Athletic Automaton – “5 Days In Africa: Extended” – [Skin Graft Records]

abacus   6/12/2014   A Library, CD

Skip jumping parade march slogging filth filled sneakers around a broken glass covered gymnasium! These Providence hometown hoopstar heroes (and survivors of the vicious AIDS Wolf attacks) embarked on a noise rock safari debut back in 2004, originally released as CDr on obscure noise label Kitty Play. Arab on Radar on hiatus headman Stephen Mattos, gritty guitar Grafter buzzing away in atonal fury while Pat Crump pounds out and crumbles lopsided rhythms on the thunder drums. Minimalist rock in a way, but with searing angularities and earitating interval torture. They sometimes reel off into mud-stained blues twang like the forced submersion swamp rock of Lumber Boat, but mostly reek of pure urban decay. Short blasts except for the rhino drag race on the Autobahn and the fierce Marathon declaration of animal instinct. Also pretty much all instrumental. Rabid and grating in the most playful of ways!