HARDWARES

KYLESA has always been the shape of punk to come even if the band isn’t punk at all, and it is exactly this sense of contradiction that makes this group of Georgia resident so fascinating. 2006’s Time Will Fuse Its Worth and 2009’s Static Tensions were records that forced you to flex your head to the new noise and, in the process, Kylesa fully and completely perfected its sonic oeuvre, allowing all that is right with the band to be aggressively and gracefully set free. From The Vaults, Vol. 1 is, as its title would indicate, a collection of previously unreleased/alternate take rarities with new song ‘End Truth’ included as well, giving the listener added insight into Kylesa’s historical roots (bloody roots) and song-writing process. That said, ‘End Truth’ is the best material to be found here, the track a true exploration of JOY DIVISION and early THE CURE through the lens of amplifiers on 11, the song an ethereal spectre of the many abysses that came before it. ‘Bottom Line II’ and ‘Between Silence and Sound II’ are memorable as well, as one channels FUGAZI while the other once again mourns at the grey altar of the aforementioned Joy Division, Kylesa displaying the disparate influences that keep it so engaging. Though the rest of From The Vaults remains for the diehards interested in some of Kylesa’s less interesting material, its summit moments make it notable and affecting.