Prayer Group - Strawberry

On Strawberry, Richmond’s Prayer Group shows how to bring back early '80s Hardcore Punk. The opening track meets at the intersection of Negative Approach's burly bark and the stormy, tribal drumming of Killing Joke. The essence of noise rock taking experimentation and infusing it with the energy of hardcore, which is very tangible here however, there's less experimentation here, and more of a wall of dense, fuzzed-out tones that the stringed instruments are wielding. This is not unlike some of the bombast which can be heard coming from the likes of Jesus Lizard or Big Business.

The only diversion from this collision course comes midway into the second song, when they divert into a drunken western feel. If you are just here for punk intensity, then this foray into a darker, more melodic passage might give you pause, but if you just like well-written music with dynamics, then you will enjoy the shift. Though punk rockers should find the bulk of the album boisterous enough for their tastes 

The plodding creep of a muscular Bass-line fuels the title track, which gives the vocals room to muse and ponder the sonic bleakness unfolding before they bring things crashing down into the rougher power chords. When the vocals build on 'Pig', they are delivered in a spoken word, Rollins-like cadence, if we are referring to his 90's solo output that is. They linger on, sustaining the feedback’s squeal, to create what might be heard as the noisiest song thus far. 'Concern' finds its sonic pendulum swinging back in a more melodic direction, with the vocals once again spoken, though not as poetic as the previous track, but also not shouted at you with an abundance of whiskey-soaked testosterone either. 

The band more blatantly engage in rapid-fire punk outbursts with the frantic 'PR Nightmare' which is in true punk form, under a minute and a half. The final track is more syncopated, bringing back the noise rock tendencies, the band taking their anger and turning the brooding into a great deal of fun. There's an honest digging into the social issues creating their discontent, though they are lyrically shrouded enough to not find their singers behind a pulpit. 

Strawberry might not be the most original album you hear this year, but these guys definitely made the album they set out to make. Therefore if you are a fan of burly punk but don’t want yet another Black Flag clone, then Prayer Group are worth checking out.

Review by Wil Cifer