TODD "Comes To Your House"

There's loud music, there's harsh music, and then there's violent music. Many bands are loud; some are harsh, but very, very few are truly violent. London's TODD is one of them. Their second record, out May 15th on Southern, is called Comes To Your House and is nothing less than a concise, direct, and downright relentless aural and sensory attack. Yet, for all of it's abrasiveness, comes To Your House is a very compelling, addictive record. Lead singer Craig Clouse was formerly in the legendary 1990s sludge-rockers Hammerhead (why is it not surprising that he was in an AmRep band?) but TODD is something completely different; Clouse's tortured yelp is the equivalent of David Yow's first day in the eternal torture and punishment of Hell, and his bandmates are up to the challenge of making music that's just as pained and hellish. To call Comes To Your House melodic would be laughable, but that's not dismissive; there's a melodic tinge to this music, one that's almost completely subliminal, but it's there. Don't expect to understand everything that's going on; I've listened to this record many times, and I have yet to make out much of the words, but when I consider song titles like "The Knife Whisperer," "Chair Fight," and "Crank a Winch," it's probably best I can't!

As harsh as the music may be, the purity of the onslaught is its appeal; in a world of phoney metal bands and hard-rock poseurs, there's absolutely NO WAY TODD can be anything but THE REAL DEAL. The record is less of an album and more of one eleven-part symphonic movement; the flow of the record is just so amazing, and it all fits together quite nicely. It's a pure work of disturbing genius, that's for sure. TODD will scare the living shit out of you; it's the equivalent of being eyed by a psychotic stranger, and it's best to avoid playing it around young children, the weak of heart, and small animals. Listen with extreme caution. But when you do listen, expect magic.

Listen To: "Comes To Your House"
Listen To: "Captain Vinegar"