Jean Mills Society Torch

It seems like Start Tomorrow is the first release for Jean Mills Society Torch, one that's apparently been in the works for about three years. If a 10-song EP full of thrashy, pissed hardcore from present/ex-members of the Spark, Deep Sleep, the Jons, Head Home and Paper Dragons sound good, start listening to this today.

Jean Mills are in a territory that's not quite Ceremony nor early Outbreak, as they're not as intense, dynamic and overwhelming as the former and more raw and straightforward than the latter. But they're easy comparisons. In any event, their lyrical content takes an even more "holy shit" approach, but at both ends of the spectrum, whether that be the goofball nostalgia of "Headbanger's Ball" ("bring back the old days / of AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Slayer / ... / DEATH TO FALSE METAL!") or the mildly outrageous sentiment of "I Hate Police" ("I don't cry when pigs die" is either a thorough exercise in parody or a statement that's certainly relatable when read literally but questionable when read with its more likely implications).

One particularly weird note: How much does this dude Devin sound like Ian Mackaye during the sung/spoken word part in "Strumpet"? Creepy shit.

Jean Mills Society Torch tackle plenty of worn/common ideas, some fully agreeable ("Pro-Choice") and others a little over the top. I do laugh heartily in partial acknowledgment every time I read the liner note "thank yous": "...and no thanx to god cuz he doesn't exist" [sic]. Whatever the case, it's good stuff.

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