Tickle Your Taint Eclectic Music Reviews: Arc Angles, Apocalisp (Rabbit Rabbit Records Press, 2022)

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Sunday, January 8, 2023

Arc Angles, Apocalisp (Rabbit Rabbit Records Press, 2022)

By SoDak

The three members of Arc Angles were previously in And We Are Them, which put out a series of excellent digital records in the 2010s. As the Arc Angles, they have continued to refine their post-hardcore sound. In 2022, they released their first physical record, Apocalisp. This Los Angeles band has an impressive breadth, as the eight songs on the album explore different terrain. The record opens with ringing, sustained guitar notes, letting the tension build for around a minute, until the drum quickly fires, as the song explodes into a captivating riff, as guitar, bass, and drums create a pulsating beat. This song, “Apocalisp,” has quiet moments, which wonderfully contrast to the overall relentless drive. The chorus is intriguing, “I can’t feel the earth spin, the unveiling, a faded giant, muted mayhem. This can’t be real, I can’t believe my eyes, a cataclysm just as we designed.”

At times, Arc Angles sound like a very cool mix between Quicksand and Russian Circles. The drums and vocals that open “Subtle Tease” give me goosebumps, as the guitar resides in the background, lingering, until everything moves to the front in a series of musical punches. Just listening to this song, I feel a need to jump around to release the energy that is culminating. There is a contemplative heaviness within this tune. As the songs asks, “Am I running fast enough, barely keeping up, gave my all for what?”

On these eight songs, there are plenty of quirky, tempo changes that sustain attention. My favorite song varies each time that I listen to the record. For instance, this morning, I am obsessing over “Illuminaughty,” especially the tender desperate moment where the vocals plead, “Say what you mean, and mean what you say, say anything.” Yesterday I was smitten with “Summer Assaults.” Tomorrow, I think it will be “Little Seizures.” The instrumental songs, “Czardust” and “Numbchuks,” are excellent, with their hard-driving riffs and expansive moments. The artwork is beautiful—almost as attractive as the old photo of Brian, the drummer of Arc Angles, that accompanies this review.