Under Review

SFB

SFB

Independent

Review By Katherine Boothroyd

East Vancouver punk thrashers SFB (Shit for Brains) just released their self-titled debut and, man, is it loud. SFB consists of Gordon Smith on guitar, Mike Gittens on bass and Al Boyle on drums. This makes for an interesting mix of local musicians. Gittens moonlights in the easy-on-the-ears Plus Perfect, Boyle also sings and plays guitar pop/punk rockers Hard Feelings, and Smith is involved in grindcore groups Mudlark and Scumbelly. The result of their new collaboration is a frenzied mash that comes out swinging right from the first notes of vicious opener “Weedcrime.” “Nuclear Winter 3” and “The New Destroyer Album,” meanwhile, are probably the most listener friendly tunes, with a pendulum-like shift in melody running through each track. “Razor Burn” has some dirty bass and it leans heavily on the Vox pedal, making it sound a little like early Sepultura. Most tracks come in around the one-minute mark, so the album doesn’t go for much longer than ten minutes.

The lyrics are next to impossible to make out, the drumming is frenetic and the guitarwork is furious. They bash the crap out their instruments and will make your ears bleed in the process.
Not for the faint of heart, this is Vancouver punk at its most vociferous.