SeeYouSpaceCowboy/Secondgradeknifefight - Split 7"

Labels: Dark Trail Records/Dingleberry Records/Longrail Records/Miss The Stars Records/Pattern Recognition Records/Rakkerpak Records/R.I.P In Peace Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 13 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. SeeYouSpaceCowboy - I Am A Trans-Continental Railroad, Please Run A Train On Me

2. SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Stop Calling Us Screamo

3. SeeYouSpaceCowboy - You Don't Understand The Liquor Is Calling The Shots Now Randy Bobandy

4. SeeYouSpaceCowboy - You Can't Get Goose Justice In A Fox Court, Just Spit On The Judge

5. Secondgradeknifefight - Who What When Were Why Did Take My Bug Collection (There's No Trust In This Household)

6. Secondgradeknifefight - Don't Tell Me You Like Monster Energy Drinks Cause I'll Break Your Kneecaps Motherfucker (Tonya Harding Shuffle)

7. Secondgradeknifefight - My Heart Is Broken But I Still Need To Get My Jetta Fixed Asap (No Time For Tom Foolery)

8. Secondgradeknifefight - Glass Vampires Roam These Darkened Woods Fellas (Protek Ya Nek)

9. Secondgradeknifefight - The Devil Is Real And He Tried To Eat My Ass (Goodbye Uncle Fuck)

If you think I'm typing those song titles in full in this review, you're kidding yourself. Anyway, this is my latest Zegema Beach Records roster review, which is a series I started so I could dig deeper into the label's previous releases. There was no other reason for it, apart from because I wanted to. This split was released in 2018 via ZBR and the other superb labels mentioned above. Notably, it features the final SeeYouSpaceCowboy song's before they signed to Pure Noise Records and forms the last Secondgradeknifefight recording to date (if Discogs is to be believed!). 

Featuring four math/sasscore songs from SeeYouSpaceCowboy and five Myspace-grind era songs from Secondgradeknifefight, this split doesn’t surpass ten minutes. SeeYouSpaceCowboy kick it off with ‘I Am A Trans-Continental Railroad…’ and if you’re familiar with their previous 7” Fashion Statements Of The Socially Aware, you’ll know what’s coming. Ridiculously heavy mathcore with grind, breakdowns and rock n roll vibes. ‘Stop Calling Us Screamo’ is an order not a song title! It also shows SYSC’s humour to be on point. Frenetic but also danceable. 

‘You Don’t Understand The Liquor Is Calling…’ is violence at it’s most controlled. I say that because it’s frightening how tight SYSC sound on this split. Over in a flash, it’s top-tier modern day mathcore. I was reminded earlier this week that they’re playing at Slam Dunk festival in the UK this year. They’re worth the price of the ticket alone! Their split closer ‘You Can’t Get Goose Justice…’ blasts through sixty seconds before one last bluesy/off-kilter passage leads to silence.

That silence is well and truly shattered a split-second later by Secondgradeknifefight’s opener ‘Who What When Where Why…’, with it’s siren-like guitar and super-fast grinding madness. ‘Don’t Tell Me You like The Police…’ features a sinister horror-inspired rap sample at the start before crunching, breakdown-filled craziness ensues. 

Urgency is felt even more on Secondgradeknifefight’s side of this split, though ‘My Heart Is Broken But I Still Need To Get My Jetta Fixed…’ is an outlier at first thanks to the honestly angry screams that give way to low-register growls and instrumentation. ‘Glass Vampires Roam These Darkened Woods…’ seems lengthy compared to the songs it’s followed and you might be forgiven for thinking that you’re listening to a blackgaze song initially, before being snapped out of any such trance by yet more violent extremity.

Secondgradeknifefight’s final number ‘The Devil Is Real And He Tried To Eat My Ass…’ rounds out the b-side with one final quick-fire reminder of why Myspace grind is still important and held in such high regard. As a solo project, this band is ultra creative.

As splits go, this was a glimpse in time for one band about to make their next step and one that was about to fall silent. Both SeeYouSpaceCowboy and Secondgradeknifefight helped to rebuild a sound and a community that’s flourishing now. They should be revered and enjoyed in equal measure.

Stream and purchase the split as a digital download below:-

SeeYouSpaceCowboy - https://www.facebook.com/seeyouspacecowboyca

Secondgradeknifefight - https://www.facebook.com/Secondgradeknifefight

You can hear much more about the history of this release from CanaDave's Out Past The Rings video here:-

Physical copies of this split are almost sold out and it will not be pressed again. A small number of copies are still available from the R.I.P In Peace Records below:-

R.I.P In Peace Records - https://ripinpeacerecords.storenvy.com/seeyouspacecowboy-secondgradeknifefight-split

Dark Trail Records - https://www.facebook.com/darktrailrecords

Dingleberry Records - https://www.facebook.com/DingleberryRecords

Longrail Records - https://www.facebook.com/longrailrecords

Miss The Stars Records - https://www.facebook.com/missthestarsrecords

Pattern Recognition Records - https://www.facebook.com/PatternRecognitionRecords

Rakkerpak Records - https://www.facebook.com/rakkerpakrecords

R.I.P In Peace Records - https://www.facebook.com/r.i.p.inpeacerecords

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords