Worthless

Nowadays, it's easy to lose sight of what music is all about. Particularly in hardcore, where generic bands amass in huge numbers. Writing songs about their shame over lost loves and how much it hurt them. You can write songs about this subject matter, and typically produce whiny, musical excrement. Whereas, Weekend Nachos have taken this far beyond the polar opposite. I'll just say this first, to make it blatantly clear; this music is angry. I mean - REALLY angry. Powerviolence has always had a nature, even an objective to be angry, but Weekend Nachos have literally made this album THE sound of frustration and excruciating rage. On the outside, the album doesn't leave much up to speculation. The artwork being what appears to be a glacier or a mountain collapsing into an ocean. Strangely, after listening to this album, there happens to be an association you could make with this - the collapse of all mental regard into hatred. Quite fitting, actually.

Starting this album, you are immediately hit with guitar distortion combined with a drum count for a very brief moment, before being crushed under some incredibly intimidating guitar riffs. Before you can even anticipate what’s in store for you; then; out of nowhere comes a fantastic guitar solo. The introduction assault lasts for some 18 seconds, but is absolutely annihilating. Then, you hear John Hoffman’s vocals. Forget about your typical hardcore whines and shrieks, this is hardcore shouting at its very best. These vocals sound like they’re coming from one of Satan’s prime demons, right from the bottom of the darkest pit of hell. They do not bellow, it does not seem inappropriate at all; his vocals are dead on target. More so, his efforts are backed up by the guitarist’s pained screams that provide the final compliment to the truly crushing moments packed in this album (‘Frostbitten’s’: “I live in frozen hell” & the brilliant final blow of a scream in ‘Future’.)

Lyrical content mainly rotates around severe angst towards society. And man, is that not a problem at all. Posers (Jock Powerviolence, You Could Exist Tomorrow), hippies & the environment (Black Earth), friendship (Old Friends Don’t Mean Shit, Friendship), Betrayal (The Meeting), Gays (Dubviolence), drugs (For Life), education (The Fine Art Of Bullshit), wealth (Obituary) and The Third Reich (Future) are all under fire. Hoffman is seamlessly aware of his surroundings and the issues in society and expresses it with such exquisite rage in his lyrics. For example;

“Trust in me until the end, I mean well, I’m your friend. We'll be loved until the end. Birth instincts to abuse; don’t get too close, I’ll hurt you. We were born to be abused.”

Hoffmann is able to masterfully twist his quick-fire vocal attacks into a twisted and frustrated viewpoint of agonizing bliss for the listener.

The guitar distortion tone works excellently throughout the album to produce a truly vicious tone and generates the desolating feedback in the album’s self-titled instrumental track. The riffing throughout the album is very consistent in being able to switch, very quickly. Take for instance the blasting intro of ‘Old Friends Don’t Mean Shit’, stopped for just a moment ten seconds in to a series of well structured chords carried along by the drums.

Bass stays somewhat hidden for some songs, as the guitar does its fair part of clouding it throughout the album – particularly with the break-neck drum speed. But give the album a few plays through and you’ll know that a great level the bass truly gives to the guitar work – adding a significant layer to the musical assault. The tone it carries reminds me of true grind, a very rough and edged sound that goes very well with the music. In the particularly dissonant moments of this album; the grooving riffs of ‘Jock Powerviolence’ or entirely throughout the instrumental ‘Worthless’; the bass acts as a clear guide for the rest of the instruments.

All the while, the drums pick up a great, ‘run around and mosh’ pace to accompany the other instruments. Variations of fast paced d-beats and incredibly well timed snare blasts make the metal influence evident on the drums. The drums really do carry a large part of this album; cymbal speed is fantastic and all incredibly well timed and his ability to switch styles is also incredibly impressive (as shown in ‘For Life’ by the ambient to two-step beat transition). The drums give a significantly frantic feel to the songs by supplying what literally feels like anger, mirrored by John Hoffman’s vocals.

Whether or not you like Powerviolence or have even heard of it, pick up a copy of Worthless. From the explosive opening chords of ‘Hometown Hero’ like a pack of C4 exploding to the utter desolation in the final and completely crushing ending of ‘Future’; this album is one hell of a ride, and a completely acceptable form of anger management.