RIBS gained notoriety when their debut EP, British Brains, became Reddit's top voted music post of all time its month of release. As the post mentioned, RIBS mastermind Keith Freund festered through a five year gestation period for that effort. Considering this, we can forgive him for taking another two years for the followup, Russian Blood. For what can be considered a "bedroom project", Russian Blood sounds like something ready for adoring fans at an arena. Freund and company take a DIY approach to every aspect of the band including the label, PR, production, and management. The result is very personal release given to a fanbase that they have built themselves from the ground up.
Perhaps it's appropriate that we have gone from brains to blood. This isn't to say that the songwriting is any less intelligent, but it is certainly more emotionally involved, not to mention less time was spent over-thinking it's production. Where the last EP had calculated compositions like "Transversal", here we have moving pieces like the lead single "Kiss". The song finds Freund lamenting over lost love with industrial-sized guitars grinding away in the background and a big affecting chorus driving the point home. The next track, "Gateway Drug", was penned by bassist Blake Fusilier and brings together buzzing guitars and ominous piano in a way that is akin to Nine Inch Nails.
The liner notes mention “No synths or keyboards were used in the recording of Russian Blood. All synth-like sounds were created using layered instruments (bass, guitar, vocals) in combination with distortion, delay, reverb, and other effects.” This becomes more impressive when you reach tracks like "Alarms" that have a rich structure laced with nuances that take several listens to fully appreciate. The final track, "Destructo", has a Queens of the Stone Age-like groove and haunting vocal harmonies. The longest track on the release, it shows that they know how to build tension while uniting the various elements of their sound.
RIBS will be performing tonight, July 23rd, at Great Scott to mourn the loss of WFNX and the station's long-running local music showcase Boston Accents. Hosted by Michael Marotta, it was one of the last great institutions spreading the word about Boston's burgeoning music scene. The Boston Accents Funeral Party spans three nights and twelve bands with DJs spinning in between sets. It's going to be a hell of a send off. The event kicks off at 9pm which was almost an hour ago. What are you waiting for? You should be heading over there now!
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