Record of the Week: Forra: Mostrame Lo Peor 7"

Forra: Mostrame Lo Peor EP 7” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Debut (and possibly final) EP from this London band featuring members from Argentina, Catalonia, the Canaries and Mexico. Mostrame Lo Peor seems calculated to appeal to my particular tastes… it’s fast, loose, raw, immediate, and a little catchy. It reminds me of one of my favorite records of the past fifteen years, Otan’s El Indomable EP (does anyone remember that one? If not, you should look it up!), but older reference points from the world of fast, raw, and loose hardcore (Negazione, CCM, Headcleaners, Olho Seco, etc.) work too. The production is raw and fuzz-drenched, with the vocals mixed way in the red. But what’s more important than the production is how the band sounds like they mean what they’re saying, not just constructing a pastiche of older bands’ ideas. The packaging also fits the music well, constructed by hand (like the early Dischord singles) out of the flimsiest of materials and with no pretense or posing. Forra’s EP isn’t merely an academic or aesthetic exercise, it’s the visceral purge that only the best hardcore can give you.