Album Review: 25 Years [EP] by Middle Class Rut

Before reading Kerrang! magazine describe Middle Class Rut as a cross between the “swagger of Jane’s Addiction” and the “fury of Rage Against The Machine,” a similar comparison was apparent. It’s actually more like Perry Farrell singing lead for Rage (it’d be blasphemy to compare a two-piece band without a bass player to Eric Avery’s Jane’s Addiction). Even as a two-piece, Middle Classs Rut pull off an epic sound. Lead singer/guitarist Zach Lopez and drummer Sean Stockham experienced early career success when they were signed to a major label in their teens as Leisure. Since then, all versions of a band attempting to add additional players haven’t panned out. The latest incarnation, also known as MC Rut (the name comes from a Shel Silverstein poem), removes all extraneous components to focus on the pieces that were never broken.

The band releases their 25 Years EP on Bright Antenna, and the record is nothing short of spectacular. From the opening riffs of the title track, the EP features six punches to the face. “25 Years” serves well as an opener, complete with visceral guitars and Richard Patrick screams. “Dead Set” features an impressive interplay between Lopez’s delayed guitar and Stockham’s relentless percussion. “I Guess You Could Say” lightens up just a bit, with an addictive guitar melody and lyrical wordplay. “All Walks of Life,” a standout track on the EP, finds the band turning up the intensity with Lopez’s squelching guitars and best screamo impersonation. “Tied Up” is an anthemic dose of collected rage with a catchy chorus. The band saves the best track in “I Don’t Really Know” as the closer. It’s highlighted by Lopez’s impeccable guitar solos and his strongest lyrics on the record, as he sings an angst-ridden duet against his alter ego (I’m assuming this is Stockham helping out on vocals): “I don’t really know what I believe; I never really know, I can’t agree.”

The album is one of our favorites of the year and will likely end up on Fishpork’s end-of-year lists. MC Rut has recently gained increasing popularity in the UK, and the buzz continues in the US. Download the title track from the EP here or stream it below:

Watch the video for “Busy Bein’ Born” off their MC Rut EP below. If you like what you hear, check out our contest for a Middle Class Rut prizepack, which features a copy of the 25 Years EP and a limited addition 7″ of the “Busy Bein’ Born” single signed by the band.

http://mcrut.com
http://www.myspace.com/middleclassrut

Nine Inch Nails, Sesame Street Used For Torture

In a disturbing but not very surprising revelation, the music of Nine Inch Nails has been used by the U.S. military against detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanimo Bay. Prisoners were aurally assaulted for hours and days at a time with excrutiating levels of hard rock music. In addition to Nine Inch Nails, the blaring sounds of AC/DC, Queen, Pantera, Rage Against the Machine, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Metallica, Christina Aguilera, and Neil Diamond have been played at levels just loud enough to avoid bursting the ear drums of detainees. Even children’s songs, including the Barney and Sesame Street theme songs, have been used to “break” detainees. The Associated Press cited an FBI report where one interrogator bragged that it only took four days of alternating music and light with silence and darkness. One prisoner reported the following statement to his lawyer:

There was loud music, Slim Shady and Dr. Dre for 20 days. I heard this nonstop over and over. The CIA worked on people, including me, day and night for months before I left. Plenty lost their minds.

Recently, some artists have stepped forward to communicate their disapproval with these tactics. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails voiced his opinion today on his web site’s blog:

It’s difficult for me to imagine anything more profoundly insulting, demeaning and enraging than discovering music you’ve put your heart and soul into creating has been used for purposes of torture. If there are any legal options that can be realistically taken they will be aggressively pursued, with any potential monetary gains donated to human rights charities.
Thank GOD this country has appeared to side with reason and we can put the Bush administration’s reign of power, greed, lawlessness and madness behind us.

Unfortunately, not all musicians are offended by the thought of their songs being used for torture. Stevie Benton, bassist for Drowning Pool recently commented to Spin Magazine, without authorization from his record label:

People assume we should be offended that somebody in the military thinks our song is annoying enough that played over and over it can psychologically break someone down. I take it as an honor to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that.

Those artists who are insulted with these tactics are doing something about it. Massive Attack and former Rage Against the Machine guitarist, Tom Morello, have officially campaigned against the use of their music for torture. Shows and festivals they are associated with will include moments of silences to voice their disgust with our government’s disregard for human rights. The campain is called Zero dB and is run by a human rights group in England called Reprieve, who enforce the human rights of prisoners. Their web site features an online petition for those who condemn the use to torture.