### Coilguns: Stadia rods

#### 20/04/12 || Habakuk

What’s a coilgun, more commonly known as Gauss rifle, to do with stadia rods? Or either of those with a turkey? I don’t know and I hate riddles. Not exclusively, but especially since every other band nowadays tries to present itself as a convoluted enigma that is just out there to be deciphered by the post-worthy. If your reaction right now is “but that sounds great!”, go out right away and check this EP out. You probably worship Converge or the non-catchy side of Dillinger Escape Plan, too. Nothing wrong with that, mind you, just that I don’t.

Coilguns is made up of members of The Ocean, trying to get a little dirtier than with their main band (whom I actually do enjoy, from what I’ve heard). This translates to a competent, reverb- and dissonance-heavy 30 minute slab of rhythmically intricate, moderate to fast-paced recording topped off with a crusty distorted scream. The atmosphere, not so much the execution or the great production, sounds like that of a rehearsal room. In that lies the biggest strength as well as the biggest weakness: A gritty, down-to-earth feel permeates the music with notes clinging to each other in one big sludgy thread, but hooks or anything memorable are struck from the equation. I see how these guys want to do something more “intelligent”, but it doesn’t really grip me as an outsider. To intelligence. Like better swinging club in 4/4. Krush skulls!

6,5/10: Raging brainiacs, hark!