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| Submission HoldWhat Holds Back The Elephant2004 G7 Welcoming Committee 
 Review by: Adam See others by this writer ![[staff]](/images/icons/staffsticker.gif){kind=icon}
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Published on November 19th 2004
What Holds Back The Elephant may be one of the most intelligent, poetic and genuinely passionate records of the year, but that does that make it a fun listen? Submission Hold defies categorization. I've read every clumsy attempt from "agit-punk" to "avant-folk" and "progressive-crust" even "post-genre" and I can't say one is more correct than any of the others. Submission Hold share a spiritual connection with Crass in that the band is deadly serious and living their politics. All the disjointed rhythms and angular guitar play here is similar to some of Fugazi's more chaotic moments. Comparisons to Dutch anarcho-punks The Ex and early Patti Smith abound. It puts this in a pretty exclusive club of artistically conscious and politically unyielding bands. All these influences and contemporaries say two things about the record. Firstly this will most definitely appeal to the activist segment of the punk left who felt the pre-election anti-Bush movement was too trendy and mainstream. Those of you bitter at the fact that otherwise politically silent pop-punk bands were suddenly claiming awareness, take note: This is as real and relevant as it gets. The second thing is that this record isn't for everyone. It's heavy with radical applications of both political opinion and unconventional musicianship. What Holds Back The Elephant is far too immediate and arty for casual listening. Jen Throwup's vocals range from sorrowful mantras (as in the eco-feminist "Dirt") to frenzied punk shouting (the album opening "Final Coup of the Last Millennium") to leftist coffeehouse folk (the foreboding "Woddenhead"). She can yell with the wild-eyed conviction of a street preacher but has an indescribable sense of unyielding conviction in her quieter moments. The band itself is improvisational yet still tight. Despite the complexity of some of the work a creative interplay of sound persists; there's never a sense that one player has broken off into their solo. Stephen Flach (guitar) Andy Healey (bass) and Kenton Loewen (drums) and a host of guests provide a musical backing that's every bit as varied and eclectic as Jen's vocal delivery. Submission Hold has delivered provocative and challenging music for more than a decade, and What Holds Back The Elephant is no exception. This may be too far on the fringe musically or thematically for some, but I'd recommend everyone find that out on their own. To those that this passes over, it'll be nothing more than a curiosity, however if this truly resonates with you I suspect the connection will be as deep and profound as the music itself.
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The music sounds really good, its just I have a thing against female vocals. Now I do like them but they have to be really really great for me to like them and although she is good it still kinda takes me out of the music actually, these guys DO have their own label cakked Allium. Also, the singer and bass player are responsible for founding a legendarry commune/punk house here in vancouver. oh shit, i apologize man. by the way, being a fuckface isnt such a bad thing at all. but calling someone a fuckface on the computer is pretty damn sad. What the fuck are you talking about? I classify bands all the time, and yet I ordered this two days ago. Your theory does not hold, fuckface. dear cynics, I have to take their philosophy and devotion as suspect... Real bands don't have album or songs or instruments. I believe G7 is a committee set up. I don't think that's against anarchist beliefs. Plus, chumbawumba lived the anarchist lifestlye for a long time and put out records through friends' labels before the whole major thing, but that's another discussion in itself.. If they were serious Anarchists, they wouldn't record in studios and have their own label. This band is brilliant, they can pretty much do no wrong. personally, i'm going to wait to hear what bsd has to say before forming an opinion. Does this band sound like the Routineers? (Amanda MacKaye's band) I volunteered at a Submission Hold show here in Seattle last week, and the two bands I instantly thought of were the Ex and a female Fugazi. Good job reading my mind. Those mp3s were damn good. I'll order this from G7 in the coming minutes. i really liked the mp3s that were posted im really thinking of ordering this Scores for the review. Very well thought out and the band does sound a lot like fugazi (imagine Ian as a girl) I've been thinking about ordering this album.. I think I just may do it after reading that review! |
