When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
Peaced (Monofonus Press)
Reviewed by Audra Schroeder, Fri., May 7, 2010
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
Peaced (Monofonus Press)Since 2008's Not Noiice, local animal collective WDRTE – now scaled back to a fivepiece – seems to have taken a free-form turn toward noise, à la Houston skuzz forefathers Rusted Shut. Most of Peaced, the group's third LP, features long stretches of staticky guitar, reverbed vocals, and a concussive rhythm section, echoing what's been coming out of labels such as Load and Parts Unknown. Even with fewer members, the sonic assault is unrelenting from start to stop, as "Selected for Jerry Duty," "Closet Athlete," and "You've Got Male" crack mirrors and eardrums around a loose, atonal structure. Not exactly evolution, but when you're so comfortable walking left of center, it's easier to keep going in that direction, to wander into the forest rather than come back to something that holds. Here, they've created their own hybrid moment. (WDRTE steamrolls Beerland Thursday, May 13.)
