Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Fuck! Fuck! No, I'm not quoting Ceremony, but instead referring to the blistering pain in my pinky toe. What could have caused my toe to go numb and bleed all over my trusty vans shoes? I blame Future Primitive, and their debut release Expression Sessions. Hailing from the traffic jammed freeways of Southern California, Future Primitive is currently storming the basements, garages, and small venues up and down this sunny state. My toe unfortunately fell victim to the harder side of a garage floor via circle pit and placed me on the sidelines for the second half of their beautifully violent performance. However, much to my surprise, I was one of the only people not head first in Ryan Power's microphone (or face) screaming their hearts out. Yes, I was sad, but I got to see something I've rarely seen not only in Fresno, but also from a crowd in general towards a fairly new band. So what makes Future Primitive so special?
Let's start with the music. It's hardcore from head to toe and anyone who claims the punk and hardcore colors will enjoy the straightforward and unique melody. The first track, "Future Presentation" automatically reminds me of It All Comes Down To This-era Bane with a twist. Not to mention the vocals sounding almost identical to Aaron Bedard's. The entire CD contains a variety of memorable moments including the chant at the end of "White Noise" and a very well executed Inside Out cover to wrap up the show. It's more than evident that these boys have been around the hardcore block a few times, and have proven capable of putting forth their experience and creativity to make Expression Sessions an impressive debut.
There's only one thing that somewhat gets on my tits with Expression Sessions, and that's the lyrics. I feel like I've read through them before, and the meaning seems less powerful with that in mind. This band is able to accomplish so much more and letting the lyrics stunt the growth of the music is a shame. Will this stop me or the handful of kids who've fallen for this band from singing along and going batshit? Most definitely not. They still hold meaning and are the first layer of what Future Primitive, and their idea of hardcore is all about.
Will Future Primitive beat the odds? Will this band go on to accomplish great things and revolutionize a musical genre and community? Shit I don't know, but I can guarantee that while they're still around this sunny state I call home is going to be a little less safe. Go out and buy Expression Sessions, go pay five bucks for their shows, and for God's sake punk it up again.
