by Jen Bender (@JennifaBenda)
Arc Flash may hail from Lawrence, Kansas, but their self-described “space punk” vibe has me picturing them thrashing in another dimension. Fast-paced and furious, their 2017 release Carbon Copy doesn’t have a dull moment. Each track highlights its own unique but equally-energetic melody, those kinds of musical moments that nestle into your brain and get stuck there for days.
The energy on this album doesn’t fade, despite several punctuating moments of calm - tracks that blow your hair back (like “Vomit”) often end with brief ambient interludes, lulling you into a softer state of mind before they rev the energy right back up to its peak. The anomaly of the album is certainly the track “Ohmmeter,” a trippy venture into momentum and rhythm that comes crashing into static at its conclusion. Before you know what hit you, you’re speeding along into “Earls,” the track with my favorite riff on the whole album (you’ll know which one I’m talking about when you hear it).
Arc Flash’s wild flair is apparent on Carbon Copy, and their sound is a powerful force even through a pair of headphones. Bookended by ambient moments, the album is a trip through time and space in the best possible way. I can’t recommend a better place to begin than the very first track and making your way through, but if you’re in a rush and don’t mind getting songs stuck in your head, I’m giving you permission to start with “Blood” for a taste of the feeling Carbon Copy elicits. If it’s a pick-me-up you need, look no further.