SWL #29: MUTANT VIDEO, "The Drive"

 

Iron Lung records describe MUTANT VIDEO as “The penultimate hash-mark in the workbench of John Carpenter meets American punk soundtrack-core”, and I really don’t think there’s a better way to say it. The Seattle-based duo of John Lukeman (also Drowner) and Nic Schmidt (also Feeding) quietly dropped their 3rd release as a project on the 25th of this month (June), and it’s essential listening for anyone who has ever ruminated on the role that film music plays in forging our lasting impressions of movies like Halloween or Jaws. The EP, appropriately titled Missing Fingers, is somewhat darker than their previous work--largely by virtue of its austerity, but also due to a growing undercurrent of hardcore/powerviolence in some songs. “The Drive” is the second track off the cassette, and even though it’s more structured than much of their catalog, it’s a good place to find your footing in their sound. The massive and unrelenting drums are complemented by synth work that sounds almost militant and alien; closing your eyes while listening, it’s not difficult to envision the world through the dirty windshield of some blood-smirtched female protagonist as she makes her way up winding mountain roads to some unimaginable climax. “Missing Fingers” is out now via Iron Lung. No word on the next show, but they usually play about once a month somewhere in town, so keep an eye on our upcoming shows list.