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Get their "Step Inside My Deathray" LP instead

Oliver Sheppard | US | 06/21/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This EP is okay, but not as good as their follow-up LP, which is also available on Amazon, or from the label ... . Jesuseater features the vocal talents of ex-Swiz/Dag Nasty frontman Shawn Brown. The sound here isn't as fully developed as on Jesuseater's LP. While the LP presents a robust, early HELMET or ROLLINS BAND sound, this EP is a bit more plodding. It doesn't sound as if the band members are comfortable working with each other, yet. It's decent stuff, but they're not playing to their full potential here. Whether that's the fault of the songwriting, or something that got lost in the production, or something else, I don't know. As a huge fan of pretty much everything Shawn Brown has been involved with -- Swiz, Sweetbelly Freakdown, Fury -- Jesuseater seem an appropriate addition. They trade in the speed of 80's hardcore for the slower, solid early HELMET-like grooves of old Amphetamine Reptile label bands. It's cool stuff, if that's your thing. Brown's powerful vocals give it just that right amount of Rollins-era BLACK FLAG anger to make it appeal to those who usually only like things that are faaaaast. Check this out if you're a DC hardcore completist like me, otherwise go with their "Step Inside My Death Ray" LP first, which I highly recommend for it's full-on, powerful, ...-kicking heaviness. (See my review.)"