As we hurtle toward oblivion, we can take comfort in the relentless dystopian rhythms of Blow Off The Omens by Child Bite.
After spending some quality time with the new Child Bite album titled Blow Off The Omens, we found ourselves drawn to this quote from Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, “Every now and then when your life gets complicated and the weasels start closing in, the only cure is to load up on heinous chemicals and then drive like a b*****d from Hollywood to Las Vegas … with the music at top volume and at least a pint of ether.” The music on Blow Off The Omens should be the drug of choice for everyone looking to outrun the weasels at high speeds. Turn on, crank up, and burn the mother down.
Blow Off The Omens is a series of meditations in the madness of this existence and at times a cold, hard stare into the mirror. On their fifth full-length album recorded by Steve Albini and mixed by Collin Dupuis, Child Bite retains their patent-pending manic left-field is-this-hardcore-is-this-metal-is-this-punk-fuck-it-play-hard stylings. However, there seems to be a higher degree of finger in your chest focused scorn mixed with acerbic introspection. The imagery from A Clockwork Orange with Alex’s eyes forced open during aversion therapy crept into my mind as we soaked in these clashing melodies.
The opening cut “Mock Ecstasy” calls out the happy actors with a jaunty beat. Drummer Shane Hochstettler and bassist Sean Clancy anchor this song and, for that matter, this album. Their playing is expressive and on point. This allows vocalist Shawn Knight and guitarist Jeremy Waun to paint pictures with a fire hose of dissonant aggression.
One of the choice-cuts on Blow Off The Omens is “They All Look Away.” The metallic vein of Child Bite is on display with rolling toms, snapping snare, punchy bass, and growling guitars. The subject of social isolation dovetails into the spitting bile on the following track called “Become An Animal.” Each song frames an image of the contempt from the downcast, forgotten, and ignored. Shawn’s maniacal vocals on these songs are a gouging serrated blade.
Child Bite invite a couple of friends to add a bit of spice to Blow Off The Omens. Bruce Lamont (Brain Tentacles) adds some mournful saxophone to “The Wrong Ones Breed” and “Disposable Hysteria.” On the final title track, Voivod’s Dan Mongrain provides a maelstrom of a guitar solo which fits wonderfully into the insistent fabric of this song.
Blow Off The Omens by Child Bite is a brilliant album that captures this band’s unique creative energy. There is no filler on this album. Each song provides insight and emotion wrapped in the frenetic musical method that only Child Bite can provide. Do yourself a favor and buy the vinyl. The artwork is as compelling as the music and worth admiring while you freak out to the tunes.
