New York City’s Uniform’s new album American Standard (Dias Records ) finds vocalist Michael Bearden in a soul-baring exploration of his struggles with bulimia. The album serves as Bearden’s catharsis. The strangled snarl of his yelled vocals paints an accurate picture of the self-loathing that comes with this neurosis. This captures a raw emotional tension that lurks under the mood of the songs. This is delivered through their ability as songwriters, which is a somewhat different story. The album begins with a sprawling opening track. For twenty-one minutes you are hit with a pounding drone, at times this grooves at it drones. This is the first of the sonic dichotomies this album is full of, so if you do not appreciate clashing concepts, it might not be for you.

It can’t be said a chaotic drone raging at over twenty minutes is a novel concept, as Swans have long been veterans of this before these guys picked up instruments. Swans might ride the line between ambitious and indulgent. This dynamic highlights a change for Uniform. The band has grown beyond being just a heavy post-Punk band with hard-core anger issues. Now possessing the sonic power to create an attack on the eardrums that finds them compared to  Swans is both a compliment and a curious step for the band. Is this an improvement for the band? 

Perhaps if you are just sitting around getting high you have that kind of time to spare, but when you want a soundtrack for your drive to the liquor store you can cram in maybe even four other songs in the time it takes to fully indulge this song’s powerful ringing sound both drones and grooves at the same time. Fifteen minutes into the song things build into a noisy almost black metal blasting ambiance. 

“This is Not a Prayer” finds Bearden again locked into an ugly scream. The double bass of the drums adds a more metallic drive to the song under the sludge-tinged noise the band stirs up. They are choosing to be abrasive. It is the weapon they are using in this confrontation. Things are less post-Punk sounding and begin to cross over to Hardcore on this album. Despite the addition of Interpol bassist Brad Truax, they sound more like Black Flag and less like Joy Division here.  

Everything works better as a whole on “Clemency.” Even when the vocals gurgle and yell into the syncopated punches. “Permanent Embrace” finds the music shift from a syncopated tension that could almost be found on a Tool album, to blast beats and buzzing guitar when the song accelerates to its peak. The obnoxious vocals counterpoint the sonic heaviness. Musically this album should be pleasing to the ears of most adventurous fans of heavy music that lends itself to being equally abrasive. The vocals become an acquired taste or something that is just another layer to the violent wall of rage their instruments sling at you. 

This album overall is an improvement for the band, but with the more produced and polished sound, the vocals just squawk with no clear purpose. Even with the relentless rant of the vocals,  American Standard is a great piece of musical art, perhaps you have a high threshold for abrasive vocals, or the human voice in this duress might be something you tune out if the guitar is hefty enough. In that case the album with work for you. Fans of the bands are here for all the noise and violence, which they will find in great supply on this album. 

Buy the album here:
https://lnk.to/UniformAmericanStandard

7 / 10
WIL CIFER
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