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Skull Defekts, "Peer Amid"
The latest opus from these prolific and chameleonic Swedes finds them in full-on primal rock mode, unearthing another batch of jagged, bludgeoning, and repetition-obsessed songs and reminding me that rock music can still be a bit dangerous and scary. There's a big twist this time around, however, as the Defekts have added a very noteworthy fifth member: the rather singular Daniel Higgs, formerly of Dischord art-punk stalwarts Lungfish. The addition proves to be an inspired move, as Higgs' intense, somewhat unsettling persona serves to highlight the darker, weirder side of the band.
The Skull Defekts are a pretty unusual band for a whole host of reasons, but the aspect that I find most striking about them is how raw and primitive they can sound. It's an impressive feat, given that the four original members have been central figures in Sweden's experimental music community for years and that they have clearly absorbed a lot of very cerebral and exotic influences. Sometimes those highbrow influences manifest themselves fairly bluntly, such as on 2008's The Drone Drug, but the Defekts are smart and assured enough to ignore everything they've learned (or at least expertly conceal it) when it suits them.  On Peer Amid, the heavy emphasis on repetition could be distantly rooted in a fascination with raga, minimalist classical, or Neu!, but those touches are often totally subsumed by the band's unwavering focus on pounding, gut-level power.  Sure, they may regularly and fruitfully collaborate with folks like Pan Sonic, but it sounds like their true kindred spirits are more likely The Stooges or The Birthday Party. Having a frontman as imposing and shamanic as Higgs can only heighten that resemblance.
Given that these songs were mostly written very quickly from improvisations based upon one or two riffs each, their success or failure is largely based around how much I like the main riff. The strongest and most instantly gratifying of the batch is probably "No More Always," which boasts a very gritty and libidinal garage rock groove and some wonderful sneering vocals from Higgs. The propulsively throbbing title piece is also pretty electrifying, largely due to the stellar drumming of Henrik Rylander. In fact, Rylander proves to be the band's greatest asset over the course of the album, enlivening their weaker moments through sheer muscle and exuberance and maintaining a solid foundation for the oft-chaotic guitars and electronics.
I was also extremely impressed with the degree of guitar abuse throughout Peer Amid, as Joachim Nordwall and Daniel Fagerstroem sound like they're almost always on the verge of snapping strings or going out of tune. For his part, Higgs does not disappoint either, delivering his vocals with a sometimes frightening conviction. However, on the occasions when there isn't a solid beat holding all the component parts together, The Skull Defekts can seem pretty self-indulgent and inaccessible, as they do on the meandering "Gospel of the Skull."
The presence of Higgs is certain to polarize opinions on this album, as he is a vocalist that is impossible to ignore. I'm a bit conflicted myself, as I find pre-Higgs Defekts albums a bit more listenable, but Peer Amid hits higher highs. Regardless, he definitely adds a lot of character, presence, and tension to The Skull Defekts sound. Also, heavy rock provides a great foil for Daniel's outsized personality, so the pairing is a pretty mutually advantageous one all around. Unfortunately, there are some accompanying downsides too, as he draws the attention away from the rest of the band and I find his wild-eyed intensity pretty hard to take in large doses (a prime example is the endless whooping and yelping in "What Knives, What Birds"). Also, some of his lyrics and spoken-word interludes are way too stream-of-consciousness or bafflingly obtuse for my taste– I have absolutely no idea what he was trying to do with "Join the True," but I am certain that he was resoundingly unsuccessful at whatever it was. Picking stuff like that apart, however, is missing the point a bit: the content is secondary to Higgs' sheer force of personality.
Despite its occasional flaws and missteps, Peer Amid's best moments offer some of the most visceral and exciting rock music available.
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