The Armed are a band who, in the past, have been a lot of things at once: ambiguous, anonymous, hyperbolic and wholly mysterious. That is, until they released a little album called ULTRAPOP and instantly became critical darlings. The band's muscular (both metaphorically and physically) brand of kinetic post-hardcore blends art-punk, noise and pop, and it's easy to liken them to other heavy experimentalists like Deftones and Nine Inch Nails. They gleefully borrow elements from metal (of the industrial, nü and post varieties) but stay unique by throwing them all into a charred blender and filling that up to the brim with (soda) pop, candy, and sparkles.
The band — whose name is also iconized as ⋈ — is noted for their admirers and collaborators, and their new album, Perfect Saviours, continues that trend. Iggy Pop appeared on billboards advertising first single "Sport of Form," and stars in the video, playing God (duh). The song itself features delicate, interweaving vocals between Tony Wolski and guest Julien Baker (one of more than a dozen features on the album), before exploding into a glitchy, hyperpop mindfuck.
With shades of the Walkmen and the Strokes, "Sport of Measure," is a decidedly subdued (well, subdued for this band) album opener for a group whose live performances often get characterized as powerful and chaotic. It bubbles, then bursts, shimmering with soaring guitar lines and serpentine bass work. "In Heaven," the penultimate track, is downright gentle, a lightly strummed soother with pensive vocals, rumbling bass and light electronics floating in the background. Halfway through, a haunting saxophone becomes one of the most unexpected moments on the album, until you remember who you're listening to and realize that nothing should be "unexpected" when it comes to the Armed.
Although there's still plenty of discord and screaming, the band has clearly entered their "stadium rock" phase. They definitely don't sound like U2 or Van Halen, but the songs are bigger and more ambitious — the pyrotechnics are primed. Tracks like "Clone," "Everything's Glitter," and album highlight "Burned Mind" (a slithery Britpop homage) deserve arena-sized singalongs, while "FKA World" sounds like it would have fit comfortably on White Pony (if it had been released on Victory Records instead of Maverick, obviously). If the band's recent tour with Queens of the Stone Age is any indication, the Armed are ready for their amphitheatre spotlight.
Although each of the album's 12 songs have their place, the band's maximalist proclivities have clearly spoiled us, leaving a pair of late tracks floundering. After the dark, industrial dance of "Patient Mind," "Vatican Under Construction" and "Liar 2" both feel like unfortunate missteps; for a band rooted in experimentation and energy, the two tracks feel somewhat repetitive, spectres of better songs that have come before them. "Liar 2" might eventually play well in front of audiences, but on record, it feels particularly forgettable.
Fortunately, these are followed by the aforementioned "In Heaven" and the robust, triumphant closer "Public Grieving," in all its brooding, orchestral glory. It's one of the band's most impressive songs, ambitious and soaring without being anarchic. Its jazzy groove, which has more in common with Tortoise than Dillinger Escape Plan, is plaintive and driving, and it's a beautiful way to close out another great album by this ever-evolving collective.
While the album doesn't have the same immediate impact as ULTRAPOP (everything they release henceforth will inevitably be compared to that titanic slab of a record), Perfect Saviours will undoubtedly cement the Armed as one of the best, most exciting rock/punk/hardcore/experimental/whatever-you-want-to-call-them bands making music today. Although it's certainly a busy and sometimes exhausting album, you can still dance-mosh your way through it; it weaves bubbling cacophony with explosive calm, and the band sounds justifiably enormous. Even if it isn't the greatest rock album of this or any other century, it's a worthy addition to their discography; the Armed are out of the bag, and you better get on board before their best-of-the-century album inevitably arrives.
(Sargent House)The band — whose name is also iconized as ⋈ — is noted for their admirers and collaborators, and their new album, Perfect Saviours, continues that trend. Iggy Pop appeared on billboards advertising first single "Sport of Form," and stars in the video, playing God (duh). The song itself features delicate, interweaving vocals between Tony Wolski and guest Julien Baker (one of more than a dozen features on the album), before exploding into a glitchy, hyperpop mindfuck.
With shades of the Walkmen and the Strokes, "Sport of Measure," is a decidedly subdued (well, subdued for this band) album opener for a group whose live performances often get characterized as powerful and chaotic. It bubbles, then bursts, shimmering with soaring guitar lines and serpentine bass work. "In Heaven," the penultimate track, is downright gentle, a lightly strummed soother with pensive vocals, rumbling bass and light electronics floating in the background. Halfway through, a haunting saxophone becomes one of the most unexpected moments on the album, until you remember who you're listening to and realize that nothing should be "unexpected" when it comes to the Armed.
Although there's still plenty of discord and screaming, the band has clearly entered their "stadium rock" phase. They definitely don't sound like U2 or Van Halen, but the songs are bigger and more ambitious — the pyrotechnics are primed. Tracks like "Clone," "Everything's Glitter," and album highlight "Burned Mind" (a slithery Britpop homage) deserve arena-sized singalongs, while "FKA World" sounds like it would have fit comfortably on White Pony (if it had been released on Victory Records instead of Maverick, obviously). If the band's recent tour with Queens of the Stone Age is any indication, the Armed are ready for their amphitheatre spotlight.
Although each of the album's 12 songs have their place, the band's maximalist proclivities have clearly spoiled us, leaving a pair of late tracks floundering. After the dark, industrial dance of "Patient Mind," "Vatican Under Construction" and "Liar 2" both feel like unfortunate missteps; for a band rooted in experimentation and energy, the two tracks feel somewhat repetitive, spectres of better songs that have come before them. "Liar 2" might eventually play well in front of audiences, but on record, it feels particularly forgettable.
Fortunately, these are followed by the aforementioned "In Heaven" and the robust, triumphant closer "Public Grieving," in all its brooding, orchestral glory. It's one of the band's most impressive songs, ambitious and soaring without being anarchic. Its jazzy groove, which has more in common with Tortoise than Dillinger Escape Plan, is plaintive and driving, and it's a beautiful way to close out another great album by this ever-evolving collective.
While the album doesn't have the same immediate impact as ULTRAPOP (everything they release henceforth will inevitably be compared to that titanic slab of a record), Perfect Saviours will undoubtedly cement the Armed as one of the best, most exciting rock/punk/hardcore/experimental/whatever-you-want-to-call-them bands making music today. Although it's certainly a busy and sometimes exhausting album, you can still dance-mosh your way through it; it weaves bubbling cacophony with explosive calm, and the band sounds justifiably enormous. Even if it isn't the greatest rock album of this or any other century, it's a worthy addition to their discography; the Armed are out of the bag, and you better get on board before their best-of-the-century album inevitably arrives.
