TWIST LOCK (BEATDOWN HARDCORE, REVIEW) - "SURPLUS CITIZEN" (RELEASED JUNE 12)
Yo, what's good Bogs? Some steps back we posted videos for the band Twist Lock and now we are back to take a dive into the muck pool! If you wanna get down in the bog pits, then here's one for y'all.
1. Your Mistake - Very fast opening track to hold the attention of the ear. Twist Lock clearly wanted to open with this to hit the ear hard, building into the next track to amplify this further.
Your Mistake has that vibe, then we are hit with the bangers Get Bent and Cuntsituents, and the EP closes out in the vein of Your Mistake, which is a solid strategy.
0:45 drops into a nasty-ass breakdown, which kinda doesn't let up and flows until 1:14 with a narrative interlude, then another transition returning to the breakdown with some double drum kicks at certain points in the track.
The outro is long riff fade-out, but don't worry, the destruction is back on the next track.
Vocals sync and drop at the appropriate points to set up each heavy intersection. Audio quality is clear and you can hear each component.
Solid intro track to take us deeper into Twist Lock's sound.
2. Get Bent - Banger!
The intro features the signature riff tone for the track with drums counting us in with the vocal drop at 16 seconds. Understand, this is music for the pit, nothing else—pit. If, like Bog, you enjoy a roll around in the muck, then you will completely shit your pants to the core.
At 0:53, the riff signals the crowd to start moving and running in a circle before y'all go off. The drums again sync with the riffing to bring in the drop that is coming.
Bog was thinking about magical devices he uses in another world where he would exactly amp up the crowd to drop this moment in.
Bogs, sometimes, nothing beats just throwing yourself around in the muck with friends.
Also skaters, this is also the moment you go down a half-pipe when this drops, or if you ride, do a whip. F*-c-k-i-n-g bangs!
The bog pits were sick af and it was super mega fun. We were splashing swamp water around and running so fast like Dog Man was chasing us up through the cornfields whilst snarling!
What's sick about the 1:04 drop is Wade's vocals layering on top, and you can just see in your mind how this would go off live. A track to part waves for sure! Get it!
A heavy breakdown follows with narration layered on top of the anti-politricks themes running throughout the EP. Muck-ridden, nasty-ass shit, and it's f*-c-k-i-n-g beautiful!
Bog's hoodie is pretty soaked at the moment, but f*-c-k it, let's step!
The structure and production carry the street grime; it's pissed off and clean to hear, but the vileness hasn't been left in the dirt.
It's a series of filthy breakdowns with drops keyed in the correct moments to pop the crowd off. Big room energy af #peakstomp
The fade-out is nice and, if you haven't guessed, this is pit music, nothing else, nothing more.
Intentionally curated, direct, slay filth.
Riffs are thick and chug with the drums and angry vocals. The timing and execution perform well and drop in nicely. Good shit.
3. Cunstituents - The intro sample 0:00-0:06 is on point! It will grab the ears. The signature riff follows, partnered with the drum rhythm at a steady 1-2 ish kick before the vocal drop joins around 0:15.
The track pops off at 0:18 to step up into a riff assault with a heavy hardcore vibe, and there is a nasty, high-paced change-up signalled with the raging vocals at 0:34. Then it kicks in, Bogs, and it's a "get in the pit" moment again.
Fast af and drops back to another mid-tempo to build with further audio samples regarding politricks.
Be on the watch for another filth, muck-ridden breakdown drop from 1:26 to 1:49. Bog was banging his head and smashing around in the mud water. As Bog said, another banger.
The EP flows like being in the pit itself and feels like it. You know when you've been to a show and you are like trying to describe how the pit feels — Surplus Citizen is exactly that.
The flow and builds are good; they waste no time in delivering what they want to do and aim for. The vibe is high-energy, fun, and good for jumping and smashing around in the Bog Lands.
Audio levels are fine and packaged together tightly concerning the vox, guitars, and drums. The sync and timing don't fall off.
4. Imbecile - Similar vibe and feel to Get Bent, so y'all know what's up. The vocal intro is solid with aggressive riffing forming the structural carnage.
0:59 is another sick drop and ensuing breakdowns with the main guitar tone continuing the filth. A change-up in tempo at 1:31-1:45 runs like solid mid-paced feels, then another audio sample before the vox drop back in at 2:10 to introduce and sync with another muck breakdown of death. F*-c-k-i-n-g slays, which transitions into an extended outro with the riffs, drums, and vox.
Bog thinks it's an enjoyable mud-slinger to close out Surplus Citizen by reminding the listener of the high energy featured on the EP and how it will probably sound live in the pit.
Twist Lock is purely for the pit, as we have stressed throughout the review. High energy, get down to it. The signature guitar tone is nice and has a grimy-ass feel to it, which helps inject the muck into the sound.
Sometimes, you can hear a very small nu-metal groove in the tone, but it's in the background and adds a little groove here and there. There are nice vocal ins and outs for each track on Surplus Citizen with drum change-ups to match the pace transitions.
Farekeepers may argue about a lack of variety, which Bog has heard a lot when it's heavy, high-energy-orientated music. Bog would argue, look at what the music is designed to do: Pits! And heavy ass shit to move around to. Twist Lock makes Bog want to ride a powerboat and jump over waves!
Clearly, the guys want people to remember their sound, so we can say, 'Hey, peep these guys and dude, they are going to be badass live.' Enjoyable, fun, heavy music, super great for powerboat racing, or is Bog going to say it again? Yes, he is, "pits!"
TWIST LOCK:
Wade Taylor (Vocals/FX)
Cameron Broomfield (Guitar/Bass/Vocals)
Dekota Martin (Drums)
Tracklist:
1. Your Mistake
2. Get Bent
3. Cunstituents
4. Imbecile
https://www.youtube.com/@Twistlock_HC
https://twistlockhc.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TwistLockHC
https://www.instagram.com/Twistlock_HC
