Starkweather

In 2006, I decided to write for the internet. This posed a problem since I didn't know how to blog and had no clips with which to procure writing gigs online. Somehow I stumbled upon Amp Camp , an ultra-hip online start-up that sold shirts and music. I noticed they needed reviewers, so I sent a sample review. Soon enough, Joe Taco responded with the happy news that I was accepted. What I didn't realize was that reviewers did not receive a normal byline. No, we were knighted with nom-de-plumes. My reviews were filed under a pseudonym. Other people's reviews were stored under the same pseudonym. Thus, if you looked up Phil the Slidewhistle, you'd see a bunch of my reviews and those of other faceless reviewers. I wrote dozens of reviews for them before moving on to greener pastures, procured thanks to my Amp Camp clips. I am including the long list of additional info required for each review.

Band: Starkweather
Album Title: Croatoan
Album Label: Candlelight Records
Release Date: May 2, 2006
Album Producer: Starkweather
Album Recording Location: Quebec and Philadelphia
Engineer: Pierre Remillard
Obscenity Rating: R
Unusual Instruments: Acoustic guitar
Degree of Difficulty Equation: 4.0
Ideal Audience: Convicts, Delinquents, Dudes with mullets, Owners of Slayer t-shirts
Album Genre: Heavy metal, death metal

Twelve years is a long time between albums. For any band. Just ask Boston. And even they took a paltry eight to complete their last few records. In the finicky, ADD-afflicted pop music world, waiting more than a year can stunt the careers of big box office draws let alone obscure, boutique art-house acts. Why did enigmatic, influential though mostly unknown hardcore, prog-metal luminaries Starkweather spend over a decade crafting their second full-length? Was such an extravagant amount of time required to erect their masterpiece? They would likely answer in the affirmative. Does it sound like it took that long? Given this band’s insistence on challenging listeners with absurd tempo changes, stylistic juggling, and healthy song lengths (two less than six minutes), one can understand their need for time.

Thanks to the fine folks at Candlelight Records, Starkweather’s Croatoan finally sees the light of American day (German label Hypertension released a hefty double LP vinyl version last year). Many will rejoice at the prospect of another Starkweather record, including notable fans such as Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon, and other like-minded “extreme metal” bands that publicly extol the serial-killer monikered Philadelphia band.

During the initial burst of basement punk bands melding metal with their hardcore in the early 90s, Starkweather loomed large thanks to the strength of albums Crossbearer (Too Damn Hype) and Into the Wire (Edison Recordings). Never one to tour or in any way behave like your average careerist band, Starkweather existed quietly (er, loudly) under the radar of much of the music community.

Was it worth the wait (for those who even remember them)? Croatoan feels like a watershed record, one whose importance may not be recognized for years to come. In several respects, it mirrors And Justice For All. Both bulge with songs that refuse to stop, winding down dark pathways with seemingly no end. The epic length allows the band to fully explore whatever riffs or progressions strike their fancy.

Opener “Wilding” demonstrates the Starkweather framework: grinding, churning rhythms laced with muscular guitar riffing intersperse with more syncopated, jazz-like movements. All of it sails into a quiet, acoustic-guitar passage that is then overcome with the power metal storm. Indeed, each song could be an entire album unto itself (which could conceivably justify why this album took so long, if you figure there are eight songs and the band spent a year and a half writing each one).

The musicianship is impeccable. Guitarist Todd Forkin exudes awe-inspiring skill, the protean sound reflecting his abilities. Arpeggio acoustic moments blend with white-hot spastic leads. Drummer Harry Rosa remains among the most underrated percussionists this side of Dave Witte or Brann Dailor. He deftly incorporates blast beat squalls with machine-gun snare drum shots into genuine jazz rhythms.

Vocalist Rennie Resmini has always been an acquired taste. His range is impressive, yet not many can stomach his goblin-like shrieks or his warbled “singing” that at times sounds like a cat being strangled. His lyrics receive praise and derision for their vague and outlandish nature: “Totem bound in twine. Ophidian sinuous movement sidewinder resplendency,” or “Integral component missing tread underfoot: detritus eolian swept away.” Perhaps he is the Jim Morrison of the 21st century? Sporadically his dour message shimmers through the murk: “This slick film coat of filth won’t wash away under God’s piss and angel’s spit.”

We can forgive the band their dark lyrical whimsy. The words are rather poetic in a gothic, comic book way. Such obtuse and medieval allusions have long been the wordplay mainstay of metal bands, from Black Sabbath to Carpathian Forest. None other could possibly suit such triumphant, devastating music.

For all the band’s intricacies and dynamics, the album gets tough to swallow without gagging halfway through. Repeated listening reveals numerous nuances missed the first time around. Yet sitting through such a colossal work is not for the faint of heart (or patience), and can be a rewarding experience.