There is nothing more satisfying than hitting “play” on a record and being instantly transported back to when discovering new music happened almost exclusively at a record shop. I cherish vivid memories of walking into Full Circle Records, an indie music shop located in the small town I grew up in. I’d ride my bike there almost every Tuesday after school. As bell on the door would sound off, my buddy Scott would be towering over the cashier’s counter sorting the latest shipment of CDs into neat piles. “You GOTTA give this one a spin, dude.” He’d hand me the Store Copy of a new record he thought I might enjoy. I’d rush over to the Listening Station, eagerly pressing the foam-covered headphones to my ears while new music blitzed my senses. It’s a rarity when a contemporary release takes me back to those formative years. When the occasion presents itself, I do whatever I can to share the intoxicating feeling with as many music lovers as possible.
That’s why I feel compelled to share the new LP from Maryland’s own – Old Bay Thrashers. Spaceship Earth is a record that you’ll covet from the first ethereal moments of its opening track. Much like artist Steve Kirn’s illustration that graces the cover of the new album, “A.O.S.” immediately gifts the listener with a sense of mystique and grandeur. As the song builds, the soundscape and progressive movement of its arrangement becomes reminiscent of an overture setting the scene for an epic orchestral experience.
After “A.O.S.” sets the stage, “Siren” begins with a playful rhythm and sing-song melody that instantly catches the listener’s attention. It’s immediately apparent that the production quality on Spaceship Earth is fantastic, allowing for drummer Zak Concannon’s versatile rhythmic sensibilities to stand out while blending perfectly with the driving tone of bassist, Todd Spalt.
Speaking of sonic achievements on the album, the guitar tones are unbelievably well-crafted. They serve as the vibrant color palette and varied brush strokes that separate a painting from a masterpiece. Producer, Matt Martin’s stewardship over the mix is thoughtful and well-balanced, allowing each component of the arrangement to blend together seamlessly and tell a story to the listener.
Back to “Siren” itself, where the melodies and lyrics give the song an almost nautical quality. Perhaps the title of this tune colors my opinion, but I envision a pub filled with Nordic sailors gathered around a fire, pints in hand, bellowing along to the melody after a long day at sea. Just when I’m feeling satisfied by the vibe “Siren” has filled me with, it gets HEAVY. And it gets moving in a way that braces me for a night of moshing with smelly punks and metalheads at my local pub. Or, better yet, at The Depot in Baltimore where the Old Bay Thrashers are a mainstay.
The premonition comes to fruition as “Nemesis” blazes into my eardrums! The riffage is reminiscent of post-hardcore giants, like Thrice or Hot Water Music. But the song’s composition isn’t derivative in any way. “Nemesis” seems fresh and inspired while at the same time insinuating that the band has been ingrained with this riffage since being forged in the molten fires of Middle Earth. I have to comment again on the guitar tones and the production. It’s a feast for the ears… For the SOUL. Musical craftsmanship at its finest!
The best part about “Nemesis”? While the vocals are clear and melodic, they eventually surrender to the growling, visceral scream that resides deep down inside singer/guitarist Robert Carrol’s soul. Robert’s natural instinct to weave melody with harmony is a beautiful juxtaposition to the ferocious bed of music, until it instinctually morphs into the almost barbaric battle cry that it was always destined to be.
Don’t get too comfortable. Once “Crescent Moon” and “Rockbiter” follow, so does a complete musical shift. Punk-O-Rama-Era flavors are present throughout. I notice that not a single song has missed the mark! “But what exactly is ‘the mark’,” I ask myself. Each song selection is its own unique creation with hallmark ties that bind Spaceship Earth together. It’s evident that I’m in for a deeper, much more emotionally-rewarding listening experience than a typical LP.
Lyrical content on the album follows this concept as well. Robert and Todd (aka Thimblewit) include lyrics skillfully written over the course of several years. “I think this is what I’ve needed for so long; A chance to forgive myself for everything that I have done wrong. I think from now on and forever. Me in the present should be a little nicer to me in the past.”
Before getting too bogged down by the philosophical nature of this album, track ten, “Framing the Moon”, hits me. “SKA! FUCK YES!” I yelled out loud on my first listen! “Framing the Moon” is not just the band playing Ska for the sake of exploiting the trend of the genre’s recent resurgence. It’s clear that this style of music is part of the band’s unique and versatile DNA. There’s also some hints of reggae sprinkled in, and some old-school Buddy Holly-era rock influence as well.
Robert’s fun guitar solo on the song solidifies my opinion that his solos aren’t there for vanity or to take up space. They’re composed in a way that is integral to the song moving forward to its gratifying destination. And what resides at the destination, one might ask? The THRASH! The PUNK! There to smack you in the face after lulling you into a sense of thinking you were just chilling at a sketchy bonfire on a seedy coastal city beach.
To keep things fair, I must mention that I typically enjoy albums presented in shorter form. It’s easier for my ADHD-riddled brain to digest albums that are divided into smaller morsels. On paper, Spaceship Earth’s tracklist is reminiscent of overstuffed mainstream label releases from the mid-to-late 1990’s. But just as I begin to grovel over the amount of songs contained within the vessel that is Spaceship Earth, a gem like “Occupy” graces my ears.
To be clear – either this song nor the record is long for the sake of extending its runtime. It’s longer because it’s a fucking JOURNEY. A beautiful, EPIC journey! Some of the bass lines on “Occupy” remind me of Experimental-Era Paul McCartney/Beatles fare. Its musical interlude in the middle of the chaos that bookends the song calls back to a time when Aerosmith dipped their toes into Eastern-inspired scales and motifs on their 1997 LP, Nine Lives.
And then begins “One god Further”. The song’s intro gets you READY and sets the mood. The THRASH is ever-present on this one. Notes of Exodus, Anthrax, Mercyful Fate, and early Metallica swim through my senses. I’m instantaneously brought back to Full Circle Records and Sam Goody in the mall, thumbing through the Heavy Metal section tucked back into the depths of the store, unearthing treasures by bands, like King Crimson, Megadeth, and Opeth. The pre-chorus is sooo fun vocally. Almost like the band is singing in tongues. It launches into a chorus that’s more at home on those Punk-O-Rama compilations referenced earlier, but only briefly before entering the medieval ages of METAL. I’m flooded with visions of epic battles on Roman battlefields or knights riding horseback, pillaging villages, taking their plunder back to towering castles high atop snow-capped mountains.
The next few selections are no-less epic. Almost as if the album is readying itself for a conclusion so monumental that you feel your body isn’t ready for it. From grinding intro riffs to SoCal-flavored ska-punk waltzes, it’s like a trip through the mind of the writers while navigating a ton of different times/feels/styles. The band isn’t afraid to explore the fringes of their collective influences, but they also return to what they know best. Wrecking you with BLISTERED EARTH as a tune like “No More Songs” proves why OBT have earned the crown of THE thrashers in their scene. From the relentlessness of “No More Songs” to the spiritual experience of “L.O.S.”, the drummer, Zak Concannon, shines as the mighty backbone of this uber-talented trio.
HOLY. MOTHER. FUCKING. SHIT!!!! Okay. “One God Further” WAS my favorite song on this album. But now? “Spaceship Earth” is not only my favorite entry on the record… it’s INSTANTLY earned its place as one of my Top 5 favorite songs of the entire year!! That includes releases from indie bands, signed bands, legends, locals, and everything in between. “SPACESHIP EARTH” IS A FUCKING MASTERPIECE. The production has been masterful during this entire listening experience, but I feel like THIS song is where EVERYTHING clicks. EVERYTHING comes together. The band throws every component they’re good at into this melting pot, brings it to a boil, and douses the listener with the fire and brimstone of hell itself. The lyrics tell us that Old Bay Thrashers are now a band of demons reminding us petty earthlings that we must take care of our mother earth before it sinks to the depths in which the demons now reside.
The song ends, and so does the album with its closing track, “Intention is the Engine of the Cosmos”. This final selection serves as a haunting and beautiful piece of music composed to shepherd us back into our own realm. As I listen, I feel as if I’m being sung a lullaby by a cryptid being after wandering into its dark, alien forest. And if we are to suffer and to die. If we are doomed to meet disaster by and by. Hold my hand as we laugh, and we become the face of death. My maiden voyage on Spaceship Earth has come to an end. But rest assured, it is a journey I will take over and over again until the end of times.
Vinny is a sometimes music blogger who has one decent promotional headshot that he uses for everything and way too little time to do all of the things he wants to do. He plays in both Jersey Calling and Midlife Covers, as well as runs Rabid Penguin Records.