While not quite as prevalent as it was throughout the 1990s, noise rock has continued to flourish in the underground and a little bit of exploration will reveal plenty of bands out there with the same type of jagged and distortion heavy sound. The East Coast in particular has been a breeding ground for the genre, with acts like the now defunct Fight Amp, Whores., Multicult, and plenty others championing the style. Richmond’s Prayer Group can also be added to that list, and while they’ve been around since 2015 chances are you might not know them quite as well as the bands I just mentioned. After releasing a few EPs, Prayer Group has unleashed their debut full length Michael Dose which brings the noise and distortion but also explores some softer textures.
All the hallmarks of noise rock are present here, as there are lumbering bass lines and the guitar work feels jagged and ready to draw blood when the distortion picks up. The way the leads seem to dance over this lumbering foundation and the somewhat weird and clammy vibe that Prayer Group creates immediately brings some of the pioneers of the genre to mind, especially The Jesus Lizard and Shellac. But where some groups have taken this template and tried to create a nonstop barrage of noise and almost painful tone for an entire record, these guys come through as a bit more dynamic and have just as many sections where the tone is a bit softer and the noise level eases off. I like this approach, as it allows for a tense and darker atmosphere to build, and songs like “Spent” and the title track make the most of this. The title track even goes a bit alternative rock in its guitar work, but that lurching bass ensures there’s still a feeling of dread and unease behind the melody. There’s plenty to like about what Prayer Group is doing here, though admittedly with the short track lengths and similar construction of some of the material there are moments that run together over repeat listens. Those moments where the band does let some softer textures seep in and let things stretch outwards a bit more are the ones that stand out the most, and there’s potential for this to be leveraged further down the road.
Any band tagged as noise rock brings immediate expectations of abrasive and somewhat weird sounding vocals that aren’t quite screaming or singing but occupy this weird middle ground between the two. Prayer Group nails that approach, as right from the start of opening track “Numbers” you get jagged and raw screaming/singing with backing vocals that are somehow even more deranged. There are also some dips into spoken word that ups the weird factor, and for an album like this that only helps the appeal. The off-balance and unpredictable nature of the performance brings in a vibe somewhere between The Jesus Lizard and Shellac/Big Black, but there are nuances that also give Michael Dose a feeling of its own. Prayer Group has also given their vocals space to be front and center in the mix, allowing them to hit listeners with as many rough edges as the instrumentals.
There’s a sense of familiarity to what Prayer Group brings to the table, but they’re also able to offer a more dynamic take on the genre that spends as much time channeling some dark and moodier tones as it does bludgeoning you with jagged rhythms and layers of noise. Admittedly some of the shorter and more straightforward moments blur together compared to the ones where the band slows things down a bit and lets the softer melodies take over for a little bit, but I’ve still found myself drawn back to this album as it does nail everything that’s appealing about noise rock. I’d be interested to see if the band can further capitalize on these transitions between darker, tense atmosphere and noisier brute force, as this could give them a real edge over the others trying to put their own spin on this style. Michael Dose is available from Reptilian Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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