These days I live a fairly clean lifestyle. I’m working out almost every day, cut way back on carbs and sugar and smoke more weed than I do drink. Hell, in the ultimate piece of sacrilege I’ve even given my once beloved coffee. It’s a nice and healthy life and I’m sure my doctor loves me for it, but from time to time I need to get my adrenaline up to eleven. This is where a release like Redbait‘s Cages (New Age Records) comes in.

Cages is the latest EP from St. Louis “Proletariat Crust” outfit, Redbait and judging by the amount of piss and vinegar spilled on ‘Capital Gains’ something sure is annoying these noisemakers. Something that will immediately jump out and grab your attention is the mix and overall production which I can only describe as raw as road burn or as gnarly as what you find at the bottom of an oil pan of a late-model Ford Contour. These feel-good vibes are poured right on to ‘Our Town’ which takes off with some D-beat touches before tossing in some good Thrash licks for texture and color.

And when things seem like they couldn’t get any noisier, Redbait seems to have studied at the vintage Cave-In school of riffs and hits you with everything but the kitchen sink on the title track. But Redbait isn’t just about the smash and grab, hence the clean vocals and decrease in acceleration that opens ‘Forever Ends Now.’ It’s a very meditative piece and who am I fooling, after a minute they’re back to laying waste to any victim foolish enough to remain on the dance floor.

Forget Dunkin Donuts, what America really runs on is hardcore, community activism, and contempt for the political status quo.

8 / 10

HANS LOPEZ