plaquemarks

Plaque Marks' "Urban Blighters" Is Paint Peeling Noise

I’ve always associated noise rock with cigarettes. Both signify a self-destructive cool. Distortion clings to instruments like the smell of nicotine lingers on clothes, discoloring everything in the nearby vicinity and leaving behind nothing but ash. If your average noise rock band sounds like they have Marlboros hanging out of the corners of their mouths when they play, then Philadelphia’s Plaque Marks are Bobby Hill after a full carton of them.

“Urban Blighters,” which you can stream exclusively below, clocks in at a scant two minutes. The brevity is for your own sake. Like the previous two songs released from their upcoming Anxiety Driven Nervous Worship EP, “Urban Blighters” is highly combustible, jam-packed with jagged disharmony and overdriven to the brink of collapse. Plaque Marks sound absolutely filthy here. The distorted crunch that hangs over the entire production has enough character to be an instrument unto itself. The band magnify the most hideous frequencies of their sound, anything that could go down easy is sharpened into a weapon.

Given the pedigree of the musicians here (including former members of Creepoid, Ecstatic Vision, and Fight Amp), some antagonism towards the listener is to be expected. Underneath the grime however, “Urban Blighters” moves with confidence and swagger. Sure, its teeth have yellowed and its breath is noxious, but it packs one hell of a punch.

Anxiety Driven Nervous Worship comes out on October 27th via Learning Curve and Reptilian. Follow Plaque Marks on Facebook.

You can also catch them live on the following dates:

Nov 10 – Athens, GA @ Caledonia
Nov 12 – Harrisonburg, VA @ Golden Pony
Nov 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie (Anxiety Driven Nervous Worship release show)
Nov 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus w/ Unsane
Nov 18 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar w/ Unsane
Nov 19 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter w/ Unsane
Nov 20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl w/ Unsane
Nov 21 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa w/ Unsane
Nov 25 – Austin, TX @ Lost Well w/ Unsane
Nov 26 – Fort Worth, TX @ Ridglea Lounge w/ Unsane
Nov 28 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress w/ Unsane
Nov 29 – Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar w/ Unsane
Dec 1 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill w/ Unsane
Dec 3 – Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp w/ Unsane
Dec 4 – Eugene, OR @ Old Nick’s w/ Unsane
Dec 5 – Seattle, WA @ Highline w/ Unsane
Dec 6 – Vancouver, BC @ Cobalt w/ Unsane
Dec 7 – Portland, OR @ Tonic Lounge w/ Unsane
Dec 8 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux w/ Unsane
Dec 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Diabolical Records w/ Unsane
Dec 10 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive w/ Unsane
Dec 11 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Flux Capacitor
Dec 12 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
Dec 13 – Omaha, NE @ O’Leavers
Dec 14 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville
Dec 15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Eagles #34
Dec 16 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
Dec 17 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class

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