6. Clashing 7/4 drums and 3/4 guitars in “Killing Yourself to Live”
Progression Through Unlearning is by no means a lesson in math rock, but another excellent timing clash comes in “Killing Yourself to Live,” when Redmond switches from 4/4 to 7/4 as the guitars play a repetitious riff in three. Another guitar squeals along in the distance, following the drums.
7. Feedback transition between “She Suffocates” and “Weak Tyrant”
As “She Suffocates” closes, multi-tracked guitars resonate with feedback that comes to a quasi-harmony. It’s not experimental, but it’s a cool little transition for a straightforward hardcore album.
8. Buildup and breakdown in “Weak Tyrant”
An alternating snare-and-kick beat introduces a few ringing guitar chords that layer with a cacophonous chord. This precludes a huge breakdown riff that plays over the alternating beat, which stops for a measure before Redmond goes heavy on the kick drum.
9. Dueling distorted harmonics on “Vent”
After a snare-roll break on the penultimate song, both guitars engage in artificial harmonics that collide in discord, similar to a regularly fretted second guitar part in the song’s intro. Snapcase’s original guitarist, Scott Dressler, makes a cameo and gets some songwriting credit.
10. Secret track with clip from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
What would this album be without the levity in its secret track? Here is the exchange between P.W. Herman and his ladyfriend over distant sounds of dread:
Pee-wee: “There’s a lot of things about me you don’t know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn’t understand. Things you couldn’t understand. Things…you shouldn’t understand.”
Dottie: “I don’t understand.”
Pee-wee: “You don’t want to get mixed up with a guy like me. I’m a loner, Dottie – a rebel.”
– Scott Morrow
Snapcase: www.snapcase.com
Victory Records: www.victoryrecords.com