Often times, people dispute genre distinctions. Some argue that genre labels are important in discussing music, others argue that pigeonholing a band's unique sound into a larger sub-group is an inaccurate analysis on the listener's behalf.
Less Life is one of those bands that I won't even bother trying to append a label to. At its root, the sound is hardcore punk played in the best possible chaotic and dissonant context. From the frantic, off time signature songwriting in the first track, "To Be Guided By Faith Is To Be Misled," to the down-tempo structure and easily discernible lyricism the closing track, "The Walk To Work," Less Life incorporates so many different sounds to their own fine tuning in this recording and they've done it right. From their bandcamp bio, "It's sort of like if Takaru, Deadguy, Botch and Tragedy all got mixed up in a smoothie with some soy milk." On that note, members of the band personally take up veganism and the straight edge, but they collectively (and thankfully) avoid the misnomer "vegan straight edge band." Mindful punks, to say the least.
Members of Less Life also play in the biggest multitude of bands you've ever heard of. Tom Schlatter, the drummer, currently takes on vocal duties in a band called Capacities. I couldn't even begin to say enough good things about that band. Tom also played in many other New Jersey based bands such as You and I, The Assistant, and Black Kites. George Grimaldi, the singer, also currently does vocals in Insurrection and has done vocals in other projects such as Write Back Soon. He also currently plays bass in Philadelphia-based Cop Problem. Busy, busy guys.
The tracks on this release come from a split LP that Less Life is sharing with Dying, a Philadelphia-based band with similar vegan-minded motifs. Andrew, the frontman of Dying, will be putting out the split LP on his self-run label Hydrogen Man Records. Dying's 2 two song side of the split was put out on tape by Hydrogen Man as well, to a quantity of 100 copies.
Seeing that nobody had already put it out, I sought to put out Less Life's side of the split on tape under End Result, and I couldn't be more stoked to be doing these tapes. There will be 50 copies as I said above, and official release info will follow with regard to that.
For now, you can listen to these tracks from Less Life's bandcamp and follow what they're doing on Facebook.
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