Review: Meth. Get Beyond Raw and Vulnerable on SHAME
With a band name like meth. and an album name like SHAME, I’m gonna assume everyone is going into this record expecting something dark. Well, with this record definitely checks those boxes.
The Chicago noise band keep it as experimental and heavy on this album, bringing in elements of noise, sludge, grindcore, and more and mixing it into one cohesive—but still entirely chaotic—sound. The band popped onto the scene with their 2019 debut Mother Of Red Light, and this offering is eve weirder. Out February 2 via Prosthetic Records, Shame goes deeper and takes the journey full-circle.
Based on the themes and this description of their sound, you might be thinking that this is an obtuse record with a lot to offer, but one that is not catchy and easy to listen to. Strangely, that is not the case. While the record is heavy beyond reason, it’s also steady and pulsing, lulling you in, and even though the songs are weirdly chaotic, they are still catchy.
One of the most memorable and catchy tracks is “Doubt,” the opener, which starts off with a pulsing beat more in line with an EDM or industrial record. “Blush” is probably my favorite on the record because of the really cool and memorable flow of the guitars, as well as how they manage to still make things beyond catchy with this song. “Compulsion” is a short one but a good one with memorable arrangements and a cutting, biting sound that really makes the listener hone in. “Cruelty” is probably the only track that is so abrasive it is hard to listen to, but it’s also a really memorable track.
Lyrically the record takes on themes of, of course, shame, as well as bipolar disorder, addiction, and trauma. While poetic and not fully direct, it is still easy to piece together that some serious feelings are being worked out here. The entire aesthetic and desperation of the issue is a testament to all the negativity we try to block out, but still can’t totally keep at bay.
Meth.’s SHAME is out tomorrow, Friday, February 2 via Prosthetic Records. You can preorder your copy today.
