Lotus Fucker

Tracklist:

1. The Island Closest To Heaven
2. Fish In Front Of A Waterfall
3. Lotus Blooms Twice
4. Flower On A Precipice
5. Bones
6. Fighting Against A Shadow Behind Myself
7. The Herd That Drinks Dew Drops
8. To Wield The Sword That Doesn't Cut
9. Memories In The Rain, Falling From The Heavens
10. WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK WE ARE??
11. Like A Tiger That Doesn't Tread On Any Flowers
12. Red Moons Rising In The Distance
13. Black Dog
14. Spiral Life
15. One-Eyed Fish
16. When The Cicadas Cry
17. The Rock That Will Not Be Withered By The Waterfall


Are you spending Valentine's day all to your lonesome? Of course you are! Why the hell else would you have visited ICDT then if you were a complete loner, right? Right. Instead of participating in your normal routine of crying over lost love, eating the sweethearts actual couples didn't have the time to ingest, watching old seasons of the Office on Netflix late into the night, and, ultimately, contemplating suicide, why not spend a lovely and romantic evening with DC's Lotus Fucker, a fulfilling mate and potential life partner?

If you were unlucky enough to catch my top ten list of 2009, you would have noticed that I spoke very highly of Lotus Fucker's LP, ranking it at #4. I was very fond of their demo tape, which was good enough for me to consider them to be the best D.C. punk band at the moment. Still, as good as it was, I was not prepared for the leap of quality from the demo to their debut LP.

For this album, the band retains their conceptual sets of songs, with the A-side entitled "The Island Closest To Heaven" and the B-side, a rerecording of the demo, entitled "Answer=Bloodwashed Noise." Still here are both the anime aesthetic (in even more glory) and the seemingly English-to-Japanese-back to-English-Google translated song titles, which are even wackier on the newer set. This may turn some off, but it's certainly somewhat unique and very enjoyable.

The first thing I noticed about the actual music is that the production fits more of what the band is going for than their demo in that they are now able to take the noise-not-music approach that bands like Confuse took, as well as many contemporary Japanese crust bands are following. While heavy on the high end of things, the bass tone is absolutely incredible. I can't exactly describe it, but it's perfect for this. Additionally, the guitar sound is better and its buzzing-quality actually resembles classic bands such as the Swankys and Disclose.

I'm going to start with the B-side here, as it is the older, more familiar material. I'm normally somewhat opposed to rerecordings, but this is a complete exception to the rule. The production is much improved and rawer. The songs themselves are not drastically different, but the arrangements are far superior and the band is airtight. The Power Rangers solo in the finale "The Rock That Will Not Be Withered By The Waterfall," as well as the other Death Side-esque solos on the album, can (bear with me here) only really be described as heroic.

"The Island Closest To Heaven" actually improves on the breathtaking "Answer=Bloodwashed Noise" set. Still, it's not unfamiliar. "Flower On A Precipice" actually creates a very similar feeling to the guitar theme from "Black Dog," however, it is in no way lazy songwriting. The other highlights are numerous: the ending of "The Herd That Drinks Dew Drops" possesses the refrain "we are, we are the herd" and it's the oddest thing I think I've ever sung along to. "To Wield The Sword That Doesn't Cut" might be my favorite song on the whole album, based purely on the fact that it has the coolest fucking bassline. And, like the end of "Answer=Bloodwashed Noise," the new set ends on a solo-heavy note with "Memories In The Rain, Falling From The Heavens."

Both of these sets were written independently from one another, yet fit together perfectly, so the decision of releasing this as an LP as opposed to two different 7"s was definitely a wise one. Additionally, while they were written as individual sets, not meant to be taken as individual songs, the songs themselves hold up on their own accord, which is truly impressive. Fortunately for the band, Lotus Fucker occupies an interesting space in punk, as their music appeals to so many different crowds. This truly is one of the best punk releases of the 2009, hands down.

Be sure to check them out in and around the D.C./Baltimore area and get stoked for their summer tour with the Wankys and Chaos Destroy, in which they will have their split 7" with the Wankys.

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