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BUY ON AMAZON: Pitch Black
Hailing from the San Francisco “Bay Area”, Pitch Black is a quartet that includes a keyboard player in addition to a standard punk lineup. No edge is sacrificed for the addition of eerie synth harmony, as the harder tracks may evoke images of leather and spike-clad youth running and clashing mindlessly like exploding human-jellyfish.
Kevin Cross’s coarse vocals have the brattiness of Johnny Rotten on steroids and crack, with a shotgun. The lead vocals may bring to mind the more hardcore side of NoFx. Pitch Black’s dark, energetic punk is complemented by in-your-face lyrics that are more like sh!t-talking witha death fixation than contemplative and meaningful. It’s all in good fun, though, as the whole album is a blackened rock-n-roll cartoon, matching the cover art. The younger crowd is obviously targeted, though the hardcore aspect may appeal to listeners who usually choose more mature music.
We are introduced to Pitch Black with “The Wrath”, a screamer with pounding double bass and changing rhythmns. The varying intensity of the riffage highlights the potential of the band, with themes that are expanded throughout the album. ”Destructive Criticism” and “Half Empty” follow strongly, leaving us at the fourth track, entitled “The Bride”. This one is structured much like Samhain’s “Let The Day Begin”, but has more popular appeal. ”Resting Place” is a high point, consisting of chiming guitars and a ballad-upbeat-ballad format.
