The Locust - Plague Soundscape

The Locust
Plague Soundscape
Anti- Records
Grade: A-

This is the first release on Epitaph's Anti Records for this four-piece from San Diego. These kings of power-violence, noise and art-core have sought out to destroy everything you know about music in an attempt to just annoy and bother individuals' minds. Through their many releases, most on 3.1.G. Records, the Locust have been successful in this endeavor. Unlike other bands of the same ilk, e.g., Arab on Radar, the Locust actually do display some talent amongst the noise. Formed from the ashes of other San Diego hardcore bands, most notably the Swing Kids who are truly amazing, the Locust sought to change the face of hardcore. After numerous lineup changes, the current four members are also engaged a plethora of side projects, among them Holy Molar. Given that the Locust's songs average about a minute long and are a collection of noise, I would assume they don't spend tons of time perfecting everything. Hence, this allows them to work in other bands.

Plague Soundscape is very much in line with past Locust material, except here the recording quality excels past their earlier releases. Most interesting and defining for the record are the plethora of electronic noises that do sound like swarms of bugs, i.e., locusts, attacking the listener. With songs titled as "Priest with the Sexually Transmitted Disease, Get out of my Bed" and "Who Wants a Dose of the Clap?," there is a family-orientated theme in every song. The music from this album is expected to be heard in the latest Disney animated film coming out this summer.

Though the Locust has an interesting and broad following, they also have a number of critics. This criticism comes not just due to their warm, soothing music, but because of a "rumored" penchant for intense living and drug use. For example, the Locust excel in marketing merchandise and one of their items is a Locust compact - a compact that some simply refer to as "coke mirrors." I suppose if you play extreme music, you might as well live extreme, it worked for G.G. Allin.