One of my more preferred venues in Philadelphia to catch a show is Kung Fu Necktie. Awhile back I saw Narrows and more recently Young Widows, and both had a common opening act. Ladder Devils grabbed my attention at both shows, with their up front stage presence and no bullshit song structures. Upon seeing their debut LP pop up on the reviewers cue, I jumped right on it.
On first listen, I found myself humming the guitar riffs simply by recalling their live show. There is plenty of catchy material across the album's 9 tracks. Ladder Devils have a sound that screams Young Widows and other Louisville based post-punk bands with a odd hint of White Stripes thrown in for good measure. Maybe the White Stripes description is more dependent on the production but I definitely get that vibe. "Nowhere Plans" consists of 4 brand new tracks recorded last fall, with the remainder being a remastered version of their previous release, "Forget English".
Opener "Kids Get Meaner" is also the opener to their live set, or at least the two in which I've seen. The bass guitar is a pleasant highlight in the mix and really fills out the aggressive post-punk assault the band pumps out effortlessly. I enjoy the fact that Ladder Devils' genre description on their Facebook page is simply "Loud", and is a rather fitting synopsis. Being a drummer in a punk band, I can't help but gravitate my attention towards the solid beats and fills provided by Jon Van Dine. The rhythm section is a rather tight one, and the aspects of the band's live show is greatly captured across "Nowhere Plans".
I have nothing to comment on lyrically, but that's due to me constantly focusing on the instrumental side of things. Vocals are shared by bassist Matt Leo and guitarist Eric Haag, and contrast each other well with slightly distorted yells. Coincidentally, "Nowhere Plans" is streaming in its entirety right here on Stereokiller. Be sure to check it out and order a 12" LP from the folks over at Brutal Panda Records.
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