I have no problems with countlessly referring to the awesome Terrastockfestival last year. With Terrastock, as opposed to pretty much anyover-hyped multi-band fest, it's an opportunity to see some uncommonbands mixed in with the more popular fanfare. Sure, everybody lovestalking about ATP, CMJ and SXSW, but nearly all of those bands tourextensively and play sizable shows all their own. Bands like Kinski,Motorpsycho and this San Franciscan quartet were some of the unexpectedtasty treats the crowds were wowed to in September in Boston, alongsidethe omnipresent Sonic Youth (do they -ever- turn down a fest?), Damonand Naomi, and Acid Mothers Temple. While SubArachnoid Space are hardlya new band, the sound that night was somewhat of a new sound for thegroup. While they dished out the instrumental distortion-heavy guitarwork, the rhythm section was doing something quite exciting andrefreshing. The drummer and bassist had a dub thing going on betweenthem which worked in a peculiar yet delicious way. Talking to the groupand some fans afterwards, I was disappointed to find out that theirolder recordings, some of which were available that night, were notrepresentative of the show. It's now almost April and their currentalbum is finally available. Unfortunately, that dub-like vibe remainsonly a fading memory as it was clearly not captured. "The Harsh Factsof Life" is a strong opening to the album and showcases a tightly-knitgroup with a bass and drums clearly in sync with each other while theguitars drone on. While SubArachnoid Space's sound is clearly takingthe bombastic, quiet/loud approach popularized by numerous angryinstrumental rock bands over the last few years, the group's melodictendencies are more towards long, drawn out parts more remeniscent ofmusic from a couple decades back. Much like an improvisationalensemble, the band begins with a strong idea and lets themselves getcarried away. This is a tactic which works well in a live setting, butappropriately capturing rehearsed improvisation for a studio albumisn't the easiest task. Unfortunately, the down side is that to me thismusic becomes almost too predictable at times, with songs that startoff strong but end up in a rather sparse and directionless wash whilethe band often repeats themselves, meandering through hollow, lengthydrones. With that in mind, I'm anxious to see the band live again,because in that environment it works much better. On top of that I needsome sort of indication that my memory isn't lying to me at this point. Read More
