Live

Part Chimp, Todd, Lords

Liam McGrady 29/01/2006

Yeah, yeah, so we all know that Part Chimp are one of, if not the, loudest bands around… oh you didn't know? Well let's put it this way. You know that humming noise in your ears after a gig? You know that sometimes it lasts for a few days if it's been really loud? Well after a Part Chimp gig you have that feeling all over your body for about a week. It's like you've spent thirty years man and boy working a pneumatic drill everyday. And then when you add the immense metallic onslaught of Todd, awkward riffing of Lords and grimy, sludgy sounds of Hey Colossus to a bill, you've just got to accept that your senses may never be the same again.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how much I value my hearing), I arrive at the tiny Luminaire a little too late to see Hey Colossus. Having been forcefully blown away by their giant footstep like riffs last year, I'm willing to bet that going on first they're a mammoth act to follow. Although this then is all based on detective work; I guess that Lords don't quite up the ante. When the three piece do lock into a bluesy Sabbath-esque jam, they're impressive. But, when they attempt to pull off the crazy time signature rhythms they spiral off into, the tightness and telepathic relationship between the instruments is missing. Todd on the other hand are just unbelievable. About as subtle as a George Galloway speech, like Lords they're bass-less but make up for a lack of bottom end in other ways. Belching single keyboard notes provide a base onto which the vicious, unholy, piercing punk/metal is compounded. Not content with metaphorically bruising the audience with their music, the Todd lead singer - a man who looks like he could rip Josh Homme's head off with his little finger - on various occasions, lurches forward knocking drinks from hands; rolling in shattered glass and flat lager. It almost seems as if it's a form of intimidation; a two fingered “follow that if you can”. Part Chimp don't need this kind of temptation.

The members of the 'Chimp don't appear to be your stereotypical noise merchants. The bassist for one has the mannerisms of a Dickens character and the dress sense of a 70's scouser. But if their music does all the talking I don't know whether the human ear could survive a proper bellowing. The thing with Part Chimp is that although they are mind blowingly loud, there's always a groove or a melody striving to break through the gargantuan walls of sound. 'Fasto' and 'Bring Back The Sound' in particular are propelled by ringing discordant guitar lines closer to Sonic Youth than the hardcore sounds of say Botch or Converge.

After progressing in terms of sheer aggression between debut album 'Chart Pimp' and monster new record 'I Am Come' (the primal title gives it away a bit), seeing Part Chimp live is a whole new experience. I literally stumble out into the biting cold of North London after the climax of mangled brass, courtesy of members of each support band, and distortion so thick you can almost see it. I'm disorientated, I'm freezing, I want my mum; but I also want to go through it all again.