Need some grind and got a spare twelve minutes? Good. Divert your ears and eyes towards Dialysis, your new favorite grind/comedy troupe. Released on my current favorite indie label, Hex Records, Abastab is a brief foray into the minds and interests of these Syracuse gentlemen, one that is best enjoyed as a long haul (ha!) from start to finish. From questionably tasting fast food to the testicles of Greek Gods, there’s a lot of ground covered in these short stabs of punk flavored, tongue in cheek grind. Perfect for that Wednesday slump.
With album art by Liz Suburbia that reminds me of the cheap, classic comics of my youth, Abastab also comes complete with a comic inspired (not really) by the songs themselves, created by frontman Ryan Canavan. The playful moments of “Rat Flavored Hot Dog” and “Telephone Cut” are captured in picture form, tying everything together and giving this experience a whole ‘nother level of fun.
The grind on display is awesome too. It’s chaotic and crass, bound together with choice cuts of comedy soundbites and blistering riffs and half time grooves. It’s pretty spectacular that all of this effort is crammed into less than fifteen minutes of music. “Typhoid Mary” has a creepy choral vocal that I’ve just now noticed on my tenth playthrough; this is the grind gift that keeps on giving.
Hex Records are punching dicks left, right and center this year in particular. As well as Abastab (pick it up here), Bleak have already dropped an album of the year contender for me and Ex-Breathers new material is looking super fly too. You can keep your mega label millions and your Hot Topic endorsements. Shit doesn’t belong here.
-MM