Jars: Jars (2012)

"The self-titled debut by the Russian quartet Jars is a beautiful cacophony that rips your mind out and stomps on it. The five-song cluster of hardcore punk, noise sensibilities, and grunge qualities separate the strong from the weak. These five songs brilliantly mash together blitzkrieg sounds with sluggish sounds in one of the most unique releases released in a very long time. From the beginning song, “Pentacar (Inverted Me)”, you’re taken on a wild ride of barely understood lyrics and absolute loads of distortion. “Pentacar” is the best balance between the two extremes of their speed. The guttural guitars punch you in the stomach and leave you breathless, and the drums are so thick and loud and bouncy. This band might be a hardcore punk band, but they really sound like a more evolved version. I love every click in the noise of the guitar when strumming. Even in the later parts, when the weird buzzing occurs, followed by an experimental solo, are jaw-droppingly spectacular. In later parts of the release, you really start to notice the brilliance of this band. It’s sonically different from every release I’ve ever heard. Even in “Don’t Wanna Visit Your Show”, the slight break before the rebuttal of blissfully disgusting and repulsive music comes right back in. The seemingly normal sound to the guitars “Song To Sing Alone”. The out-of-sync guitars in “I Rise – You Shine”. The mumbling vocals of “Roughside Song“. The doom bass in “Highways”. Every bit of this release is an audible matrimony of dirty distortion and groove-oriented relaxation. A match made in Music Heaven?" (listenbeforeyoubuy.net)