Transistor Transistor/Wolves Split

This split was probably one of my first emo records following discovering bands like Saetia and Hot Cross. I do not remember exactly what influenced me to pick it up. I'm willing to bet something to do with the cover. I just know this is back when I was working my first record store job and I worked at a store that had a pretty good punk section that I'd spend hours mulling over and entire paycheques on.

The Wolves side starts out with guitar that seems impossibly loud, leaving you to expect it to dominate and drown out everything else, only to find out that all of the levels seem to be at this maximum volume. Somewhat muffled, distorted vocals are shouted out tearing through the wall of guitar that's constantly being built make this band a complete unrelenting attack. The songs are extremely technical and well produced even played at max volume. Wolves has members of Orchid so if you want to ignore everything I say just check them out based on that alone.

The Transistor Transistor side is just a continuation (or beginning depending which side you start with, really) of the battle that Wolves kicked off. Trans/Trans also have an intense vocalist though they trade off yelling/speaking/noise making duties quite a bit. The guitar has an edgier tone to it often playing rhythmic lines that confuse you into a convulsory dance or just keeps your head bobbing a lot. Trans/Trans have a real techy feel to them with an almost Refused approach to punk. I can never get over how well written their songs are every hook bleeding into the next perfectly never giving you a chance to be bored by their songs. The same member from Orchid who was in Wolves is also in Trans/Trans. Perhaps that's where this standard of excellence comes from, hmm?

Not to be a dweeb but I'd consider this a very "artsy" hardcore/emo album which is not a descriptor I'd typically get to use for this kind of music. This is just one of the many reasons I have such a hard-on for Level-Plane records.

Listen Here [Wolves]
Listen Here [Transistor Transistor]
Download Here