The Armed
have cloaked themselves in mystery since the beginning, however, this album
cycle, they’ve revealed the full lineup, which in part would appear to be made
up of beefed up muscle bros standing in front of brightly colored backgrounds.
The tone of the smirking is-it-a-joke Noisey profiles has found its way into
the music itself, threatening to alienate hardcore audiences with music that
sounds more and more like it belongs on Alt Nation. The overtly Millennial
aesthetic threatens to do the same. ULTRAPOP
presents itself as anti-hardcore hardcore, all with a smile on its face that
dares you to throw the record across the room. Lucky for The Armed, the songs
are just too good to do that.
The accessibility of this record shouldn’t be
overstated. It’s still Loud and Out Of Breath, but instead of hooks being
buried in the mix, they’re noticeable on first listen. The opener is full of
harmonies strong enough not to be crushed by dense bursts of bass and digital
noise. There’s something almost Deafheaven-like in the juxtaposition of
delicate dream pop and metal.
Songs like “All Futures” and “Average Death”
represent ULTRAPOP at its most radio
friendly, which is to say, not all that kind to DJs beholden to advertisers.
Yes, there are sung choruses in these songs (catchy ones!), but they are at the
center of arenas of pounding drums and guitars, noise made by, if they are to
be believed, eight people who seem desperate to beat us down. Both make use of
group sung choruses, pointing to something very communal in The Armed’s
ever-shifting lineup.
The band is at its best when it’s making brutally
fast bangers like “Masunaga Vapors,” a song that hinges itself on elliptical
guitar lines running up and down the scale at dazzling speeds. The whole thing
crests at the end, when the wave breaks and everything collapses into
glittering bits of synth. It’s excellent. While a typical song by The Armed
lets up just long enough for a hook to appear, “A Life So Wonderful” goes even
harder in the chorus, blast beats and screaming turning into something like an
anthemic hook. “Faith in Medication” is built on Converge-ish vocals and
angular stabs of guitar, making good on their early roots in mathcore. The solo
at the end is a bonkers show off that’s completely unnecessary, which is what
makes it great.
Closer “The Music Becomes a Skull,” featuring
vocals from Mark Lanegan, apes a goth drum pattern to slow things down and get b-i-i-i-g. While it’s not the best song
on the record, it reflects a hungry band that keeps getting more ambitious. ULTRAPOP seems like it could have the
same crossover appeal Sunbather did
eight years ago: metal for the non-metal listener. Deep down, everyone likes to
thrash, it’s just a matter of how much sugar is needed to make that thrashing
palatable to people who prefer Popjustice over Decibel. The Armed thread a difficult needle, bringing heavy music
to people who sneer at the stuff. They seem like they could really make it
happen. (Treblezine)
LISTEN
