Nearly everything on the 12XU label is loud and unrelenting. I mean that in the best possible way. The newest one from Texas trio Xetas, The Cypher, dropped yesterday and it's a kick in the head. It's also surprisingly tuneful in spots, but saying that is liable to start rumors that the label's getting soft. I don't think you have to worry about that if more records like this one are on the way.
"The Doctor" is aggro-punk, shades of Big Black and even harder stuff showing through the seams here, while "The Bystander" is brighter and more melodic. The players here -- David Petro (guitar, vocals), Kana Harris (bass, vocals), and Jay Dilick (drums, vocals) -- vibe with each other in such a way that lots of this feels nicely machine-like. If, for example, there's a nice Wire-like sense of mission to "The Hieorphant", there's pure chaos being harnessed in "The Martyr", one of the standouts here. Lots of this record alternates between similar paths, but closer "The Mariner" is gloriously spry. Built around a hook that sounds like something The Minuteman could have written, and The Grifters or Archers of Loaf ripped off later, the tune lodges in the brain and seals the deal on just how enjoyable the music of Xetas is.
The Cypher is out now via 12XU.
More details on Xetas via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Angela Betancourt]