Chainwhip
Heartless and Miserable
Self-Released
Street: 01.24
Chainwhip = Iskra + Rudimentary Peni
The Salt Lake punk scene’s own Critter fronts Chainwhip with his screechy vocal assault, accompanying a cacophonous mix of thrash and crusty hardcore. As with most demos from a local hardcore band, the lo-fi recording quality stands out at first, but only becomes more and more charming and appropriate as the release claws along. The band evinces their versatility as they transfer from the galloping thrash of opener “Disease” into the more dirge-like atmosphere of “Isolation,” where drummer Corbin Baldwin pumps at his double-kick pedals. Chainwhip also delve into a bit of blackened doom in “Mosquito,” as the (seemingly) down-tuned guitar and bass ring out as a thick base over which Critter disgorges drawn-out shrieks. “Rats in the Walls” sticks out most, as the tempo-switches and chunky palm muting provide a great background for Critter to hold his vocals back, then suddenly push forward to lend the song some punch when it speeds up, ultimately bolstering the insane lyrics.