Theory Of Ruin - Discography (1999-2003)

I’ve been a Fudge Tunnel fan since as long as I can remember but I had never heard THEORY OF RUIN until a few years back. I assumed they were somekind of metalcore band until I picked up their first album, it’s a good record but the following ‘Front Line Poster Child’ mini album is my pick. It’s an extremely dynamic record which I think drummer Ches Smith is probably most responsible for. His syncopated polyrhythms provide a continual push/pull undertow to the music. This first THEORY OF RUIN 7'' from 1999 was released on Elastic, the label run by a guy from Fu Manchu. The 3 tracks here are very visceral & punishing, an almost replica of the blueprint Steve Albini laid out. If you’re anything like me then there is always a place for music like this.

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With Theory of Ruin Alex Newport (from Fudge Tunnel, years back) takes to complex rhythms, varied guitar-riffs, heavy distortion, almost real singing plus some growling and tries a closing step to mature heaviness. In a sense. On the other hand, this is still very disturbing music that will gross out a lot of people and might be called pollution of the airwaves by others. Interested? What is cool, though, is that if you strip the doomed sludge of Fudge Tunnel off its juvenile fanatism you’ll get bass-ridden noise-rock of the best kind. Seven great tracks are here for your joy and pleasure.

Somehow I seemed to have followed the “career” of Alex Newport through the years without being conscious of it. From the early bass-loaded heavy-ramblings of Fudge Tunnel, through the no-holds-barred metal-madness of Nailbomb (together with Max Cavalera of Speultura / Soulfly) through to his producer-work for At the drive-in, Mars Volta, Icarus Line and the Melvins. Well, with metal I am rarely interested in the people behind the music, because nine out of ten times you are being disappointed. And producers are of no real interest to me, with the exception of Steve Albini, but anyway. Turns out, Alex Newport had his hand in quite a few of my favourite records. Now he has taken up making music again, allegedly because of frustration with the current state of music. Yeah, to hell with Nu Metal, and whatever, but I guess there is a good deal of the appeal of playing guitar as well, especially in front of an audience.

Theory of ruin is still extreme music, but it is a lot more mature and wizened-up than Newport’s previous endeavours. Even if the guttural screams at some parts belie it, the complex and diverse rhythmical structures of the seven songs on “counter-culture nosebleed” show that straight ahead rocking and punch-in-the-face heaviness are not as important as they once were. Of course, the record is still rocking and will punch your face quite good, but e.g. the noise-clinker-clanker opening up track three, “a friendly reminder” would not have been heard earlier. The track rips straight into a heavy guitarriff from there and then into structurally interesting noise-rock-song with heavy, downtuned bass-lines and intricate dynamics, but growing-up never has meant becoming slow. Not necessarily. Also the vocals of Alex Newport have become cleaner and more melodic, without losing any of their intensity.

Maybe the musical diversity and complexity of this record comes from other place. Drummer Ches Smith has a history of playing complicated and progressive stuff as a free/jazz musicians and touring drummer for Mr. Bungle. I only heard about bas-player David Link from being a part-time-member of Slapshot, a band I never really likes, but at some point they rocked (I guess, but my prejudices get the best of me here.) On the other hand, a song like “Type A Male” takes guitar- and chorus-lines that could have been written by the Foo Fighters, downtunes them, slices them a little so they scream a lot, put more bass and distortion on them and then pounds them out as if they had been spotted in the wrong neighbourhood. Makes for a great time.

I wonder, how serious these three musicians see this band. With an album-title like “counter-culture nosebleed” they might regard themselves as the little annoying fly that disturbs the big majors and the general society for some time with its buzzing, but they know about their limited abilities to make a real change. Nose-bleeds are annoying, but apart from putting your head back and stuffing tissues into your nostrils, there isn’t a lot you do to prevent or stop it. The lyrics definitely won’t give you a hint, except that whoever is responsible for them has a knack of sounding psychotic, paranoid and poetic at the same time while remaining very enigmatic. Nobody you’d like to stay around for more than a few minutes anyway. All in all, this record makes me think of Dave Sardy and Barkmarket, not because they were one of the best noise-rock-bands around, but also because Sardy has become one of the best producers for extreme guitar-music, who seems to pop up here and there unexpectedly in my record collection.

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Musique Machine Review of FLPC

Theory of Ruin - Front Line Poster Child [Escape Artist - 2003] Having had Counter-Culture Nosebleed in my cd changer for the better part of a year, I was anxious to hear any news about what these fine fellows might be doing next, their website would provide smart assed gems like "got together and jammed, sounds pretty cool" or "working on some songs" or "recording next month" until finally I get this "EP is out and its better than all the other crap you have bought so far this year" Being a worldly guy with impeccable music taste these heady words from San Francisco's art punk power trio got my panties into a bunch. Front Line Poster Child is a very noisy and obnoxious affair, but at the same time a thoroughly compelling albeit short journey into the angry and complex mind of main man Alex Newport (Fudge Tunnel, Nailbomb) and friends. Musically this EP is ehmm....noisy, intense, angry, snotty and positively enjoyable. Upon first listen it sounds like 3 very strong musical minds approaching things from 3 separate directions none relating to the other, but thats why this Ep really shines. Ches Smith (Secret Chiefs 3, Good For Cows) plays some of the most oddball rhythms without resorting to programming, triggers or the use of instruments that cannot be duplicated live (as they do incredibly well) Alex Newport on the other hand tones down the sludge and thrash of his past to focus on using his guitar as more of a noisemaker, to create wonderful textures, finding the most abrasive, skronking, noisy, obnoxious feedback drenched notes that threaten take over and turn this into an absolute abortion at any second, but of course Newport and crew are in complete control at all times. Newcomer David Link seems at times to be the only sane one of the bunch, as he is the only constant throughout and considering his background and whom he is playing with says alot as his playing as its incredibly tight and he seems to be the glue that keeps these songs together. To me this EP seriously toes the line between great noise punk and absolute crap. Newports songwriting sensibilities and Smiths over the top but never over done drumming combined with Links rock solid bass make this EP fabulous and again leaves me longing for more. What frustrates me the most as this band seems to be a hobby that fills in the downtime these guys have in there lives, as Newport is the darling of the underground indie scene as a producer and Smith has his Jazz trio that tours regularly....it makes one wonder what would happen if these guys cleared their collective schedules for 6 months. Is it better than all the other crap I bought this year? No......but its damn good.

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