge, in their home state of Massachusetts. Check out their tour dates below.
On “Head Meet Concrete” Fred Cracklin never cease to excite for eight minutes straight. Max Goldstein’s drumming is constantly chaotic, proudly carrying the torch of players like Damon Che and Zack Hill. While guitarist Adam Bosse occasionally indulges in angular math rock lines, his style mostly consists of chunky metal riffing and blasts of special effects noise. He brings out an acoustic guitar a couple minutes in to mark the first of many abrupt shifts in style across the track. Notably, this is Fred Cracklin’s first release with singing, with Bosse’s delivery landing like a grungier version of black midi’s Geordie Greep. Not to mention the point in the song with multitracked layers upon layers of him flicking his fingers through his lips to say “bibidibibidibibidibibidi.” After winding through passages of atonal free improv, the band locks back into grinding metal to finish the track off. “Head Meet Concrete” is a wild enough ride that Post-Trash probably should have had me sign a waiver before listening to it.
Tour Dates:
08/10 - Southbridge, MA @ Starlite Gallery
08/11 - Providence, RI @ News Cafe
08/12 - Portland, ME @ Apohadion Theater
08/13 - Brattleboro, VT @ Stone Church
08/15 - Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo (Improv)
08/16 - Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo (Songs)
08/17 - Toronto, ON @ Houndstooth
08/18 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Comet (Downstairs)
08/19 - Louisville, KY @ The Whirling Tiger
08/20 - Nashville, TN @ Betty’s
08/21 - Athens, GA
08/22 - Harrisonburg, VA @ Crayola House
08/24 - Brooklyn, NY @ Cobra Club
08/25 - Beverly, MA @ “Official FC House Venue”