(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): COLONIA

Monday, 19 January 2015

COLONIA

Band: COLONIA

Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Hardcore / Ambient
Related artists: La Hijas De La Chinga, Se Tu Propio Dios and Ecocide.
Country: San Antonio, Texas USA
Years Active: 2009-2014/hiatus
Song: "Day IV"
Album: "MMXIII"
Year: 2013
Label(s): Self Released / Dead Profit Records / Negative Days / Confrontacion de Ideas / Museo Mutante / Exabrupto Records & Distro
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #9.
You can download: the January Mix#12 right here or get the new February 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: GRYSCL, Viva Belgrado, Coma Regalia, Leer, Envy, Raein, Øjne, Dear Tonight, In Tongues, Kodan Armada, Yr Slbraito, Ogni Giorgnio, Chuck Bass, El Eje Del MÄl, Улыбайся Ветру, PG.99, Indian Summer, Funeral Diner, Foxmoulder, Yage, The Book Of Dead Names, Corea and For Want Of aka PROPER SCREAMO.

What a weird way to hear a band. Back when I first started this blog I was really getting hard into Tentacles. I saw a post somewhere with the band's facebook profiles and I added them, only to find out someone linked the wrong people. So, I ended up friends with Brian of COLONIA. I heard the band's earlier output and was kind of let down, not in a bad way, I was just hoping for more Tentacles-sounding stuff. I was assured the new EP was different/better as the band members had changed, and boy were they right. The five songs on each of 2013's 'MMXIII' and 2014's 'MMXIV' are excellent. The initial split songs aren't bad, they just scratched the surface of the band's capabilities as they focused more on the direct approach to songwriting, while the latter material is much more expansive, engaging and falls more into the screamo realm than punk/hardcore.

First, the band has both English and Spanish lyrics, both written and screamed. The standout on the 'MMXIII' release is the first track, "Day IV" (all of the songs are labeled as days), starts things off with a mixture of European screamo (think Raein and Ogni Giorgno) and midwestern emo/screamo (GRYSCL and Funeral Diner came to mind quickly) that is like sweet, sweet honey in my ears. The restrained screaming and killer instrumentals continue into track 2's "Day V" and then "Day VI" floats in like a feather dropped heaven, making way for the album's second standout "Day VII" which sounds very post-everything and fucking huge. The closer "Day VIII" is another epic blast that kind of reminds me of a less insane and much more condensed Corea.

COLONIA wasted no time jumping right into 'MMXIV' only a year later with another five killer screamy hardcore meets thrashy punk tunes. These have much more of a Yage vibe, in my opinion. I haven't jammed this one as much as the 2013 release, but it's nearly as good at the very least and rings of Envy and Viva Belgrado eating Spanish pizza crust...you know, cuz it's crusty? Fuck. Anyway, the songs "Dia IX", "Dia XII" and "Dia XIII" are great, with the closer "Dia XIII" being the best track the band has written. Check that shit out on bandcamp.

This band is killer.

________________________________________

DISCOGRAPHY

2011 - Fruitipunch split cassette (stream here)
2011 - Tour Tape (same as split)

2013 - MMXIII EP (stream/donate/download here)

2014 - MMXIV EP (stream/donate/download here)

________________________________________

(2013) COLONIA - "Day IV" (from 'MMXIII')