From South Florida comes Smelter, an alternative rock-shoegaze-post hardcore band with a new EP titled Muffler. The band members prefer to remain nameless, but they were formed during the pandemic from the groups Gouge Away, Result of Choice and Rhino. Checking out their Instagram, I see they utilize three guitars (Fender and Gibson), Telecaster bass and drums. They don’t seem to smile much, even with a hot basil-leaf pizza.
Musically the band points to Hum, Helmet, duster, Smashing Pumpkins, MBV, GBV, Chavez and Vitreous Humour as influences. They say that they’re “trying to capture the heaviness of metal with the hooks of power-pop and the space of shoegaze.” Recording took place at Sound Artillery Studios in Miami. That’s about all the background they’ve supplied so let’s check out the songs. Though the band doesn’t mention it, I found this collection to have a strong resemblance to the Sugar EP Beaster. Even their names are similar. The very first track “Swell” features that hardcore wall-to-wall sonic barrage Bob Mould honed to a science. You couldn’t fit anything else in there if you tried! Buried in the background is a plaintive lead guitar lending some bittersweet melodies to the miasma. The vocals are in a pleasing higher register but are content to float along with the guitars so it’s hard to catch all the words. Even when the track quiets a bit toward the end, the guitars sound dangerously overloaded. “Supermarket Fit” continues with the same dynamics firmly in place. The vocals are maybe a tiny bit clearer, though they sound good enough to have been mixed even more centered and upfront. Extremely cool sci-fi sounding ending. “Muffler” (another Bob Mould-sounding title) can only be described as a symphonic fuzz piece, as their off-kilter arrangement has an almost classical majesty. Fans of early Smashing Pumpkins will surely rock heads along with this one. Absolutely killer drums here (drummer, raise your hand!). “Centrifuge” brings us to a stutter-beat hardcore conclusion. Again the molten metallic slabs of guitar feature lots of hidden melody with yet more beautiful but sadly buried vocal performances. This is the longest track with a somewhat extended finale. I’m a bit torn because I love the hardcore sound here, yet I also would have liked to have heard the singer more clearly. A lyrics sheet would help too. But regardless, I really enjoyed the ride and think these anonymous boys are on the right track!
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