I never knew geek-metal existed until I tripped over WorldEater Records and their stable of eyebrow-raising acts. While Northern Liberties appear to be on the high end of the label’s DIY spectrum (as opposed to say, Bitchslicer), I’m at a loss as to the depth of the audience for music that sounds like Motorhead dragged through an RPG game table (or a copy of Dianetics read while drunk, high and antisocial). But to their credit, Northern Liberties don’t deserve nearly as much shit as I’d give them if I were a dismissive bastard.
Sure, their singing is sophomorically bad and their harmonies are pointedly unharmonious, but it gives them a certain kind of charm. Yes, the lyrics are tantamount to bad sci-fi rambling and “make it up as you go along” belief systems, but it’s nice to see the unpolished side of geek chic. And I must say that the lads play their instruments well enough to not get booed offstage, and occasionally stumble across a serendipitous riff. When push comes to shove, they fall back on the double-time rant and wail approach, buoyed by flat drumming and droning guitars that sound like they could use a complete restringing — but somehow, for all their flaws, they actually pull it together enough for me to say, “If you like this kind of brutal suburban basement navel-gazing, Erode + Disappear would actually be a good listen.” For the rest of us, I’m not so sure…but hey, everyone needs an outlet.
— Justin Kownacki