The Locust

The Locust is an extremely polarizing group. On one hand, people take them as a complete joke. On the other, people take them extremely seriously. I fall somewhere in the middle and find them to be wholly entertaining with some substance hiding beneath the cacophony that they unleash on listeners. On this new album, New Erections, we find The Locust actually expanding a bit on their sound, incorporating a more devastating vocal style on a couple of tracks has actually added a level of crushing sound that the band never achieved before now. Not that New Erections is guaranteed to change people's opinions, it will however, make the band some new fans.

New Erections blasts out of the gates in standard Locust fare, until the vocals come crushing down on you. "AOTKPTA" showcases a new voice to the noisy mix. It brings a whole new element to the proceedings that only add a dimension that did not exist on previous outings by The Locust. The song itself carries out like a slow descent into a long avoided madness. The new voice is present again on "The Unwilling…Led by the Unqualified…Doing the Unnecessary." It definitely creates a different level of grinding noise for the band, an accomplishment unto itself as many think that the band could not get anymore abrasive than they already were. This track seems to explore new dynamic levels as well with quiet sections that might allow listeners to catch their breath while at the same time heightening the anxiety levels for what comes next. "Scavenger, Invader" is almost surreal. This song features almost exclusively the new vocal style that the band has committed to using for New Erections being accompanied by a grating, painful sounding noise. It is just about perfect in execution and probably would annoy most listeners. "Book of Bot" might be one of the most varied tracks that The Locust has ever produced with multiple tempo changes and biting instrumentation providing a great deal of the variation.

The Locust do still have their moments of rapid-fire vocal attacks backed by a tornado whirlwind of sound. "We Have Reached an Official Verdict: Nobody Gives a Shit," "God Wants Us All to Work in Factories," and "One Manometer Away from Mutually Assured Relocation" would all fit on any number of other releases by the band (save for maybe the last EP Safety Second, Body Last and the split with Man Is the Bastard). These tracks are good examples of The Locust still maintaining aspects of the sound people have come to expect from the band.

The Locust have stepped forward in their progression with New Erections. I am not saying that they have gone pop, but they made strides towards taking some of the high-end noise and giving it a bit of a lower rumble. It kind of takes the edge off a bit. For older listeners of their material, The Locust continues to deliver some of the most obnoxious sounds and music ever to grace wax and plastic. New Erections is oddly hypnotic and addictive (probably to the detriment of my hearing and overall health).

7.0 / 10 — Bob