John's Track of the Week: AFCGT's "Black Mark"

Song: Black Mark

Artist: AFCGT

Album: AFCGT

Rating: 7.0

The opening few seconds of AFCGT's self-titled album may reveal most of what you need to know about the overall effort. Chaotic and frenzied, "Black Mark" functions as the introduction to a seven-song collection full of electrifying doom. Its hectic riffs, matched with earth-shattering, spiraling effects in the forefront, do very little but create noise, albeit some of the most intense sounds of the year thus far.

Entertainingly released on Sub Pop, AFCGT plays off of assumptions and misconceptions on the part of the listener, first and foremost. The label doesn't match the sound. And, to be honest, neither does the band's name or album cover. Perhaps the typically indie moniker, and shiny disco-ball dupe unsuspecting listeners from the get-go. Or maybe nothing can fully prepare you for the dirgy, destructive force that lies beneath the cut. Whatever the case may be, AFCGT has constructed a desolate and explosive world in a limited amount of space. Though it may not be glamorous, or even discernible at times, it puts its post-apocalyptic wasteland of a presentation into some sort of perspective-- which should be good enough.