I’m A Spider
Cream Cloud, 2022
9/10
I was already a fan of the iconoclastic duo Altered Labyrinth, so it was quite exciting to see this one arrive from the California and Chile artists Matt Dickey (guitar, vocals, bass, synth) and Matt Garfein (drums).
“Tell Me Why Your Head Is Fake” gets the listen off to an off kilter start, where thick bouts of alt-rock enter amid the tuneful, blurry version of dream-pop, and “Let Her In The Walls” follows with a calmer but no less creative climate of post-punk that shimmers with a jagged meets hazy demeanor.
In the middle, the dense, pounding “There Was An Evil Person Here” injects bits of intimacy alongside the bright guitar tone that even gets anthemic, while “When The Jacket Shines” actually get a bit pretty, where complicated guitar and pounding drums give it plenty of ruggedness, too.
Close to the end, the ominous fuzz of “Call The Cops” segues into a mesmerizing, nearly shoegaze sort of swirl, and “I’m Climbing Up And Down The Roof” exits with a surreal droning that’s darkly absorbing.
Even though they are certainly carving out their own path, you might be reminded of legends like My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division or even Melvins, and I feel quite comfortable saying that Altered Labyrinth are making some of the most distinct and enjoyable post-punk that exists today.
Travels well with: Strange Horizon- Beyond The Strange Horizon; Haunted Summer- Whole