Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal, punk, and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, the honor goes to Fort Worth’s Trauma Ray for their track “Bishop.”
Shoegaze has become such a widespread generic descriptor, it’s hard to gather much from it beyond its inherent connotations of “washy, reverb-y, possibly loud electric guitars.” For instance, it simply doesn’t translate the atmospheric nature of Fort Worth’s Trauma Ray, often described as a shoegaze band.
On the group’s excellent new song “Bishop,” there are certainly washy walls of guitar, but the aggression and muscle behind the playing is more in line with hardcore. The harder side of band like Hum and Deftones comes to mind, but Trauma Ray certainly aren’t metal, and the textural, loud ambience of the song hints at more experimental inclinations. This is further emphasized by a vague and distant vocal that conjures a sense of longing while giving the instrumentation more breathing room.
It’s a fascinating song, both conceptually and from a production standpoint, by one of the more adventurous band’s under the oversaturated umbrella of modern shoegaze.
Honorable Mentions:
Dale Crover – “Spoiled Daisies (feat. Ty Segall)”
We love the various Melvins solo projects. Drummer Dale Crover has been quietly recording albums under his own name since 2017’s The Fickle Finger of Fate — his prior Melvins “KISS” solo EP notwithstanding — and he’s about to drop his third in that span, Glossolalia, in September. The record is rife with guest appearances, including a feature by Ty Segall on “Spoiled Daisies.” The singles we’ve heard so far have a loose garage rock vibe, and this latest track is perhaps the poppiest of the bunch, with a psych tinge befitting of a Segall-featured tune.
The Jesus Lizard – “Moto(R)”
Guitarist Duane Denison explicitly says the new Jesus Lizard song “Moto(R)” is “not Motörhead.” But damn if it isn’t Jesus Lizard playing heavy metal. The sharp guitar leads are a dead giveaway, no matter Denison says, and it’s frankly thrilling to hear the band in this mode. That said, you won’t find David Yow busting out any falsetto screams or harsh growls. Actually, his raving delivery works great here, simmering as an element of chaos amidst the onslaught of riffs.
Xiu Xiu – “Veneficium”
Xiu Xiu evoke the post-punk masters of yore on “Veneficium,” the potent second half of their new double A-side single. We’re hearing This Heat, Chrome… even a bit of Can-esque krautrock. Fuzzed-out bass and pocketed drums guide this alluring five-plus-minute track, another fine example of this band’s enduring artistry.