By Forrest Cook:Punk Review
Fort Worth hardcore-punk band, Blot Out has returned from a brief hiatus to release a follow-up EP to their 2017 release Can’t Stop. Kill the CEO was recorded at Dang! Studios and mastered by Crystal Clear Sound. It is available for $4 on digital format from Blot Out’s Bandcamp page. What you’re getting with the purchase is something that’s true and good for the soul—five songs of hardcore punk rock at less than a dollar each—or maybe we’re only paying for the songs that lead singer and guitarist Zach Abrego lends his voice to…
The album opens with four notes strummed out by bassist Chris Blot on “The Return”, followed by the build up of guitar feedback and relentless Alex Ramirez on drums crushing his tomahawk snare delivery. No lyrics, just clinched-fist, beer-guzzling comradery between the trio of bass, drums and guitar, signaling the triumphant return of Blot Out. With a sound similar to The Unseen, it becomes pretty apparent that this is circle-pit music.
Chris Blot of Blot Out at The Tine Panther Fort Worth | Photo Credit Juan R Govea
“No Balls” takes that formula a step further by including the throaty growls and screams of both Zach and Chris to call out undercover racists, intimating the pretty-much universally acknowledged concept that racists have no balls, and ending in a breakdown-to-flashforward, the perfect soundtrack for knuckle-dusting moon-skulls to.
“Dallas Punx” and “Get in the Pit” are my two favorite tracks on the EP. “Dallas Punx” because it embodies the fun, drinky and dancey old school vibe of good, solid Oi! music. It’s the perfect track for any barroom. Everyone involved in the making of this record did a great job of imparting that energy onto the digital platform. Being a “Dallas punk” myself, I also feel my interests are being well represented, “Passin ’round the 40’s getting wrecked / Take a shot and smoke between the set / Badass Punk band comes it’s selling out / There’s gonna’ be a riot in the crowd / Oi Oi Oi Oi Oi, Dallas Punx!”
Zach Abrego of Blot Out at Tin Panther Fort Worth | Photo Credit Juan R Govea
Saving the best for last and true to form, “Get in the Pit” is the fastest song on the album, and also the song with the most variation. I get the impression that this was one that everyone in the band just went for it on this one. It seems like the guys decided to have as much fun as possible while dealing with whatever triggers were setting off at the time. “Get in the Pit” is a damn-fine song and it closes out a damn-fine EP, and may I suggest that if you aren’t one to get in the pit, that you get out of the way because they are coming at you fast.
The superb punk-skull for this one was rendered by German death-metal artist Bjoern Grasses.
Checkout Blot Out on Bandcamp Link: https://blotout69.bandcamp.com/
