By Angelica Jannone
Compression is a bitch. Perhaps some of you spring chickens don’t respect the gravity of this statement, in which case I say to you, well, you will. Then you’ll be sorry. Sciatica gets it and humbly conveys this with their “Symptoms of Pain”. This isn’t just a testament to the body’s various woes in a post-industrial revolution, chair-worshiping society; this isn’t even about being seasoned punk/thrash slayers in their own right (although they are), but rather it’s the bigger notion of this band’s matter-of-fact attitude at conveying certain truths. Instead of exploring the wisdom of the ancients or waxing on theoretical physics, they’re reminding you of the unglamorous stuff that everyone should have in the back of their minds. These are the everyday truths, the “facts of life” if you will- what else do you need? But I’m getting way ahead of myself. To put it simply, sometimes you need to think about punk/thrash music as if you were auditioning a steady drinking buddy. While fun should always be part of the criteria, self-aware is often one characteristic that is overlooked until you go home pissed off some night because your pompous friend never knows when to shut up and has successfully irked everyone else in proximity. The self-aware ones never let you down and their humor and enthusiasm from life comes from a place of knowledge, a sense of assurance with their place in the world, a take-it-or-leave-it attitude without the slightest tinge of pretension. Sciatica’s thrashy jams embody this sentiment in every way possible. The collective resume of its members boast a laundry list of punk, thrash and metal projects and it brings a tremendous sense of perspective to their songwriting. “So You’re Going to Prison” is a particularly taunting track complete with catchy hooks while still allowing some moments for the guitar to follow it’s own whisky-paced riffs. The aptly named “Fuck up, Forget, Repeat” is as energetic as it is misanthropic with its quickening tempo and gang vocals. “stervetnik” and “Crysavolk” both feature unexpected but welcomed tempo changes. On “Stervetnik” in particular, interludes of groovy chuggery provide refreshing sustenance between the song’s various, speedier eruptions. These sludgier moments will animate you out of your most committed wall-lean and inject an energizing funk into the other joints of your body, you know, stuff besides your neck, hesher. These groovier parts are a welcomed lubricant punctuating these energetic, thrashy songs; they are the proverbial tequila keeping you warm and buoyant in your personal sea of cold, sudsy beer.
“Symptoms of Pain” is currently available on bandcamp for streaming and download and given all of the alcoholic gushing, I’d recommend you check it out. The band has also had an active show schedule starting their first year together strong and steady. As you might imagine, their shows are lively and infectious, providing an ideal panacea for whatever version of bummed out or pissed off you may be experiencing.
