Wednesday 12 April 2023

The Sons Of Montana - Subpar Lovers


Labels: Self-Released/Owlripper Recordings

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 30 Mar 2023


Tracklist:


1. Beard Of Bees

2. Dead Asner

3. Saint Banger

4. Drunken Ships And Sunken Sailors

5. We're Not Dead Yet

6. Kathleen E. Goodwin


What do you get when combine a band that's been likened to Refused, Cave In and Boysetsfire (to name a few late 90's/early 00's post/metallic hardcore bands) with one that's supported Soulfly already this year? You get The Sons Of Montana (okay so there was only one band!). Right before the end of March,  the Connecticut band released this double EP via Owlripper Recordings from Czechia. It features three brand new songs alongside their 2021 EP Songs To Seduce Your Future Ex


I’ve been really looking forward to doing this write-up, for more reasons than just the fact that this release is a total outlier amongst Owlripper’s roster. Straight away opener ‘Beard of Bees’ goes super hard instrumentally before bringing the sass vocally. Kinda like if Refused, Snapcase and Every Time I Die all formed one massive band together. Super good, as expected! Also, could be wrong but is that title a Simpsons reference? I can hear the Boysetsfire comparisons too (BSF are probably my all time favourite band). 


‘Dead Asner’ is an off-kilter, panic-inducing number that’s over too quickly. It’s definitely got a heavier edge, one more rooted in angry hardcore without being meathead-ish. The final new song comes in the form of ’Saint Banger’ and as it’s name suggests, it’s a banger. Really well delivered post-hardcore with metallic and mathy elements. Total escapism in musical form, especially if (like me) you’ve had a tough working week in the real world so far.


The next three songs are all from TSoM’s 2021 EP Songs To Seduce Your Future Ex. ‘Drunken Ships And Sunken Sailors’ sounds more on the raw side, but not in the recording. More in the way it’s delivered with a much greater dissonant mathcore-edge. The brutalist hardcore/emo-violence that exists on ‘We’re Not Dead Yet’ shows how explosive TSoM were when they recorded their first EP. As a song it does flit between blistering heaviness and more upbeat semi-clean vocal passages, meaning there’s plenty to get your ears around.


Final EP song ‘Kathleen E. Goodwin’ parks the chaotic heaviness, leaving you with a song that’s slightly easier on the ear, before it builds in volume and noisy intensity towards an eventual end. Honestly I’m floored. Maybe that final conclusion lit the blue touch paper, but whatever it was, it truly hit the spot. Out of nowhere The Sons Of Montana have made an unforgettable entrance. 


It would be really foolish to underestimate the ability of independent (and sometimes digital-only) labels. In my experience, they’ve been responsible for unearthing and pushing out some absolute gems, and Owlripper Recordings have done it again here, just like they did with Forcefed Horsehead and many others. Don’t turn your back for a second!


You can stream and purchase the entire double EP digitally via Owlripper Recordings below:-



You can also grab both EP's digitally from The Sons Of Montana here - https://thesonsofmontana.bandcamp.com/album/subpar-lovers


The Sons Of Montana - https://www.facebook.com/Thesonsofmontana

Owlripper Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/owlripperrecordings

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