With the release of the Year Of The Dragon EP, the sixth installment from Canadian hardcore punk unit, FUCKED UP‘s ongoing “Zodiac Series,” now less than two weeks away, the band, in conjunction with mega music portal, Pitchfork, drops “Disorder.”
Year Of The Dragon boasts three tunes — the title track, a seventeen-and-a-half-minute epic anthem centered on dreams, expectations, compromise and hypocrisy and two classic Canadian punk covers: Cardboard Brains’s “I Wanna Be A Yank” and The Ugly’s aforementioned “Disorder.”
Gushed Punknews in a near perfect rating of the EP, “It’s hard to follow up a titanic track like that [“Year Of The Dragon”], so instead of going for the grandiose, on the flipside, the band coves two songs from The Last Pogo a documentary of early Canadian punk… Songs are treated with reverence, but not immutability. In classic FUCKED UP style, the band tears through the tunes with raw, uncoiling riffs and a charging, loose, drum beat that threatens to fly off the track. [Damian] Abraham, in lieu of synthesizing the original vocal takes, sticks with his gruff bark and of course, it works. It’s fast and fun and works as a nice contrast to the A-side, shows punk’s other great attribute. ‘Dragon’ can stand for the concept that punk is about tearing down barriers and sonic experimentation, but the B-sides counter back that punk can also just be about having a good time. This release demonstrates that there are more to these artists that being ‘the big, friendly stoner’ or the ‘difficult, distanced, director.’ Each movement adds a new nuance and creates another plane for interpretation. There’s a lot to take in here. It’s interesting, it’s nuanced, and frankly, it’s a blast.”
“Disorder” is currently streaming in all its riotous glory, courtesy of Pitchfork, at THIS LOCATION.
Year Of The Dragon comes swathed in the stunning cover creation of Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch) – a vividly twisted depiction of chaos, collapse and imminent destruction replete with ghosts, zombies and a mammoth fire-breathing dragon.
To view the full creation, point your browser HERE.
Additionally, the piece will be on display at the Andrei Bouzikov art show later this month as part of long-awaited second edition of Tankcrimes’ Brainsqueeze Fest in Oakland which will include a live ambush by FUCKED UP as well as Municipal Waste, Final Conflict, Ghoul, Negative Approach and oodles more. Further info and tickets are available HERE.
Following Brainsqueeze, FUCKED UP will pummel Lawnya Vawnya in Newfoundland and take a short breather before razing New York’s Bowerly Ballroom and the Field Trip Festival in Toronto in June. From there, FUCKED UP will conquer Europe on a ten-date run of live havoc through June 22nd.
FUCKED UP Live:
4/19/2014 Oakland Metro @ Brainsqueeze Fest II – Oakland, CA
4/27/2014 Lawnya Vawnya – St. John’s, NL
6/06/2014 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY Record Release Show
6/08/2014 Field Trip Festival – Toronto, ON
6/13/2014 B Sides Festival – Lucern, CH
6/14/2014 VK, Brussels, Belgium
6/15/2014 Gorilla – Manchester, UK
6/16/2014 The Cluny, Newcastle, UK
6/17/2014 Belgrave – Leeds, UK
6/18/2014 Koko – London, UK
6/19/2014 Point Ephemere – Paris, FR
6/20/2014 Hurricane Festival – Scheessel, DE
6/21/2014 Southside Festival – Neuhausen Ob Eck, DE
6/22/2014 Best Kept Secret Festival – Hilvarenbeek, NL
Year Of The Dragon will be available on 12″, CD and digitally via Tankcrimes on April 15th, 2014. The first wax pressing comes with a bonus six-minute edit of “Year Of The Dragon” included on a separate seven-inch flexi disc. Preorder your copy at THIS LOCATION.
“…a convincing demonstration of what can happen when a band works without limitations…” – Pitchfork
