Geertruida >> Releases >> Fine China Superbone

Dutch noise rock band Fine China Superbone has existed since 1997 and has had different incarnations - a singer who came and went, a second guitarist who left the band that went on to perform as a trio instead of a four-piece, a bass player who after decades decided to call it quits - soon afterwards to be followed up by a new bass player. The band and its music substantially changed over the years, yet the core elements - dizzying riffs, discordance, confusing and/or straightforward rhythms - stayed the same throughout the bands existence, and to this day. The band doesn't simply echo its influences from the heavier side of 90s noise rock (Dazzling Killmen, Unsane, Colossamite), it turns them into its own entity, and perhaps never before as clearly as on Plaguey.

The year is 2018, two days in, and the band flies to London to record new music that turned out to become the album Plaguey, (a title the band came up with after bass player Joeri was sick like a dog for five days during the recording sessions). Having been fans of lots of current or past UK math/noise bands, the band chose to record with Wayne Adams in his Bear Bites Horse studio, since basically, nearly every good record from the UK turned out to be recorded at his studio. It seemed like, and turned out as the obvious choice to record the album with him. Fun was had and in a very satisfied mood, the band returned home with a finished album made in a refreshingly short time.

Listening to the album, the band quickly packs a few punches - the needle has barely touched the vinyl and opening track Tiny Hole hits immediately and hard, while at the same time changing time signatures every time you're starting to get comfortable; Look For The Dry Spot goes for the full on assault, with drummer Robert going in black metal mode in the second part of the song. A couple chances to breathe are offered; Mistake My Head is a lot more straightforward - don't be mistaken though, it's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Side A is concluded with the nearly six-minute long Forty Years In The Desert, rhythmically idiosyncratic throughout, with bass-heavy parts in the beginning and guitarist Wiebe building tension riff after riff until all tension suddenly is relieved in the psychedelic blowout ending of the song.

Flip the vinyl around and you're being welcomed with How Miserably, something that starts off sounding like a slow song, a ballad almost. Not quite though. The band's in harrowing mode, a bit like latter-day Converge sometimes does on slower songs. "How miserably/And utterly/Alone/Always", Wiebe screams, confirming the atmosphere conveyed by the music. The song builds up its tension to a summit, whereas Benefit and Comfort is almost easy-going, as an antithesis to what came before. The band moves on to more inhospitable riff territory in Somewhat Corny, prepare to put your vehicle in all kinds of different gears here and hope it comes out in one piece. Fear Of Heights is slower and seems friendlier, but again things may not be what they seem. You're being thrown out with Dispell the Smell, being the most straightforward as well as the odd one out, going from punk to psychedelic rock in a short amount of time.

Depending on your preference, you might be barely aware of what hit you, or you might feel comfortable in the uncomfortable, Plaguey is however a force to be reckoned with.

AUDIO

VIDEO

SHOP

GEERTRUIDA RELEASES

RELEASE INFO