{"id":88426,"date":"2023-01-27T13:46:34","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T18:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/?post_type=records&p=88426"},"modified":"2023-01-27T13:46:42","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T18:46:42","slug":"the-c-i-a-surgery-channel","status":"publish","type":"records","link":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/en\/records\/the-c-i-a-surgery-channel\/","title":{"rendered":"The C.I.A. – Surgery Channel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Surgery Channel<\/em>, the second album by The C.I.A. (made up of spouses Ty and Den\u00e9e Segall) has delivered unto the world the haunting garage punk sound of the future. With classic punk and hardcore sensibilities mixed into a wash of electronic and sampled sounds, Surgery Channel <\/em>is a new angle on the punk genre that never compromises on its dark, jarring, overbearing roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a relatively short run of only 32 minutes, Surgery Channel <\/em>sprints along at breakneck speed for (nearly) its entirety. Frantic, yet mechanical percussion dominates most tracks, and yet doesn\u2019t overwhelm Ty\u2019s blown-out guitar lines or Den\u00e9e\u2019s energetic, versatile vocals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an unsettling intro reminiscent of a bad trip in a dentist\u2019s chair, the album jumps straight in with “Better,” a track which is aptly named as it\u2019s better than almost anything else it precedes on the album. Gravelly, booming electronic bass looms over heavy kick drums and something akin to a death rattle on the electric guitar. Den\u00e9e\u2019s vocals shine here\u2014intense, dark, plotting a gruesome vengeance, and yet completely relaxed, somehow making the whole affair even more unsettling.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To its credit, the album has no shortage of energy or intention. However, some tracks seem to lack the imagination that others so deftly demonstrate. \u201cInhale Exhale\u201d is missing the experimental textures of electronica that help the others shine, instead relying heavily on an irritatingly repetitive guitar riff and combative vocals that sound like you\u2019re mashing the A button in a Street Fighter <\/em>game. With that said, it\u2019s not a bad song by any means\u2014those who love punk for its inherent youthful energy and juvenile tendencies might love it for all the reasons I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, Surgery Channel <\/em>is split into songs that push the envelope of convention, like the imposing “Bubble,” the unexpected “Under,” and the fascinating spoken word experiment “Construct,” and songs that are more loud and fun, like “Impersonator” and “The Wait.”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surgery Channel <\/em>is sprawling. Maximalist. Unrefined. You might not enjoy every song, but there\u2019s a distinct sense that The C.I.A. doesn\u2019t care. And what could be more punk than that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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