Fight Amp, Hungry for Nothing
Culled from the dingy basements of New Jersey, Fight Amp is the latest addition to the Translation Loss roster. Their blend of punk rock oriented noise has the outfit producing one hell of a debut album. Comprised of distorted bass heavy tracks filled to the brim with sonic destruction, Hungry for Nothing only proves to add to the expanding roster of innovative acts for the Translation Loss team.
Mixing a caustic dual guitar approach with thick, chunky and driving rhythm section, Fight Amp have produced a sound akin to an unholy marriage between the likes of Unsane, Motorhead and grunge of all things. Their dissonant approach to metal is sure to win them fans from many sides of the metal spectrum.
Dead is Dead
The opening track, “Dead is Dead,” starts off with heavy handed drumming and thick bass lines before noisy guitars come in. The vocals are gruff and smothered a bit by the rest of the band, adding a great static filled layer to the band’s sound. The vocal delivery reminds me of other dirty rock/metal bands like Doomriders or The Fucking Wrath, but it’s Fight Amp’s music that sets them apart. The down tuned guitars leave you feeling a bit gritty and pummeled.
Late Bloomer
I love the groove oriented feel to this song, as Fight Amp get things started off with more thundering drums and guitar noise. There’s a bit of an early Helmet feel to this one at times, but with a little more oomph added for good measure. There’s a great riff at the 1:45 mark that you should be on the look out for, just before the band shifts gears into a chaotic frenzy of noise.
What a Drag
“What a Drag” starts off with a little reverb before settling into a steady drone of noisy riffs. There’s a decent bit of apathy applied to the vocals on this one — even the lyrics lean toward the feeling of indifference. The track ends abruptly after the two minute mark.
Samhain
Some nice riffing and building drum work get “Samhain” off the ground as thick bass lines fill the background. This one has a more driving pace to it, pushing the listener along through rusty, bruising guitar work and pummeling drums.
Lungs
A bit of a spastic start to “Lungs” greets the listener as the band seems to produce a good deal more noise than previously heard in the other tracks. This one was definitely nurtured in the dark, dank basements of The Garden State. There’s a great punk attitude to this one with a quicker pace that shows itself mid way through the song. The group slows it down a bit before the two minute mark with chugging bass and calculated drumming before picking it up a little as the song continues to develop.
Bound and Hagged
A sick bass line opens up “Bound and Hagged” as some nasty guitar play joins in. The disharmonic start to this one is awesome and lasts a good bit before Fight Amp settles into their noisy mold. There are some thick bass lines flowing in and out of dominance around the two minute mark.
Get High and Fuck
If you’re head isn’t nodding along with this one after the opening seconds you need to check yourself. The bass line is addictive as the guitars and drumming build with it.
Dumb Luck
The final track on the album has a bit more aggressive feel to it as it gets going right from the start with quicker tempo than the previous songs. I was afraid that at this point monotony would set it, but the band does a great deal toward avoiding that particular stigma that plagues many fellow noise mongers.
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The slab of noise that Fight Amp has produced with Hungry For Nothing is a focused sonic and abrasive tour de force on the senses. The group’s mixture of punk, noise and metal only prove to push their sound to new levels with each subsequent listen of the album. I’ve been playing this one a lot lately and I suggest you do the same.
Favorite Tracks:
All of them
Additional Notes:
N/A