Shove: Agency
(Rack Off/Drunken Sailor)
Out Now
LP/DL
Aussie hardcore band Shove have the punishing attack of 80s Japanese thrash says Nathan Brown.
This is like the sort of thrash attack that was emanating from Japan in the 80s. Raw and brutal. Fast drums being battered ferociously, and an up front gloriously distorted driving bass. Squealing feedback and fast riffs from the guitar. Short sharp shouts of words with not a semblance of tune, just full on anger punctuated with the odd full on scream. This is the shit I love. If you ever heard the Pusmort label’s Thrash Til Death album you know what to expect.
I also find the cover collage art somewhat suggestive of G.I.S.M. only less busy and less contentious imagery. They’re not from Japan but Australia – Naarm and Melbourne to be precise. From delving into their earlier releases on bandcamp it would appear they have been around since 2020 but this is their debut long player. There is a “don’t give a fuck” sloppiness to the way the bass and guitar work together that puts this firmly in the Noise Not Music camp. They don’t so much give you a Shove as a push with all their might.
Listen to King Diamond by Shove
What are they so angry about? Not a clue. The press release says “The 13 track LP is a scourge driven collection of tracks revolving around themes of social distortion and mental dislocation. Questioning a world ruled by revolting indifference and oppressive violence, lyrically and sonically it protests the universal blight of patriarchy and challenges complacency – both societal and internal.” Sounds good and complacency was not an option when I listened to it.
Via Drunken Sailor in Europe and Rack Off in Australia
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Words by Nathan Brown. You can read more from Nathan on his Louder Than War archive over here.
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