AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: SHATTER BRAIN — “LOREM IPSUM”

 

March 2020. Not so long ago, really, but the world was so different then that it seems like another era, or at least the beginning of a new era, as in fact it was.

In the middle of that month we premiered a video for a song named “Talk In Fear” off Pitchfork Justice, the then-forthcoming new album by Shatter Brain from Adelaide, Australia. Even then, the video already seemed like something from a by-gone day… a day when people could congregate in a bar and cause trouble. Even then, people were beginning to be limited to the internet as an available place for making trouble (and then they got to go to bars again, and now look how much trouble that has caused). The video also proved that Shatter Brain are probably a hell of a lot of fun to watch on stage, though in March it was mighty uncertain when they’d get to do that again.

Now here we near the end of July. Pitchfork Justice has been released (by Wormhole Death/Aural Music). And lo and behold we have another Shatter Brain video for you. This one, however, was made under the constraints of the pandemic. It’s still loads of fun to watch, and the music still kicks ass. The song this time, also off Pitchfork Justice, is “Lorem Ipsum“.

 

 

For this video Shatter Brain live-streamed a performance of the song while each member was self-isolating in their own home. Some of the band’s friends from the Adelaide metal scene joined the conference call to help with sound, lighting, and…uh, stage management. Lyrically, we’re told that “Lorem Ipsum” “is a commentary on the spread of misinformation and uninformed opinions that has been propagated by the evolution of the internet and social media.” (As explained here, the phrase also unexpectedly refers to a type-setting technique, with a source that dates back to at least 1914, and is a tool now often included in word processing programs — a tool that allows for the insertion of nonsense as a placeholder for something more meaningful.)

The video is lots of fun to watch (and doesn’t end quite when you think it will), and as mentioned, the song will kick your ass up so high you’ll look like a hunchback. Perched atop his couch, vocalist Tom makes a lot of dynamic noise, singing in gritty James Hetfield-like tones, bellowing like a bull, and screaming like a man on fire. Meanwhile, Ryan beats his kit within an inch of its life, bassist Pat puts the thunder in your bloodstream, and guitarist Matt ejects an array of blaring, blazing, brazen riffs. All together, they create a pulse-punching, gut-slugging, neck-ruining riot that somehow also becomes a soaring anthem, capped with a delicious guitar solo.

 

Credit goes to Jimmy Balderston at Ghostnote Recording Studios for recording and mixing the sound, and to Dav Byrne at Iridium Audio for mastering. Shatter Brain filmed the video, and the effort was produced by the band and Adam Andersen at Ando Media Services.

Pitchfork Justice stews together ingredients from sludge, thrash, and hardcore (among other things), and it’s recommended for fans of High on Fire, Black Breath, and Power Trip (among other groups). As mentioned, it’s out now via Wormholedeath/Aural Music Group, and we’ve included a stream of the album below the video in case you’re interested in exploring further (which you definitely should do).

BUY LINKS:
Merch: https://shatterbrainmetal.square.site/
Digital: https://orcd.co/pxddm5a
CD: https://www.auralwebstore.com

SHATTER BRAIN:
https://www.shatterbrainmetal.com
https://www.facebook.com/shatterbrainmetal