Converse Rubber Tracks x MetalSucks 2016 Preview: Rile

Next week, three unsigned bands will visit a Converse Rubber Tracks recording studio in Boston, MA, where they’ll lay down some jams at one of Converse’s completely free, state-of-the-art facilities. And as if that wasn’t cool enough, all three bands will work with producer Kurt Ballou (Converge, High on Fire, Torche)!

MetalSucks held an open application process in July for bands to apply, then Axl and Vince worked with Kurt to choose their three favorites. (Three more bands will have a similar opportunity next month with producer Will Putney at Converse Rubber Tracks Brooklyn.) We’ll be previewing each of the selected bands in the days leading up to these recording sessions, so you can get a taste of what’s in store for ya! Today, we feature Rile from Salt Lake City, UT.

We don’t know a whole lot about Rile, one of the more mysterious bands to submit an application to this year’s CRTxMetalSucks; they haven’t put out a record since 2013 and their Facebook page has seemingly been zapped away. We know they’re from Salt Lake City, that they’re a three piece, and that they released a demo in 2012 and a two-song EP in 2013.

But this we do know: that 2013 EP — titled Destructive Patterns — is a fucking whopper! Combining post-metal, sludge and hardcore, Rile sound pissed as fuck… but artfully pissed, if that makes any sense. More like destroying your wimpy argument with their articulate words instead of just throwing a vase at the wall, ya know? They go hard and heavy for sure, but they do other stuff, too.

“Musician’s Ear,” the second track on the EP, is super aggressive but also has moments of reflection. It reminds me a lot of Cave In’s earliest work, and for that reason I think these guys are going to get along famously with Mr. Ballou when they team up next week. Can’t wait to hear the results.