(Math Rock, Hardcore, Punk) Nomeansno - Nomeansno Tour EP No. 1 & 2 - 2010, [WEB] FLAC (tracks), lossless

Sound the trumpets, dim the lights, and chill the ham, Canada's youngest progressive punk band are back with their first new release since 2006! Consistent with my expectations of the group, Tour EP 1 finds Nomeansno in typically unpredictable form. While I became a fan of the band through manic single-genre defying releases such as Wrong and Sex Mad, and then found myself blown away by the looming, first wiry-then-monolithic (yet always highly structured) force of later releases such as Dance Of The Headless Bourgeoisie and One, this EP, like most Nomeansno releases, reveals the band keeping certain familiar elements of their sound intact as they at they simultaneously move into new and interesting sonic directions.
As for what fans may already come to expect, this music is, first and foremost, very rhythm-section oriented. Interplay between the bass and drum parts act as the driving center of focus, upon which Tom Holliston's guitar parts and Rob Wright's thick, deep voice serve to build upon and embellish. The musicianship is typically tight and intricate, and those with a familiarity of Nomeansno's more "epic" tendencies won't be too shocked by the fact that these songs are all fairly long; the shortest being a little over four minutes, with the lengthiest number reaching just past the eight minute mark.
Once we are past these basic features, however, things take a turn for the atypical. For one thing, with the exception of the lumbering, vastness of "Old", Tour EP 1 features some of the most minimalist-sounding music I've ever heard from this outfit. Sure, drums were always a highlight of Nomeansno's sound, but the band seems to have placed a particular emphasis on John Wright's skinwork for this release, with solid but unbusy bass lines locking in over pounding, decidedly tribal-flavored beats. Meanwhile, aside from some constrained note and chord riffing on "Slave", and an admittedly palpable presence on "Old", the guitars here are generally an understated affair, with a part often either being a single chord followed by a note line following in unified step with the bass line, or during looser moments, simply background noise. This isn't to say the guitars are unimportant by any stretch; to the contrary, they help to round out the pounding rigidness of the rhythm instruments with much needed atmosphere, and add a sense of dynamics to the otherwise highly repetitious nature of these songs. Being that this is the case, most of the appeal of this music lies not so much in having it kick your ass with its seething intensity or generating a sense of vast catharsis via grandiose arrangements (even if the songs are long). Rather, these songs work due to the band's ability to build and build upon repeated musical motifs, adding greater and greater depth to each song with each passing measure. Suffice to say, background music this is not. However, if you allow yourself to focus first on that ever-interesting rhythm section, and then shift towards what's going on with the lyrical narratives as the guitars stir up and make their presence known, you'll find that these are not at all simply long, slow, go-nowhere exercises in repetition, but very lush and dynamic musical pieces. And quite smart pieces at that. Those familiar with this group shouldn't expect any less, nor should they be disappointed…even if this is quite different from being some sort of Wrong Part 2: Wronger.
Tour EP 1 is proof that almost thirty years on, Nomeansno continues to remain as vital and interesting as ever, and are still likely to be the most interesting band releasing new music to get filed into the "punk" section at the local record store. This EP may take a few listens for one to fully wrap their head around, but believe you me: when you get it, it gets good. Another fine release from Canada's most loveable band (besides Anvil).