(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): MILKMAN

Wednesday, 3 May 2017

MILKMAN

Band: MILKMAN

Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Black Metal / Post-Metal / Alternative / Ambient / Shoegaze / Experimental
Related artists: ?.
Country: Cincinnati, Ohio USA
Years Active: 2013-present
Song: "Nonsense"
Album: "Tape #1"
Year: 2016
For fans of: Liturgy, Deafheaven, Underdark, Animals Faces, Black Clouds, Carved Up, Beast Jesus, Dinosaur Jr., Between The Buried And Me and Sore Eyelids.

Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the April 2017 Mix. This is track #8.

You can download: the April 2017 Mix#4 right here or get the new May 2017 Mix#5 here.

Ever wondered what Sore Eyelids or maybe Whirr would sound like if they were taken over by members of Deafheaven, or pretty much any decent black metal band? Well I think the recent 'Tape I' and 'Tape II' offerings by Cincinnati's MILKMAN will answer that question. Releasing as a solo project back in 2013 by Thom Meyer, MILKMAN has grown into a collection of three (sometimes four) individuals that have progressed the sound from what it was initially birthed as while retaining most of the core essentials.

After releasing both the 'Pre-Milkman Demos' and 'Milkman I' EPs in 2013, the band shifted in the black-metal and shoegaze direction, opting for more extremes on both sides instead of the previous conglomeration of alternative, punk and instru-metal songs. This shift is most notable on the 'Stampede' single featuring...holy shit..."Stampede"! I didn't see that one coming. They also released a very lofi phone recording of some basement demos but I'd recommend skipping it and proceeding directly to 2016's 'Tape I'.

It was 'Tape I' that I was initially sent by Thom Meyer back in late 2016. I jammed it and liked it but wasn't enthralled. I did dig it enough to include it on the mix I released back in March of 2017 only to find out a few weeks later that MILKMAN dropped the amazing 'Tape II'. I should probably mention the very obvious differences between the two. 'Tape I' is a crazy juxtaposition of shoegaze and black metal, rarely combining the two and generally opting to take up residence on either side of spectrum. The songs cut jagged wounds and then dissipate into something tranquil and healing, with the entire 7:40 of "Wistful" and the midsection of "Nonsense" being prime examples, although the "b-side" which is was the 2015 single "Stampede" would fall into this category for damn sure.

I'm assuming it's Thom who wrote on the MILKMAN bandcamp page for 'Tape II':
"This release focused on our darker sounds where Tape # 1 was rooted in our love for alternative, late 80s college rock, and post metal. This release is not very long because we did not want any lulls. You'll roll through six punchy songs, seamlessly one right into the next, so you can skip the bs without losing the replay value. A good and logical evolutionary step for Milkman."
I think that's a very apt description. In my own words, 'Tape II' is just fucking annihilating. Pummeling. Insidious. Piercing. And let's also go with the very effective adjective of awesome. I like the first tape EP but I love this second one. My personal favourites are "Monolith" and "Dark Terrane", although "Follow the Herd", "Isolation" and "Austeere" are also very good songs. "Monolith" has an incredible knack for jumping from awesome part to awesome part, especially in the guitar department. "Dark Terrane" makes me think of war, especially with the drums leading up to the one-minute mark - holy fuck. The breakdowns post-1:13 are pretty goddamned thick and even bring Converge to mind. The ending begins at 3:33 (that's half of 666!) and you...will...see...Satan, cuz wowza those guitars are evil.

Hmmm...is it too late to mention that I rarely listen to shoegaze or black metal? Well, that's why the for fans of section is kinda shitty, comparison-wise. MILKMAN makes me want to check out more bands in these genres, though. Especially the black metal ones :) Thank you, Thom.

________________________________________

DISCOGRAPHY

2013 - Pre-Milkman Demos digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)
2013 - Milkman I digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

2015 - STVY OUT OV THA BASEDMENT - Mlkmvn Demos digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)
2015 - Stampede digital single (stream/donate/download here)

2016 - Tape #1 cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2017 - Tape #2 cdEP (stream/donate/download here)

________________________________________

(2017) MILKMAN - "Monolith" (from 'Tape #2')