There are few better things in the world of local live music than a homecoming. And Zanzabar will be playing host to a fairly epic one on Friday, May 10, when the punk rock trio Coliseum will be rolling back into town and headlining a night that will also feature Anwar Sadat and Tropical Trash. Coming in hot after playing a six-day, six-show tour through England, and with a brand new record’s worth of material ready to detonate on stage, Coliseum seems poised to play an unforgettable show, a true must-see for local punk rock fans.
But what about the more casual listeners out there, the ones who might not know the first thing about the genre? Admittedly, and even proudly, rough around the edges, punk rock can be a little intimidating to an outsider and not always as accessible as it should be, thanks in part to its long, storied, and complex history. Ask five music fans to define punk rock and you’ll get five different answers. After all, there’s classic punk, post punk, hardcore punk, pop punk, emo punk, and countless other variations that have managed to evolve over the years, not to mention the wildly diverse multitude of bands and artists who all claim to fit somewhere under the punk umbrella. Look “punk rock” up on Wikipedia; you’ll find nearly 15,000 words on the subject. You’ll talk yourself to death trying to pin the genre down, which is exactly why a band like Coliseum is so important. Throw Coliseum’s 2010 album, “House With A Curse” on the stereo and crank it up and those five aforementioned music fans will drop their debate and happily begin banging their heads. Punk, as it turns out, is a bit like pornography: You know it when you hear it.
Now, three years removed from “House With A Curse,” Louisville’s punk rock paragons are back in the record-releasing business with “Sister Faith.” It’s Coliseum’s fourth full-length release, their second LP on Temporary Residence Ltd., and their first album to be recorded in producer J. Robbins’ Magpie Cage recording studio. And, like every Coliseum release that came before it, it’s an album that transcends the taxonomy. Throw “Sister Faith” on, crank it up, and you’ll know it as soon as you hear it, no matter how you choose to classify their particular brand of punk. It’s just that simple; and it’s just that good.
“Sister Faith” kicks off with its two shortest tracks, “Disappear From Sight” and “Last/Lost,” an explosive pair of two-minute burners that, back to back, comprise a sort of two-part intro to the album, and perhaps an introduction to new bassist Kayhan Vaziri as well. With incessant guitar licks, Carter Wilson’s furious drums, a thumping bass line, and frontman Ryan Patterson’s distinctive chainsaw-ripped vocals, these are tracks that waste no time making the listener completely aware of just what Coliseum is capable of.
Then, the listener’s appetite fully whetted, “Sister Faith” launches into “Doing Time,” its first track with real meat to it.
“This ain’t a prison, but we’re doing time,” hollers Patterson.
And, 10 years into their run, Coliseum has certainly done theirs. It’s the kind of bone-rattling anthem they’ve become known for in recent years. And, after hearing it, it’s hard not to imagine a crowd full of happily frenzied punk fans shouting along with the chorus at the top of their lungs.
This captivating infectiousness runs rampant throughout the album. Put on just about any one of its 13 tracks and you’ll be hard-pressed not to get swept up in the fast-paced, high-octane sound. “Used Blood,” a particularly well-polished scorcher, starts off at a boil. Its bubbling, gurgling bass line quickly gives way to Patterson’s heavily distorted guitar and creeping, echoing lyrics. Then, in a twist, the track begins melting away into itself like a witch doused in water, eventually leaving nothing but the steaming, hissing remains of a song. It’s an innovative and effective artistic flourish – one that commands the listener’s ear from beginning to end.
Then, out of the ashes of “Used Blood,” comes perhaps the tightest, sturdiest song on “Sister Faith,” “Late Night Trains.” A few simple, borderline pensive notes buzz out from Patterson’s guitar, teasing the track that’s about to come roaring to life. And roar it does, building intensity turn by turn and featuring some of Patterson’s strongest vocal work of the entire album, complemented neatly by guest backup vocalist Elizabeth Elmore of The Reputation and Sarge.
“We’re all heading for the same end anyway,” sing Patterson and Elmore, just before the song suddenly goes out the way it came in, with a plaintive guitar lick ringing out in the distant night.
Together with “Used Blood,” the two tracks sit squarely in the heart of “Sister Faith” and deliver one of the best one-two punches of any album in recent memory.
There are plenty of other tricks up the album’s sleeve too. “Save Everything” is a rollicking, energetic number that subtly builds upon sounds teased in the album’s opening track, serving as a satisfying payoff for the discerning listener. The furious vitriol inherent in “Bad Will” is deceptively well-focused, with Patterson showing rage one minute and restraint the next. But perhaps most surprising is that Coliseum arguably saves the best for last. Their musicality shines on the energized album closer “Fuzzbang,” an irresistible, electrified track that’s about as catchy as noise rock dares to get.
None of this is to say that “Sister Faith” is without its flaws. Slow-burners “Love Under Will” and “Everything In Glass” both seem to drag just a tad, neither of them quite justifying their five-plus minute playtimes. Stomping howler “Under The Blood Of The Moon” is a bit too straightforward and, unlike unique, distinctive gems such as “Doing Time,” “Late Night Trains,” and “Fuzzbang,” seems to belong more to the genre than to Coliseum specifically. That said, there’s nothing on “Sister Faith” that stands in the listener’s way, nothing preventing you from thoroughly enjoying it from start to finish.
In the end, definitions be damned; “Sister Faith” is brilliantly beholden to nothing but itself. It’s an album that only Coliseum could have made and a highly recommended treasure for local music fans. If you want to know punk rock, throw on “Sister Faith” – it’s all the definition you need.
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