Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death – Earthquake Lights
Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death (EHAFTD) have a long and storied history, and we don’t mean in an Oregon Trail (TM) kind of way. The Ithaca-based post-punk act released a now-revered second-wave emo record in the early aughts and its members splintered onto other projects (in the way that a lot of projects from that era tended to do). Luckily for us, the group has been back since 2016 – and some might argue stronger than ever! Their latest is a nine-song offering called Earthquake Lights – an amalgamation of their multi-genre experiences with an added focus on heaviness.
A heavy Black Sabbath permeates Earthquake Lights – perhaps not so surprisingly, as album opener “Joe Sabbath” has a pretty obvious nod. This one makes use of cranked Big Muff (TM) tone, pairing sludgy Black Sabbath intros with the freak-out post-punk intensity that the band is otherwise known for. Gravel-y vocals set an ultra-gritty mood, providing a lyrical backdrop for spindly riffs and darkly bombastic drums. Most of these songs crest the five-minute mark – each one an exploration of that Black Sabbath-esque style of songwriting where you just shred on your guitar for a little longer than normal, but that’s ultimately what makes this collection of songs so cool. Another Iommi-style ripper is “Into The Totality,” which sinks into a heady, Sabbathy groove around the 3:30 mark and lets a phat guitar solo riff. Nice.
Elsewhere, EHAFTD explore sounds reminiscent of pre-Relationship of Command At The Drive-In; or the falling-apart-at-any-moment vibes found on Cursive’s Domestica. Song two, “Outside the Museum,” is a rambling barnburner that pairs a spidery guitar with an angry scribble backbone. You’ll find as you make your way through Earthquake Lights that the band’s focus is on a raw urgency – “Comet Flasher” fits this mold too, with it’s self-propulsive guitar riffing and ride cymbal swishing. If this is your style, you might also enjoy the 90-degree angularity of “Sleeper Holds;” the fuzzed-out jam of “( );” or the slightly discordant, Pile-esque riffing found on “Spirits of the Radio.”
If you listen to anything on Earthquake Lights, start with “Second Empires.” The velcro-style fuzz here is music to any fan of boutique guitar pedal tones, and any fan of bands like Shiner will love the aggression being spun here. The song itself is a punch in the face, but it’s also deeply rhythmic.
Earthquake Lights is available now – there’s lots of ways to support this release, especially via their bandcamp link. You can also find them on Spotify and Apple Music.
Categorised in: Album of the Week, Ithaca
This post was written by Nick Sessanna