It's hard to believe that Richmond, Virginia natives The Catalyst are only releasing their first full-length record in the form of Swallow Your Teeth. But I suppose that is a testament to their craft. They've kept fans satisfied with a series of split recordings and EP's over the years so that fans haven't had a chance to really yearn for more. In spite of the wait - seven years since their formation - The Catalyst makes good on holding out for so long. Swallow Your Teeth is a stellar display of noisy hardcore punk that showcases the band's best material to date, something that often fails to happen as a band gets deeper into their career.
Swallow Your Teeth begins with "I Hate the Future" and immediately the listener is kicked in the face and has their ears boxed in. The guitars are loud as fuck and the rhythm section provides a thick dirge that recalls The Melvins. The album continues with "Lars Ulrich's 1986 Funeral," which wins for best song title of the year, hands down. The music is equally as rad; it's a distortion heavy punk cut with a slight rock feel. It's boasts a funky guitar and bass combination that reminds me of several songs from Nirvana's Bleach, most notably "Floyd the Barber" and "Swap Meet."
Throughout the album The Catalyst hone in on the goal of creating an aggressive and loud record, of which they truly do succeed at doing. "Small Town, Big Mouth" is The Catalyst at their most chaotic. The vocals are belted out with great force to match the intensity of the music. Occasionally they mix in some Botch-esque angular riffing, which gives the song an added flair. Another great example is "Sterling is a Hole," a bombastic gnarling of guitars and pounding rhythms partnered with scathing screams. If I had to choose a favorite track from the album, this would probably be it.
The boys from Richmond do infiltrate their usual style with other elements. "Incidental Music" is a two-minute meandering interlude of slightly subdued guitars that give off an arty Sonic Youth meets post-rock vibe. "42012" again sees The Catalyst working with different styles, the opening ambiance and melodies are unlike anything else heard on the album. They eventually fade away to a distortion-laden guitar solo before once again returning. Eventually The Catalyst is unable to hide what they truly love playing and the song concludes with gritty, heavy riffing and pummeling drums layered with coarse yells.
If there were one song on the album that I didn't expect, it would be the seven-plus minute "Werewolves of Washington." This opus is a spectacular display of patience in songwriting. The song moves throughout various segments that highlight the varying influences of the band. The final product comes off as a fusion of Fugazi, The Jesus Lizard, and Isis - sounding somewhat reminiscent of These Arms are Snakes
The final two tracks document The Catalyst at the top of their game. "Too Big to Fail" boasts more of those angular riffings, which are centered on a blistering pace. At points I thought I was listening to an old Cave In song. "A Goodbye Kiss from The Catalyst (You Dog)" boasts a controlled chaos with guitars lamenting 90's post-hardcore interspersed with the noisy rock punk of the SST days. It's a match made in heaven.
The Catalyst have outdone themselves with Swallow Your Teeth. They've created a stunning hardcore punk record from open to close. Mark it; you'll be hard pressed to find a more complete record than this one in 2009.
