The “in-name only” United States and Kingdom’s divisions are more raw and splintered than ever before. And it’s from this place of division that the USA’s Psychic Graveyard and Skin Graft Records have joined with the UK’s USA Nails and BOX Records to form Split.
Having been remixed by the likes of Mstrkrft, Liars and Secret Fun Club, Psychic Graveyard are no strangers to collaboration. Here they determinedly ease layer upon cacophonous layer to their methodically set stage before burning it to the ground. As with their previous full lengths, the songs were recorded with Seth Manchester at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket.
Off the back of their 5th LP (Character Stop) released mid-pandemic in October 2020…
…and a split single with ex-Sepultura noise duo Petbrick, USA Nails serve up six cuts of slabby noise-rock / angular post-punk / dissonant no-wave, featuring notes that work, notes that don’t work, wonky out of tune ping-pong guitars, dumb business riffs, shit solos, and musings on clinically medicated anxiety, internet commentators and Orwellian data practices. Although he didn’t realise it at the time, drummer Tom Brewins broke his arm just before the band recorded with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse in London.