This album stars off with “Exhibitionism”, and clearly Institute are sticking with the grimier side of production and I love that. This track has such a great, muddy feel to this, and boy of they ever sound aggressive. There’s still a sort of goth feel to it, or at the very least a seriously dark undertone. I love just how murky this all comes off, I feel like I’m in some 80’s underground club just like I didn't listening to their early EP’s. However, the guitar licks are catchy enough to make this stick with you, not to mention the guitar solo here is solid. But man, it’s frontman Moses Brown’s performance that really sends this one home, it’s just so raw and angry. I can’t tell you how much I seriously dig Institute’s style. It’s funny though, I would have never guessed this was recorded off the Sacred Bones label, but I love it, and i love the very retro tinge to all of it. “Exhibitionism” is one hell of an opener. Up next is “Only Child”, and as these tracks go on, I keep getting bits and pieces here and there of bands that totally influenced Institute. Like for example, I’m seriously getting some Hüsker Dü in that main riff for sure. But I just can’t get enough of the really intense drums here and the almost doom-oriented atmosphere. We seem to forget that Institute are a Post Punk band at the end of the day, and this is their siren song. Moses’s performance here is so robotic and cold, I can't get enough of it. It’s just such a grizzly and visceral sound that missing in some of the best Post Punk acts in the world right now. Now, “Only Child” isn’t as catchy in parts as the intro to this album, but it’s just as hypnotizing and refreshing to the genre. Plus, I seriously love the very manic, almost mantra-like hypnotizing vocals that close this track off. Next up, “Prissy Things” is by far the harshest track we’ve been introduced to yet on the album, maybe in Institute’s whole discography. This is where the serious hardcore punk influence comes in, and BOY is it ever awesome. “Prissy Things” is harsh and seriously aggressive, while remaining dark and moody as well. And while it’s just about the shortest track here, it packs enough punch to be easily one of the most memorable tracks here by far. The drum performance is intense, Moses’s performance is a work of brilliance, and the attitude of this track and this band is almost something of a lost art in Punk.
Institute with “All This Pride” decide to take us in a much slower direction. But it’s almost too slow for my liking. I do like the very dark and depressing performances here, but as far as the feel of this one goes, the sluggish pace really doesn’t do anything for me. I have to give Institute credit however, they’re really sticking with this very murky production, which is a gigantic risk. But they do pull it off nicely. While overall “All This Pride” isn’t my cup of tea, it does have some really great elements, like the brilliant drum roll that ushers in the more intense portion of the track. Hell, even Moses’s performance is great once again, especially towards the end of the track as everything sort of spirals out of control into this very tortured monologue. But man, do Institute ever pick up the pace with “Oil Money”. The drums on this track are some of the most savage drums we’ve been introduced to here, and as a whole this track sounds like it was picked out of the greasiest and darkest most pit in the world. This is just so damn raw and angry sounding. “Oil Money” also has something that too many Punk tracks are missing these days, and that’s a sense of serious danger. I love the very unsettling synths or whatever the hell those noisy passages are made of. It’s straightforward, it’s angry, and it’s easily one of the most Punk things I’ve heard this year. “Human Law” shows Institute once again going for a much slower track, but this one is done so much more in line with Post Punk and Institute’s style. The bass and guitar’s are both really hypnotic, and Moses’s performance is very robotic and stiff sounding, making this track come off just so icy and uninviting. Institute have such a gift in taking what made these genre’s interesting and exciting 30 years ago, and bringing them up to today’s standards. The instrumental break towards the middle of the track is a little hit and miss, and goes on for far too long. But that sense of uncertainty instantly thrown away with the last two minutes of sheer destruction.
Now after a slower track from Institute, I always love when they throw us right back into the swing of things. “Too Dumb” is just that. This track is seriously grimy, and is just a good old fashioned, balls out punk performance. Once again, this track is seriously short. But these short, blackened, bursts of energy seem to work so well for Institute. Not only is “Too Dumb” aggressive and energetic, but it remains absolutely filth. I love the strangely harmonious guitar licks as well throughout. Institute, simply put, have these short bursts of anger down to a science. Up next, “Good Ol’ Boy” almost has an industrial feel in that very heavy production. But at it’s core, it’s just another Institute track pushing further into the hardcore direction (a direction I wouldn’t mind hearing more of.). To be honest though, “Good Ol’ Boys” is one of the most streamlined, catchiest, and most inviting tracks here, all while remaining very true to the punk platform Institute stand on. I can’t stress enough how great this retro tinge to Institute’s music really comes off, fans of OFF! will totally pick up on this immediately. It’s one of the more melodic tracks on here, but to be honest, it’s necessary at this point in the album. Institute end this album off with “Powerstation”, one of the early singles dropped from this album and honestly one of my least favorite tracks here. I don’t know, but I feel like listening to this that so many of the other slower tracks here just packed so much more of a punch. This one to me just comes off sloppy to be honest. Up until now, the grimy production has been flattering and all. But on “Powerstation” Institute come off as unfocused and unorganized, and the track really never seems to get going. Still, if you’re looking for a seriously grimy punk album, you’re not going to want to miss this.
Rating : 7.7/10
Give A Listen To: "Exhibitionism". "Good Ol' Boys", "Oil Money", "Too Dumb"
Overall Thoughts: If you're into retro tinged, aggressive Hardcore/Post Punk, you're not going to want to miss this. This album is muddy, it's dark, it's angry, it's all of the things that made Post Punk and Hardcore so relevant in the 80's. It's not a perfect album, and there are some moments on here where Institute seem to be a little unsure of which way they want to push forward with their sound. But if you're into all things aggressive, give this album a listen.
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