Bloated Subhumans (currently based in Baltimore, MD) has existed in the dark shadows of the underground as a reclusive project for years, sought out only by the most masochistic and rabid fans of noise rock and industrial noise. Their live performances have been described as a hopelessly bleak cacophony and the closest anyone today can get to seeing the oppressive force that was Swans in their 1980s prime. In 2023, they performed 4 shows with the legendary Swedish noise rock unit, Brainbombs — 2 in NYC and 2 in Oslo, Norway. In Oslo, the revolving door lineup of Bloated Subhumans included Jonas Tiljiander of Brainbombs for both shows, cementing an international noise alliance. Now, for the first and possibly only time on US soil, Bloated Subhumans will be performing with a similar lineup. This isn’t a tour, it’s a single night of deranged, sonic torture. And Philadelphia is the only city just unlucky enough to be caught in the maelstrom. If you’ve ever wanted to hear the sounds of your nightmares brought to life, this is not to be missed.
Eye Flys are a quintessentially Philadelphian band whose aggressive brand of noise rock is leading a wave of bands that harken back to classic era AmRep noise rock. Their rage is palpable and their wit is biting. Hailing from a city with a rich history of labor activism, long associated with the hard-working, the underdog, the everyman. The trio’s rounded nature, one of whom is an active trade union member, imbues their music with a distinctive fearlessness and honesty. Their acerbic wit swiftly whittles matters down to their element, often reveling in the perverse humor of our current state of being. Eye Flys are unsparingly heavy, driven by the colossal rhythm section of bassist Kevin Bernsten and drummer Patrick Forrest. Vocalist/guitarist Jake Smith delivers sharp humor with a healthy dose of venom and bile with each bestial growl while his dirty riffs roar at you. Recorded by Bernsten at his own Developing Nations studio (Full of Hell, Integrity, Jarhead Fertilizer) and J Robbins’ The Magpie Cage, the band’s self-titled album features artwork drawn by artist and drummer John Herndon (Tortoise), known for his singular drawings and his band’s iconic TNT cover. Eye Flys wades deeper into the muck and mire of modern living to take an unflinching look at the horrors of late-stage capitalism and offer a caustic remedy for its ravages.
Expanding on their bludgeoning debut Tub of Lard, Eye Flys is lean and aggressive, fast and unforgiving. “Trepanation Summer”’s ferocious riffs bore directly into the skull, mimicking the crude pressure release of the ancient surgical process of the same name, Smith crying to “release the pressure” from within a wall of feedback. “Sleep Forever” throws down a thrashing, infernal groove, demolishing all in its path as Smith’s craggy guitar figures rise like toxic smoke from the devastation. “Draining Pus” revels in septic sludge, while “Bananarchy Zoo” manages to strip things down to an even more lean and incisive realization of the trio’s punishing sonic palette, in an exploration of Smith’s love/hate relationship with his Florida roots. A wall of rippling noise and distortion run as connecting threads through the album, the band’s acerbic humor and raw emotion capturing the perspective and the frustration of the hardworking everyman. The band grapples with the repercussions of coping strategies with healthy skepticism and an eye on the gallows.
Eye Flys offers a reassuring reminder that you haven’t gone mad and you’re not alone – that weird ‘n’ heavy music is still here as a respite from the madness of modern living and an outlet for righteous rage.
two brothas who are brothers making waves of harsh noise with free jazz flourishes, playing within and in spite of traditional rock structures.
-Alex Smith
