Early Violence

Album review

By the time Psychic Ills got together in late 2003, vinyl records had been obsolete for at least 15 years. Most of the people who were under 30 in 2003 had never even owned a turntable or purchased a vinyl LP. But that didn't prevent Psychic Ills from putting out vinyl in order to be ironic; before The Social Registry released their first full-length album/CD, Dins, in 2004, all of their material had only been available on limited-edition vinyl. Early Violence, a 35-minute album with a December 2006 release date, marks the first time that some of Psychic Ills' pre-Dins recordings have been available on CD. This disc unites the contents of Psychic Ills' first two releases, "Mental Violence I" (a 7" record) and "Mental Violence II" (a 12" record), with two previously unreleased songs: "Highway of Death" and "Diamond City Redux." Those who got acquainted with Psychic Ills via Dins may find Early Violence to be a bit less consistent, but even so, there is a lot to enjoy on this collection. Although Psychic Ills were still finding their creative way during those first few months, they had an attractive style early on: a spacey and hazy yet distorted, gritty, and rockin' style that drew on influences ranging from shoegazer bands of the '90s and 2000s to '60s and early '70s psychedelic garage rock. Early Violence points to the fact that jamming is a big part of what Psychic Ills does, but they certainly aren't a jam band in the country-influenced Grateful Dead/Kingfish/New Riders of the Purple Sage sense; if one wants to make '60s and early '70s comparisons (although alt-rock comparisons like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine are equally valid), it should be stressed that Blue Cheer, the 13th Floor Elevators, Cream and the Velvet Underground are much more accurate comparisons than Jerry Garcia and his Bay Area allies. Dins would be a better starting point if one has yet to make a Psychic Ills purchase, but the intriguing Early Violence is also worth obtaining if one already has Dins in his/her collection.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo