We Love You

Based out of Atlanta, GA, the band Combichrist was formed by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua in 2003. In that time they have already released 6 albums, one that includes a soundtrack for the movie Devil May Cry, and on March 24, 2014 they released their seventh album, “We Love You”. On their seventh album there are 13 songs that is packed with insanely intense beats, loud raspy vocals, and so much energy that it was impossible for me to sit still while listening. It's loud, it's rough, it's basically a punch in the gut from a heavyweight boxer that leaves you in a pumped up state ready for action and taking names.

I really haven't enjoyed a band for the first time as much as I have listening to Combichrist. Sure I'm having trouble trying to figure out how to pronouce their name, is it comb-ee-christ, or is com-be-christ, maybe it's com-bi-christ? I might not know how to say the name but what I do know is that the music is what I've been needing to hear all week. With the low mood I was in this music perked me right up the instant it started to play. They don't play fast, the beats are about average rate of speed as they are being played, but the sheer power and levels being put into the songs make them have the intense insanity they do. Along with the vocals that sound like Andy LaPlegua is very angry and the lyrics that are not that nice even though the title says they love us. When that first song opens, it's a little mellow with what sounds like a familiar evil robot from a show about a traveling doctor no one knows his name but then the song beings to play. The loud, screaming vocals of An LaPlegua is in your face, the energizing sound of the instruments, and that repeating of “Hate, disorder, love, destroy” that's being chanted made me wake up and pay attention.

Listening to Andy LaPlegua sing the way he does has me wondering how his vocal chords are not blown out. He does do a lot of screaming, it's very raspy, but he keeps his voice steady in the songs. This band might have a nihilistic side to their songs, they are a bit on the negative side, they still have at times a point, especially with the talk/sing song “Retreat Hell Part 2” where he talks about him pretty much thumbing his nose to the world he don't like so he can have the party that he wants and he will get it. Though I must admit the last half to “Retreat Hell Part 2” was this weird journy of someone talking on what sounding like an old recording and then just odd sounds being played. Though I liked it because it's a fitting way to end such an intense album, it's the sigh at the end of an intense moment. This band has combined hardcore, metal, electronics, and have produced one powerful album and though they are considered to be power noise for a genre, there's nothing about this music that's noise, just sheer power that's crazy fun to listen to.