Gothtober- Normal Weirds : " Frown Time"

This East Bay Death-punk band leans more into the punk side of the equation, but are dark enough for me to put them under the umbrella of Gothtober. Angrier than they are drugged out and sleazy like most death-rock, some creepy undertones ride in on "Capsized". The vocals are what anchor them most into punk; the songs are driving and upbeat but not like Minor Threat. Harsher vocals chime in from the periphery. There is a layer of crust caked on what they do that I enjoy since crust punk tends to be one of my favorite flavors of the genre. 

They pick up the tempo with a burlier bass line, giving them weight on "Bury Me" and maintain this vibe though, with more classic punk hooks on "Lost Desires. They maintain this momentum until "Druidess," which is the first song that doesn't connect with me as strongly it's closer to straight-up punk than I am normally into with the vocals pushing it further in that direction. I had to listen to it twice to confirm this feeling. They stick to their bullet belts with "Don't Fear Death" which is more straightforward punk, but all the moving parts click better for me than the previous song, and I like the lyrics. 

"Headstone Engraving" finds female vocals taking over the mic to help ease them into a darker, more death rock place. Given the song title, it would be more of a surprise if they didn't, but this works for me. "Swan Dive" meets in the middle of the band's contrasting dynamics. They are more dependable at making memorable choruses than your average punk band., The title track is an angry outburst of punk, but even then it's pretty deliberate. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me it's well done punk that keeps the songwriting first andd forement. 

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