It was extremely easy for me to forget that these songs were recordings of live performances, until the frontmen started addressing a crowd in between the songs, in a few moments that brought me back to reality.
DCxPC live is a collective that releases albums and live recordings, and having been once astonished by their Rise Defy’s super short and super heavy 2-song EP, they are back with a double feature from two bands from the Tampa, Florida area. Two extremely heavy bands whose sounds discover two distinct tropes of hardcore punk. RATH & The Wise Guys are heavier, more hardcore, less composed and more out there, with hectic, electrifying performances, prominent obscenities and a song that’s outwardly about drugs, for a vibe that’s totally infectious, energizing, and unsafe for kids. The Kuttofs on the other hand are more understated, with sensible vocals, more prominent melodies, longer songs with verses and choruses, while maintaining breakneck tempos, blistering distortion, and a sound that’s all-around punk.
For a live recording, the two sets are incredibly well mixed, and as for the performances, it suffices to say that the audience really witnessed 2 bands laying it all down as hard as humanly possible, with RATH & The Wise Guys’s frontman even proclaiming that this was the best time they ever played ‘Stiffed’ live, the two bands performed outstandingly for an incredible fulfilling listen. Nose Candy, the song about “drugs, drugs, drugs” is particularly groovy, with meaty riffs, and a terrific vocal performance that’s dangerously catchy. The Kuttofs’ rhythm section is really doing something for the ages here, and with the drum kit mixed right in the middle between the 2 speakers, front, and center, it’s really easy to hear the extremely busy kick drum beat going mad behind the fiery riffs, and the delicious, overdriven bass.
Another awesome live set from DCxPC that will convince you that if you’re a punk aficionado, you should be looking to book the nearest flight to Tampa, and head directly to Uncle Lou’s to witness one of those intense sonic assaults in person.
