CREATOR/DESTROYER Best We March Release So Far

By Pencil - January 11, 2008

Hot on the heels of their first ever seven-inch (or vinyl for that matter), WE MARCH's 3rd full length, CREATOR/DESTROYER comes blasting from the gate at full power as evidenced by the opening track "Beep Beep Beep" (which also appears on the seven-inch). These long time vanguards of all things punk in A-town show no signs of slouching. The result of recording for over a period of what I can tell is about two years (basic tracks laid down in October '05 and mixing and mastering engineered between March '06 and February.'07), this, in my not-so-humble opinion is their best effort to date. Is it the better-than-ever recording job that sets this apart from their previous release, THE MADNESS ENDS HERE? Maybe. Is it the fact that many of us have been waiting for almost two years for this record to come out? That's getting closer. Although, I have to give it to the boys for keeping us happy with a couple-o-sneak-peaks here and there. Is it the really tiny lyrics in the insert? No no no.

I'd say what makes this shine is the fact that We March is writing the best songs of their lengthy life as Athens' most notorious and rebellious punk band ever since--well, I don't know what since. But ever since the summer of '02, I've come to consider these dudes the better of any band attempting to make punk, hardcore or anything involving guitar, bass, drums, and vocals in Ohio. Truth! Enough lip-service though, what about the songs unkle spunkle? Well kiddies, you know the range these knuckleheads display, but in case you don't… It's all over the place in way that actually seems to keep things flowing rather than confusing-slash-angering the listener, in other words this is a band that knows what they want to hear from themselves and they aren't afraid to go out on a limb to get there. In an interview I did with them some time ago (it was never published--sorry dudes), Curtis, We March's guitar and mix masterer, speaks at length about bands who play a certain style and maybe instead of adding something different to the mix, they just go off and start another band using said style. We March, however, isn't afraid to blend in some, say psychedelia if that's what the song calls for. Yet, it still ends up being punk--know what I mean?

In earlier times, punks had no reference of what "punk" was because they were inventing it as they went. This "everything goes" policy is what makes WE MARCH punker and fresher than many of today's so called punk bands. Hell, these guys can make garage-rock sound hardcore, and they do.

If I'm reading the extremely tiny font on the lyrics insert correctly, the aforementioned "Beep Beep Beep" is a song about, among other things, cell phone radiation. This track busts through with the speed and fury of 80's hardcore, but then quickly stops on a dime and makes a hard right turn into left field with the second track, "Ethnic Electric." With an almost Asian sounding opening lick and verging-on-epic length, this jam is a bit of departure--but not really because like I said, there's a lot going on here.

"Teacher, Mother (Secret Lover)", recalls more of what we heard on THE MADNESS ENDS HERE and is probably the best song with a Simpson's reference (I know there ARE a lot!). "The choice" (another one from the 7") is a blazing punker with lyrics about, punkily enough, destroying both the old generation and our own.

"This generation, it has it's problems ,hell-bent on sex and drugs and booze and rock n' roll, their generation they were no better they were fuck-ups like us but now their in control" What an effin' great line! Memorize it so you can yell it into Zach's microphone the next time they play.

The band lapses into more mid-tempo territory with "She Who Makes Dogs Shiver." It is presumably a song about dogs--or maybe not.

But, the real stand out track for me here is "Take Over the Reins." Again, with trademark We March drive and possibly the best song lyrically on this album, they pull off the most gooseflesh-inducing breakdown ever. Then they back into the riff. It is, by far, my favorite track and the best tune to stab the world in the face by

"Scavenger Life" is a bouncy and almost pop-punk song--except that notion is destroyed by the time you get to the screaming part!

The biggest departure by far though is the last track. Then again, that's what last tracks are for, right? Entitled "No Man's Land," it has a slow enough wind-up and seems to lag a bit but somehow manages to stomp on ya' anyway. Lyrically, it seems to be about touring. But I could wrong. I can't make out the words in the tiny, tiny, tiny liner notes. "Contains elements of 'creator' by…" And that's when I stop being able to read it! Acid freak-out song? Overall, it blends into a seemingly altogether different song that self-indulgingly goes on a bit too long for my taste.

Apparently this is the bonus track section of the CD and it goes on to include their cover of the Sly and the Family Stone classic, "Don't Call Me Nigga, Whitey" which I've only heard them play live--something you should try your damnedest to do. Rumors are flying about saying that they could lose the best and most current rhythm section consisting of Neil "the nail" and Brandon Robinson. See them soon; you may not have another chance. Oh yeah, and this was self-released on their own label, Non-prophet Records, and can be contacted thusly: wemarch.net, myspace.com/wemarch and wemarchbox@hotmail.com.

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