Thirdface : Ministerial Cafeteria
In 2021, amid a slew of great hardcore albums that were released during the COVID lockdowns that put the world on pause, Thirdface delivered a particular highlight with the Exploding in Sound-released Do It With a Smile. The eponymous album by British Columbia’s Bootlicker may have been hookier, Gulch’s Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress may have been heavier, and Turnstile’s Glow On may have had more crossover appeal, but none of these albums was as flat-out angry as this Nashville four-piece’s debut album, which they follow after a three-year interlude with second album, Ministerial Cafeteria.
While the focus of the band’s sonic and lyrical rage on Do It With a Smile was “any and all external aggressors,” vocalist Kathryn Edwards says the main theme underpinning all of Ministerial Cafeteria’s songs is distrust of authority and disillusionment with a poor set of choices of political leadership (“a shitty dining hall where you get served literal garbage as options … a metaphorical ‘cafeteria’” is how she says the song “Sour” characterizes this state of affairs) and oppressive systems.
Opener “Mantras” establishes the predominant hard and fast tone and pace of the album effectively. Maddy Madeira’s rhythmic bass playing comes through the thick mix during the song’s bridges particularly well. Second song “Meander” maintains this brisk pace to a large degree through Shibby Poole’s excellent, propulsive drumming. Edwards’ vocalization of the lines “Just makes you sick / Flush down your thoughts, your needs” also carries a lot of power.
Though the press release for the album describes Ministerial Cafeteria as “blistering hardcore/noise rock,” the latter genre’s sonic hallmarks aren’t as prevalent throughout the album. An exception to this rule is the song “Midian,” on which David Reichley’s treble-heavy guitar lines sound at times reminiscent of a noise punk guitarist’s, such as Bradley Fry from Pissed Jeans.
“Sour” is a slower, longer song than much of the material on Ministerial Cafeteria, and this extra length allows Edwards more time to narrate its tale of authoritarian degradation and corruption. At points on this song and the later “Artifacts of Darkness,” Reichley’s guitar and Madeira’s bass sound like screamo greats Jeromes Dream. The pacing of “Sour” ensures the song nicely complements the full-throttle speed and power of the sequence of songs that follow—“Pure Touch,” “DOV” and “Bankroll.”
Poole’s drumming on “Stalkwalk” is slow at first, then speeds up in a fun way that reverses the kind of “beatdown” pacing that has become associated with tough guy hardcore bands like Madball and H2O. Edwards’ vocal fury then fuses powerfully with the instrumental rage on “Beneviolent” and “Trap Revealed.” This kind of vocal-musical interlocking sounds like it has benefited greatly from the group’s in-studio chemistry.
In listening to Ministerial Cafeteria, it’s fully clear that Thirdface have made great advances in terms of their musicianship since they wrote and recorded their debut. While it’s even more of an abrasive hardcore album than that record, there is further enjoyment to be had from the more sophisticated songwriting on display. “Purify” is the album’s well-chosen closing track, with the punchy guitars and drums providing an apt musical backdrop to lyrics that talk about wanting to “Melt it down right away / Back around the way.” Whether you agree with the band’s messaging about the lack of palatable options on offer at our cafeteria of leadership or not, it’s undeniable that the sentiment contained in the latter lyrics is both resonant and relevant, now more than ever.
Label: Exploding in Sound
Year: 2024
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Thirdface : Ministerial Cafeteria
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