Metal Blade Records/Blacklight Media – 2021
You are aware, aren’t you, of how impossible it is for an album review to be completely objective? We can call this a disclaimer for this (or really every) album review. But I’m of the belief that no two people experience music in the same way, so complete objectivity, it seems, is not really an option. I truly do the best I can to give you an unbiased reaction, but there are instances when I know that an album appeals to me on deeper levels than what can be articulated in an analytic critique.
In Transmission, the debut studio effort from Louisiana-based outfit Capra is one such instance. This record is full to the brim with the things that give me warm fuzzies.
First and foremost – if you came up in a local hardcore scene like I did – a scene with shared drum kits, makeshift venues in kids’ garages, late night Kinko’s runs to make flyers, homemade merch, and community ice chests full of Shasta – In Transmission will feel like home. It’s sometimes hard to put your finger on exactly what makes a local punk and hardcore scene so special and beautiful, but whatever it is, Capra has found a lot of it and put it on a record for you.
The other thing that really drew me in to this record was the intensely refreshing style of vocalist Crow Lotus. Up front and assertive for the duration of In Transmission, Lotus sits right in the pocket of the consistently blistering riffs from guitarist Tyler Harper. Admittedly – and here’s that non-objectiveness for you – I became instantly enamored with Lotus’s vocal style because of how much it reminded me of the frontwoman of a band I used to play drums for. More on that another time, maybe. But personally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how instantly magnetic Lotus’s four-minute supercharged sermons were to me – and probably will be to you too.
As far as the record’s sound, In Transmission is on the cusp of a new wave of metallic hardcore. The riffs and pounding rhythms would be at home at any metal showcase, but I would say the heartbeat of In Transmission is as much Minor Threat as it is Lamb of God. The songs are full of aggression, passion, and the DIY, “I-don’t-need-your-help” attitude that is so endearing about true hardcore music.
I’d also like to give a nod to producer Jai Benoit. From a production point of view, In Transmission brushes off most of the more modern metalcore tropes in favor of a slightly more 90s-throwback hardcore sonic palette. It’s indescribably refreshing. Particularly awesome for me was the sound of the drums – intensely raucous throughout the record, the fairly roomy and somewhat distant pop of the snare drum reminds me of the Midwest Emo records from the mid-90s that I didn’t discover and start loving until the mid-2000s. The kick drum is missing the iconic heavy metal click, which is a signal to me that Capra is not trying to pile themselves onto a stack of metalcore-with-a-gimmick acts. And again, the sonic aesthetic lends itself to exciting nights in small clubs and basements, heart pounding, waiting for a band to start playing that I’ve seen 20 times but never get tired of.
In case I haven’t made it obvious enough, I am a fan of this record. While I would highly recommend giving it a listen, consider yourself warned. In Transmission may leave you with a formidable temptation to quit your job, start a band, and stick it to the Man.
Our Score 9/10
-Reach James, the author of this review, at jamesunderfire@gmail.com.