Reviews / Quotes

[ self-produced | post-hardcore, post-rock, noise rock, math ]
At first listen it could easily be a Dischord classic, from Fugazi to Hoover, but this is 2023 and there's a lot of meat, from the bizarre finishes of Polvo, to American shoegaze, from Nineties emo to June of 44. Unknown it's better (cit.). -https://www.rockambula.com/ 

…or Does it Explode [...] celebrate[s] the release of Chrysalis, a heady post-punk album that took shape as the project morphed out of another Madison band, Our Friends The Savages, repurposing some of the earlier band’s songs and writing new music. It feels like something that’s been simmering for a while, bringing a swirl of lofty ideas into sharp focus. Standout tracks like “Cleveland Harbor Effect” patiently build atmosphere until it’s time for a lean, furious crescendo. Guitarist/vocalist Shawn Bass, guitarist Brandon Boggess, drummer Erik Rasmuson, and bassist J Granberg make the fundamentals sound big and multifarious—all through well-honed dynamic shifts, not just quiet to loud but compression and release. That no-frills approach bodes well for the live set. —Scott Gordon, Tone Madison

… "Dream Deferred," the sprawling, seven-and-a-half minute opener of …Or Does It Explode?'s new full-length Chrysalis,  makes it abundantly clear the band's not shying away from ambition.  Invoking the unease produced by inequity via a sound collage of speeches  laid over a bed of post-rock is a bold move but, here, it works. What  follows are nine more tracks proudly bearing the marks of an array of  influences: Shellac, American Football, Sunny Day Real Estate, The  Wrens, La Dispute, Cap'n Jazz, and Slint among them.
 

Chrysalis, by virtue of both those influences and its overall scope, is a  statement record. Consistently engaging throughout a runtime that  brushes up against an hour, Chrysalis is hard proof that …Or Does It Explode? mean business. While Chrysalis includes all three of the tracks ("Dream Deferred," "Killswitch," "The  Chrysalis And The Swan") from the band's 2021 demo, the record lays some  enticing groundwork for what might come next. . — Steven Spoerl, Tone Madison

 …Or Does It Explode? go big with conceptual and sonic reaches on their debut album, Chrysalis. “Shattered Princess,” on the other hand, shows us what the post-hardcore band can do when it pares back, bringing welcome balance to an ambitious record. Delicate, clean-toned guitars, vocals full of weary compassion, and the concise punch of the chorus give this song just as much impact as the band’s lengthier and more grandiose statements. —Scott Gordon