Disaster Strikes

It’s frustrating when hearing a band that has technical ability and a keen mind in their corner but they ignore it in an effort to be unique. All feeling and sensibility seems to go out the window, as in the case of Liberty Toast. Hardcore lost somewhere between old school meathead/unrelenting beats and newer Converge-inspired territory with hints of Southern California pop punk tossed about here and there, the idea sounds like something moderately interesting but in the case of this release, the overall product is incredibly disjointed. It’s neither refreshing enough to equal the Strike Anywheres of the world but with searing vocals overtaking the throaty, brutal drive, it surpasses the Agnostic Front quotient as well. Inevitably, a few blast beats and thrash-y fret board pyrotechnics only serve to confuse the affair relegating to missing link status. It’s a bona fide effort to solidify the unity between various subgenres but without a foot in some solid block, the lack of a ground just makes this powerhouse short circuit itself. One can almost hear Disaster Strikes "creating” songs in discussion as opposed to feeling them out naturally. Factor in that this is on Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label — hence his inevitable guest appearance, which turns the entire affair into something as confusing and convoluted as his own spoken word affairs.