Los Angeles Sweat formed in 2019 and comprises members of the bands Graf Orlock, Dangers, Dogteeth, Ghostlimb, etc., most if not all of whom feature on their own Vitriol Records label. Vocalist Tuna Tardugno, drummer Anthony Rivera, guitarist/vocalist Justin Smith, and bassist Kevin Conway have 25 years’ worth of investment and contribution to the Southern California music scene between them.
For a band with a relatively short lifespan, they have managed to build a pretty decent-sized catalogue, which commenced with 2020’s S/T EP, 2022’s Gotta Give It Up full-length debut, 2023’s Split with San Diego’s Negative Blast, and 2024’s sophomore release, Love Child. Tear It On Down (Vitriol Records). marks their latest third full-length release, impressive when you consider how long it takes the likes of Tool and Guns N’ Roses to put out new material, but then Sweat are from the Hardcore scene, so a prolific work-rate is to be expected.
“A New Love Language” has some very cool Angus Young (AC/DC) riffing as well as the badass Punky Rock ‘n’ Roll spirit of Nashville Pussy, though with the sleaziness of Blaine Cartwright and co. significantly dialled down. An irresistible, hook-laden opener. “Noise is the Solution” ups the tempo, but this time with the breakneck speed of Zeke, who are renowned for an extremely fast and energetic guitar sound. The track’s title is apt, given all of the world’s troubles currently. At the end of the day, we have music to pull us through, and thank god for that. Tuna always had wonderfully bratty vocals, and that’s certainly evident on “Surveillance State.” Unlike the likes of Kathleen Hannah and Poly Styrene, whose styles always grated, thankfully, that isn’t the case here. This could partly be attributable to the fact that the music is a good deal more muscular and brilliantly performed in a manner not overly dissimilar to Motorhead at their mid-seventies-to-early-eighties peak.
“Smaller Cages, Shorter Chains” is melodic, recalling Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash, with twin harmonies evident despite the presence of only one guitarist. This is seriously accomplished musicanship and highly impressive. “Citta Violenta” or Violent City unleashes blasts of musical fury that demonstrate how, despite the evident Hard Rock musical influences, they can still kick ass with the best of them. “Displaced” at just under a minute is the record’s shortest piece, thundering along at a pace that Italians Raw Power would be proud of, while “Tension” has a little Alt-Rock to its sound with nods to The Lemonheads Hate Your Friends era as well as latter-day Replacements. A pleasant surprise fo’ sure.
Cro-Mags were mentioned in the promotional notes, and “Life Sentence” certainly has some of the New York crew’s tough-guy Crossover spirit present; in fact, it wouldn’t have been a total shocker if Harley Flanagan had made a cameo. “Denied Experience” has a punkier vibe, parts of which recall the reckless abandon of Black Flag’s Jealous Again EP, particularly guitarist Greg Ginn’s wild soloing and Chavo’s vocal desperation, a welcome slice of nostalgia. “Bloodstains” has an interesting Gothic and Death-Rock hue and feels a good deal different from anything the band has released previously, demonstrating a desire to stretch their musical boundaries. Finally, “Don’t Know Why I Bite” is somewhat campy with some Misfits Horror Punk flourishes slipped in along the way, making for a fun conclusion to the record.
Sweat ingeniously play around with their sound, but does it subtly in a manner that won’t end up alienating long-term listeners. Possibly their finest release to date.
Buy the album here:
https://sweatrockers666.bandcamp.com/album/tear-it-on-down
9 / 10
REZA MILLS
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