SCRAPES – 003
Hot band alert! Hogg are stationed in Chicago, although I think they may
have moved from Atlanta or something, as gross semi-drifter noise crews
are wont to do (sick of Baltimore? move to Oakland for a few months!).
Anyway, they’re one of my new faves, as this five-track 12″ EP is
hitting all the right notes. I can’t help but think of the early heyday
of San Francisco’s damaged art-punk scene circa 1982 when I listen to
Hogg; they’ve got a strong Live At Target vibe, combining the best
elements of Nervous Gender, Factrix and Flipper, where punk rock became
so slow, evil and drugged that keyboards, rhythm boxes and effects
replaced the guitars. Of course, the bassist was allowed to stay, so
long as they stick to repetitive, lugubrious melodies, which naturally
Hogg do. There’s a bit of inherent awareness of the Hanson Records /
Wolf Eyes scene, but Hogg strike me as more of a “band” than a noise
project; closer to Throbbing Gristle than Panicsville, let’s say (the
latter of whom released their debut cassette in 2015, pressed to vinyl
earlier this year). They really nail that “legit” creepy feel in a
German Shepherds way (see the disturbing “I’m Henry The VIII, I
Am”-sampling “Conform Or Die”), and I still can’t tell if the group is a
duo or the full crew of post-apocalypse freaks photographed for the
insert. No matter who is in the band, I’d happily join their garbage
fire under a bridge any day of the week!
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