These Arms Are Snakes – Duct Tape & Shivering Crows – VINYL 2 LP

Description

Hardcore/mathrock band formed from the ashes of Killsadie and Botch, featuring former members of both. The band broke up in January 2010.

The collection’s track listing runs in reverse chronological order, starting with one of These Arms Are Snakes’ final recordings, the fiery and fuzzed-out scorcher “Meet Your Mayor.” Originally appearing on a small-run split 7” with short-lived UK post-punkers Tropics, the album opener perfectly encapsulates the band’s penchant for hallucinatory guitar hooks, thick bass riffs, rhythmic punch and panache, and Steve Snere’s signature acerbic vocals. The remainder of side A is comprised of the band’s songs from their split LP with Russian Circles—“Camera Shy” and “Trix.” Both tracks showcase a throbbing, locked-in, and heavily punctuated rhythm section garnished with delay-drenched guitar leads—as if Jesus Lizard binged on King Crimson’s Red.

Side B of Duct Tape & Shivering Crows contains two covers—a rendition of Lost Sounds’ “Energy Drink and the Long Walk Home” from a split 7” with The Coathangers and a sinister twist on Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box” from Robotic Empire’s In Utero, In Tribute compilation. It also contains two b-sides from the group’s last two LPs. “Washburn” was cut from Tail Swallower & Dove due to vinyl time allowances and later showed up on a split 7” with All the Saints on Touch & Go Records. Similarly, “Old Paradise” didn’t make it onto Easter, but it served to evenly weigh both sides of the album’s lead single on the Good Friday 7”. Side C is dedicated to These Arms Are Snakes’ songs from their collaborative EP with Harkonen released on Hydra Head Records back in 2004. These two songs—“Payday Loans” and “Hook on This”—capture the band at their rowdiest moment… a total throwback to the early ‘90s San Diego-brand of unglued and chaotic hardcore. Side D takes the listeners all the way back to the band’s first demo: four woozy and noise-addled amalgams of math rock and post-punk that would later be polished up for their debut EP This Is Meant To Hurt You.

Tracklist :

A1 Meet Your Mayor
A2 Camera Shy
A3 Trix
B1 Energy Drink And The Long Walk Home
B2 Heart Shaped Box
B3 Washburn
B4 Old Paradise
C1 Payday Loans
C2 Hook On This
D1 Riding The Grape Dragon (Demo)
D2 Run It Through The Dog (Demo)
D3 Diggers Of Ditches Everywhere (Demo)
D4 The Blue Rose (Demo)