DCxPC Live Reviews All This Time is Yours Now by GODDAMNIT
It always kills me when I discover a “new” band only to find out they’ve been around for over a decade, and I just somehow missed the memo. Such is the case with Goddamnit, but like my childhood in the comic book stores, I’m checking out what’s new while digging through the back issues to get my full exposure.
On 12/9/22 they released a new album, All this Time is Yours Now, on Sell The Heart Records (If you know them, you love them, and if you don’t, you need to check them out!) and Creep Records (A label I know from the 1990s for their support of killer street punk bands like Violent Society, The Boils and one of my favorite DC bands, The Suspects!)
Before I did any research I threw it on, and it opens with “Totally Undone”, a mid-tempo rocker with powerfully urgent vocals that reminded me immediately of a mix of Hot Water Music and maybe Off With Their Heads.
The next song, “Rejects on the Wall”, kicks it into full drive by upping the tempo, and doubling down on the plaintively emphatic vocals and lyrics. This is some good shit. It reminds me of music I’d have heard on No Idea Records back in the day.
After I tasted the first two songs, I checked out their bio a bit and saw that I was pretty on point with my connections. They explicitly state their desire to “harken back to the ‘golden era’ of punk and post hardcore” as they mix the sounds of bands like Jawbreaker, The Promise Ring, Quicksand, Small Brown Bike and Hot Water Music. They hands down nail it by evoking these sounds while maintaining a freshness that has me playing this on repeat.
“Rust Between The Years” is a standout track. I really dig the transition between the verses and the chorus and the way it builds at the end and then just fades out. It’s a punk song but with all the elements of post punk and garage rock.
“Pieces Left” provides some dope riffage and guitar licks with pauses and rhythms that would have anyone in the audience sway with their whole body with a barely containable need to jump in the air during the builds.
At first glance the album cover seems to be a hopeful image due to the color palette, but when you take time look at it, you see that it shows a man and young boy sitting on a beach with everything burning just near the water in front of them which when combined with the album title, All This Time is Yours Now, evokes a darkness that isn’t immediately evident at first glance. This is fitting because the songs contain the same mixture of hope and darkness that seems to run parallel with the cover.
I saw a couple bands on Sell The Heart Records at The Fest last year, but I don’t think this band was there. Here’s hoping they are next year!
I’ve added one of their tracks to my new playlist, Bands to See Live: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4d5o5aeodHjkk2GWaos9Xg?si=d9e69d20983e4405
The album is available on all streaming services, and you can get the CD or 12” From:
Sell The Heart - https://selltheheartrecords.bigcartel.com/product/goddamnit-all-this-time-is-yours-now-12-lp-pre-order
Bandcamp - https://selltheheartrecords.bandcamp.com/album/all-this-time-is-yours-now
FB - https://www.facebook.com/Goddamnitmusic
IG - https://www.instagram.com/goddamnitband/
Bandcamp - https://goddamnit.bandcamp.com/album/all-this-time-is-yours-now
The band is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Arik Victor, and filled out by Steve Vaiani (drums), Beau Brendley (guitar), and Kyle McKnight (bass).
Per the band: We spent a week at our studio in Fishtown with Chris Pierce (Doc Hopper/School Drugs/Mikey Erg Band) behind the board. After that the record went to Alan Douches at West West Side music for mastering. And finally we worked with the all mights John Yates at Stealworks to do the art and layout.
Oh and they also say: This album rules! (To which I wholeheartedly agree!)
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