Louisville, Kentucky's Coliseum is a band that's exceedingly hard to pigeonhole. The trio started as a straight forward punk/post-hardcore band with more than a little bit of metallic flavor. But, with each new album, the band moved further away from their earlier, rawer material and further into the more melodic and brooding realm of post-punk. On Anxiety's Kiss, the band's upcoming fifth LP, they shuffle off the punk rock coil almost entirely, and the result is one of Coliseum's strongest offerings in an already excellent body of work. This is an album that expertly walks the line between heaviness and art rock; this is gnarly post-punk for people who didn't study Classics in college.
Anxiety's Kiss opens with the percussive bass line of "We Are the Water." The track bears more than a passing resemblance to I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness's "According to Plan," but with a serious dose of piss and vinegar thanks to Ryan Patterson's gruff vocal delivery and jagged guitar work. "We Are the Water" sets the stage for the rest of the album, which veers effortlessly between Gang of Four style post-punk, Killing Joke's apocalyptic pseudo-metal tendencies, and desolate goth rock. No doubt, the vanilla heavy metal fans reading this have already thrown their hands up and proclaimed "NOPE," but writing this album off because it isn't metal enough (or metal at all, really) is a big mistake.
Even though Coliseum have largely abandoned their d-beat influenced post-hardcore roots, they still know how to kick out the jams. "Course Correction," "Drums & Amplifiers," and "Comedown" all smack of the Coliseum of old with Kayhan Vaziri's rumbling bass lines and Carter Wilson's drumming laying the foundation for Patterson's angular guitar riffing and burly roar. Make no mistake, Anxiety's Kiss rocks. But the band's hard edge is, for the first time in their career, overshadowed by the atmosphere and melody of their post-punk leanings. On past records the influence was more of a dalliance, but on this album it's allowed to take center stage.
Some listeners may take issue with the fact that Anxiety's Kiss is more moody post-punk than foot stomping rock 'n' roll, but, honestly, you should have seen this coming. The anxiety and tension of post-punk has always been a part of Coliseum's music. "Love Under Will" from the band's 2013 album Sister Faith, with its slower tempo and quiet/loud/quiet dynamics, is a clear antecedent to "Sharp Fangs, Pale Flesh." Likewise, "Lost In Groningen" and "Statuary" from the 2010 album House With A Curse, while more raw and punk rock, predicts the up tempo, quasi-goth rock love song "Sunlight In a Snowstorm."
It's doubtful that long time fans will find much if anything to be disappointed about here. As I mentioned before, this is one of Coliseum's best albums and, if you've enjoyed the band's previous output, it stands to reason you'll still enjoy this new direction they're moving in. Anxiety's Kiss represents a nice balance between the unchecked fury of the band's earlier catalog and their more recent art punk proclivities. This is hardcore that you can shake your ass or make-out to.
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