photos by Charles J. Tice
Decibel Magazine is today offering an exclusive early stream of Goodpaster, the scathing new LP from Anchorage, Alaska-based hardcore punk/crust outfit SHE. The advance listening comes just days before the album’s official release this Friday.
SHE formed on Halloween of 2008, and unites vocalist/lyricist Andrew Sims, guitarist Mercy Cofield Jr., bassist Justin Costiniano, and drummer Justin Rodda. With a DIY ethos and a deep love for all things art, the band has been self-releasing material since its inception. Drawing influence from contemporary aggressive acts alongside jazz, hip-hop, punk, and pop, the band has melded a uniquely angular and emotive sound that pulls their listener in many directions. Elements of Converge, Pig Destroyer, Meshuggah, Cursed, Blacklisted, Cruel Hand, and Trapped Under Ice can be heard in SHE’s sound, as proven on their first studio full-length, Goodpaster.
With thirteen new tracks in under twenty-seven minutes, SHE’s Goodpaster delivers a salvo of explosive metallic hardcore while seamlessly executing continuous infectious hooks, making for an instantly memorable listen. The album was recorded, engineered, and mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit Recording Studio (Nails, Kruelty, God’s Hate), mastered By Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Obituary, Year Of The Knife, R.A.M.B.O.), and completed with artwork and layout by Justin Costiniano. While wrapping up the recording process, Young was asked what genre he thought SHE embodied, to which he replied, “It’s not, not hardcore. It’s not, not metal. It’s not, not grind.”
With Goodpaster about to see release, Rodda offers alongside the advance stream of the record, “I think we, as a band, can all agree that this is our strongest and most focused creative effort to date. An immeasurable amount of blood, sweat, and tears has made this LP come to fruition, and we’re extremely proud of the final product. To say that we’re excited for the public to finally be able to hear it from start to finish would be an understatement.”
Decibel writes with the album’s early stream, “We don’t know if Anchorage metallic hardcore outfit SHE walks by moonlight, but if their debut full-length, Goodpaster, (no idea) is any indication of their extracurricular activities, they definitely enjoy brutalizing earholes,” continuing how the album, “shows off the unit’s mathy chops, progressive adventurousness, and unrelenting hardcore fury.”
Hear SHE’s Goodpaster first courtesy of Decibel Magazine now at THIS LOCATION.
SHE will self-release Goodpaster on Ox Blood And Bone LP and all digital platforms this Friday, June 16th. Find preorders at Bandcamp HERE.
SHE is currently booking live support for the album, with several new shows confirmed over the Summer. See all current dates below and watch for more extensive tour news to post over the months ahead.
SHE Live:
6/17/2023 Sundown Solstice Festival – Anchorage, AK
7/02/2023 Alice’s Champagne Palace – Homer, AK
8/05/2023 Out North Theater – Anchorage, AK
https://sheak.bandcamp.com
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https://www.facebook.com/shetheband666