Quicksand

Quicksand: SlipSlip (1993)
Island Records

Reviewer Rating: 5

User Rating:

Contributed by: wrongstringwrongstring
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on July 23rd 20041993 and subsequent years after will always be a high water mark for what was later dubbed 'post hardcore.' Bands like Helmet, Jawbox, Orange 9mm, Seaweed, Into Another and Quicksand all had one of several things in common: The bands were made up of former members of well known hard core bands, lik.

1993 and subsequent years after will always be a high water mark for what was later dubbed 'post hardcore.' Bands like Helmet, Jawbox, Orange 9mm, Seaweed, Into Another and Quicksand all had one of several things in common: The bands were made up of former members of well known hard core bands, like Gorilla Biscuits (Walter Schriefels) and Burn (Chaka). These bands were an example of what happens when the musicians grow up, move beyond Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Ride the Lighting and start listening to Speaking In Tongues by Talking Heads or VS by Mission of Burma.

Slip is the quintessential post hardcore album! A dozen songs of simple intensity with some of the most memorable lyrics such as, " to stand alone/To be without the glue, that keeps us glued together/And feeling so excrementable," from the song, Unfulfilled. It took Quicksand to elevate the cliche of their former bands past the level of quotable adolesence to a fracture point between being an older/wiser/better musician and gave hope to a slowly dying scene, a scene that gets continually kicked - the proverbial dead horse.

There isn't one great thing about Slip that sticks out singularly, its a packaged deal. Tom Capone, Sergio Vega, Alan Cage and the very esoteric Walter Schreifels forged a solid 12 songs that were heavy and meaningful and were'nt as self-involved as their counterparts tearing it up in plaid flannels on the other side of the country. There has always been a positive aspect associated with the early hardcore of the New York scene, from Walters old bands Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today that transferred well into Quicksand. Though in the world of the mainstream, one hit like "Dine Alone" wasn't enough to keep them afloat, even a tour with Anthrax and White Zombie couldn't garner new fans.

93 was a demarcation line, a year before Kurt Cobain swallowed a mouthfull of buck shot and Lollapalooza wasn't a corporate fuck fest. I saw Quicksand at Red Rocks with Anthrax and White Zombie, my first concert, I won tickets from Across the Trax in Denver and had my mom drop me and a friend off outside the gate. We both had krishna chokers, short buzzed hair and Youth of Today T's or Minor Threat T's, essentially we had our 'scene' certified uniforms on and we were the sorest thumbs in a sea of black leather, greasy hair and pot smoke, we were also the only ones who stood for the entire Quicksand set, singing along to every single song. If memory serves, Tom Capone noticed our staunch support and said thanks, looking directly at us. That was the first time I saw Quicksand.

Tthe last time I saw Quicksand was on a thrown together 'reunion' tour with the Deftones. the reaction of the crowd was the same, lukewarm, unexcited with lots of harrassment from the hessian Deftones-ex football playing assholes who turned the circle pit into the caricature of violence Limp Bizkit gets its jollies from today.

Slip isn't just a record! Its a time line that kickstarted my interest in music. Its the most reliable archive of my life during the gastly grunge era. IT marks a time when you could go to shows and people would move with the band and it didn't matter if the band came from outer space, the sense of community was intense (except for the the first and last time i saw quicksand, all times inbetween were beautiful) or maybe i've been in southern california too long, or maybe i'm just an old scenster that is painfully obvious in sentiment.

Or maybe Slip was a record I swallowed whole, something i keep next to my gut when i want to remind myself why I love music.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

darwingivingin (March 28, 2007)

but yo:

this was released under polydor. not island.

JustinUCR (August 2, 2006)

Is there a way to give this a rating higher than 10?

one of my tope five records of all time.

JustinUCR (August 2, 2006)

Is there a way to give this a rating hight than 10?

one of my tope five records of all time.

Anonymous (March 25, 2006)

Slip is on my top 5 list of all times, and I've been listening to good music since 1984, or so, when I was 14. I saw the band in Antwerp, Belgium and enjoyed every minute. Quicksand is one of the few bands I keep on missing.

Bart

Godfather (October 1, 2005)

these guys fucking rock

Anonymous (July 29, 2004)

Deftones = Fucking awesome.
Quicksand = Fucking awesome.
People who wear football helmets at shows = Mongoloids.

Anonymous (July 28, 2004)

i really love this record. From the song structure and the way the vocals sound to the production. There are tom rolls on this record that sound so huge and clean.

see also: Manic Compression

wrongstring (July 28, 2004)

I've always felt that Quicksand, Samiam and Garden Variety were very similar - good bands, but bands that ultimately weren't as good as peers like Jawbreaker or Fugazi.

definitley, but at least they all sounded different and had a unique thing going on.

seaweed released a record on a japenese label a few years back, it is amazing, its called indications and applications or something like that, its good stuff.

wrongstring (July 28, 2004)

Jesus fucking christ, does anybody read beyond a 5th grade level? I love the deftones, but the fans, at this show in particular were dateraping, goal post stealing fascists and were only there to look really tough in the pit and punch people, like wheres waldo and anybody else who might've ventured some info on what walter's other projects were like before quicksand.

Anonymous (July 28, 2004)

I went to the same shows as this guy. remember me? I had the where's waldo outfit. that was my uniform, and still is to this day. do you still wear your football helmet to the deftone shows?

Yea, I do remember you. My friends and I kept saying "Could you imagine if some Ahole came to a show dressed like Waldo". And then you walked through the door. I still remember the look on your stupid face when me and my football buddies ran over and tackled you. Good times. Naw, Great Times.

notfeelingcreative (July 28, 2004)

"have this album, along with Tad's "Inhaler", to thank for widening my horizons beyond Skid Row and Warrant and some of their lesser derivitives (remember Tuff, anyone?) that Metal Edge was selling me."

Wow, I almost forgot about Tad, your comment just inspired me to look though my collection and dig up my copy of "Inhaler". Unotunately I do, in fact, remember Tuff, they were the worst Motley Crue wannabes in history, even worse than Firehouse or Trixter, now let us never speak of them again!!

Anonymous (July 27, 2004)

I went to the same shows as this guy. remember me? I had the where's waldo outfit. that was my uniform, and still is to this day. do you still wear your football helmet to the deftone shows?

Anonymous (July 27, 2004)

Don't dis the Deftones like youre fresh to death. The Deftones have always been a great band. I really wish Quicksand could still make music together. By the way I saw Quicksand on that Reunion tour with the Deftones and Snapcase. Great show start to finish. I also saw Quicksand with Orange 9mm and Helmet (another great show). I saw them on the first Warped tour and also with Civ. Always great performances.

Anonymous (July 26, 2004)

then they all started listening to master of puppets. Then refused broke up, and we're back to square one.

wyzo

Icapped2pac (July 26, 2004)

I have this album, along with Tad's "Inhaler", to thank for widening my horizons beyond Skid Row and Warrant and some of their lesser derivitives (remember Tuff, anyone?) that Metal Edge was selling me. I saw them AND Orange 9 at the first Warped ever, I was probably like 15 at the time. Unfortunately that was the last time I saw Quicksand. I saw Orange 9 a bunch more times after that, they could really rock a fuckin show. Too bad everything after "Tragic" was garbage though.

Anonymous (July 26, 2004)

fantastic album... nobody makes music like this anymore... and if they do they not good at it... manic compression is my favorite of theirs though, but probably cause i had it before i had slip... if progressive or post hardcore is a genre, quicksand is the best at it.

Anonymous (July 25, 2004)

my favorite album of all time,,,

can't wait for the walking concert cd to come out..

come join us on the Walter Schreifels forum, fansite:

www.unitedbywalter.com

Cos (July 24, 2004)

Check Fred Durst's celebrity playlist on iTunes; this album is on it.

Fred Durst is more of a poser with each passing day--so awesome.

--Cos

maverick (July 24, 2004)

Oh man, jackpot - I found a copy of Manic Compression on vinyl used today for only three bucks! I love record shopping.

-Scott

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

this band sucks.

my sperm count is higher than the sum of your sperm counts cubed quicksand.

notfeelingcreative (July 24, 2004)

"This makes me want to listen to Seaweed. When is a Seaweed tribute disc going to come out? "

I could never get tired of Seaweed's "four", as a mateer of fact, i think i'm going to go listen to it right now!

notfeelingcreative (July 24, 2004)

I bought this record in late '93 when I was in a weird alterna-grunge phase that consisted of bands like L7, screamijg trees the Melvins, Dinosaur J. and Tool's "Undertow" anyhow, I was fuckling floored by this record then, and it still sounds great today!

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

Definitely one of my favourite records. The best Quicksand release, in my opinion. And, just to add to the echo, painfully underappreciated.

-ObeyYourParents

Anchors (July 24, 2004)

This band is ridiculously underappreciated.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

When is a Seaweed tribute disc going to come out?

Stereotyperider did a cool cover of "Crush Us All" on Under The Influence vol. 1.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

agreed on the manic compression comment. While this album is decent, that one is definitely the best

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

This makes me want to listen to Seaweed. When is a Seaweed tribute disc going to come out?

Barkley

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

Seaweed, Quicksand and Into Another are 3 of the best bands EVA. This record in particular is a classic.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

i saw them with seaweed in norway when i was like 10 years old, that was awesome.

and yeah, weather manic compression och slip... we can all agree that this band is one of the best fucking bands ever.

and walter is such a whore these days.

maverick (July 24, 2004)

I'll always be a Manic Compression guy. This album just doesn't do it for me like that one does.

-Scott

dazed (July 24, 2004)

If you don't have this, get it. Seriously.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

this is THE quicksand album. manic compression has it's moments, but slip is five stars all the way around.

Anonymous (July 24, 2004)

I've always felt that Quicksand, Samiam and Garden Variety were very similar - good bands, but bands that ultimately weren't as good as peers like Jawbreaker or Fugazi.

BSD (July 24, 2004)

Fuck yes. Quicksand.