Minneapolis is, without a doubt, a fine and longtime exporter of the good rock, the hard, fast, loud, fiery rock. As to why, it's been argued to death, so I'll spare you the played-out digression and instead simply share with you good news of a good band called Plastic Constellations who, you guessed it, crank out hearty hard rock from Minneapolis 'cause maybe they're too bored, isolated and cold to do anything else.
The foursome grinds out the kind of punk rock that makes me feel like a kid again.
Part At the Drive-In, part blue-collar, part mid-'90s punk-rock and part emo
(minus
the gag reflex), Crusades pushes its way forcefully through the speakers
with unshakable energy for 10 solid, thunderous tracks. Driven by a pair of guitars
that deliver shredding, sharp, spikey riffs, Plastic Constellations also thrive
on a strained sort of scream-singing, meandering from rhythmic, doomed near-rap
to high-powered shouts of angst and desperation. In emo tradition, pained
yelps back lead singer/guitarist Jeff Allen.
"Iron City Jungles" features jolting, melodic guitar lines, Fugazi-style stop-start rhythms and the kind of infectious chorus sure to incite a riot, or moshing at the very least (the band is known for intense, manic live sets). The feisty, math-y track "Best Things" juxtaposes
dark speak-singing with passionate, dueling shouts, while "Belly of the Beast" builds on intricate metal riffs, throaty, angry vocals and rolling drums that threaten to collapse under their own mighty, apocalyptic weight.
Plastic Constellations are a solid and mostly straight-up rock band in a time when there are few skilled, no-frills rock bands to choose from. And they're from Minneapolis.
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