As we enter cold and flu season many of us will be thinking about what pills and potions we can take to unblock congested sinuses*. Well, instead of paying through the nose (sorry) for shiny box, big brand names, I suggest picking up a copy of Science Man’s The Exchange Of Ideas And Information- Part 1 which is a glass and a half of full scream punk. Even if you didn’t have a cold it’s likely that playing this loud will scare off any germs heading your way.
The man behind Science Man is John Toohill, someone I have previously described as the polymath of distortion in the bands like Brute Spring and Science Man and the sonic astronaut of The Hamiltones and Moon People. On The Exchange Of Ideas And Information- Part 1 the band scream even louder into the abyss with effects pedals set to ‘murder hornet’ for both guitars and bass.
‘Maximum depth’ might be the only track that could soothe a fever. It’s an oasis of calm in a sea of gravel and sounds like a jazz pencil sharpener. But just as your temperature begins to drop, ‘Black Glass’ explodes into life, a volcanic eruption of distortion and relentless drums.
There isn’t a single track on the album that goes passed the 2-minute mark, with ‘Wired’ and ‘Am I Here?’ not even breaking a minute, but the sound is so dense that you get a double album of distortion that’s as condensed as a neutron star. How John Toohill maintains his punishing vocal roar is beyond me. He must have vocal cords like steel construction cables.
Science Man is a force of nature. A hailstorm of golf ball-sized ice in the middle of an electrical storm. The title The Exchange Of Ideas And Information- Part 1 may sound like a PowerPoint presentation title slide, but this is far from a soporific work lecture. It is brash, abrasive and will put every nerve ending on high alert. I don’t know much about history, I don’t know much about biology but I do know that this is my kind of science book.
John Toohill – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Programming – All Tracks / Stephen Kerfien – Drums – All Tracks / Adam Spektor – Guitar – Mind Rat + District / Carter Luckfield – Guitar – Mind Rat + District / Eric Bifaro – Bass – Mind Rat / Dave Ward – Guitar – Top of the Chain / Aaron Ratajczak – Guitar – Top of the Chain
Science Man: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Website | YouTube
The Exchange Of Ideas And Information- Part 1 is currently name your price on Bandcamp, or there is a 10″ limited edition vinyl and a t-shirt.
* On the subject of cold and flu remedies this BBC article demonstrates that the generic low-price tablets do just as much as the big brand names.
Review by Paul F Cook
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