VIET CONG

I heard viet congs (preoccupations these days) first release cassette in random tracks on youtube and couldn't wrap my head around the fact these guys weren't some brilliant overlooked gem from the 70's. These guys merge the best of underground music from the 70's and 80's. Now fast forward to their first official release and BAM! The lo-fi sound gives way to a fully realized post punk monolith. amazing guitar music, insanely precise and intricate drumming, thick chorus infused bass and deep sci fi influenced lyrics. I love the gated noise of pointless experience, the eno meets this heat intro of newspaper spoons. Continental shelf is a gorgeous television sequel riff meets synth psychedelia of the chorus. Perfect post punk blasts like bunker buster and silhouettes give way to the massive outro that is death. A huge jame based around one chord chiming away into infinity. And let's not forget their obvious nod to this heat with March of progress. If you love post punk and independent music go buy this album and support this amazing band.

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Full disclosure, I've lived long and tend toward the path less trod. I remember the first time I heard Here Come The Warm Jets. And Ha!Ha!Ha! How about hearing Animals by Pink Floyd when approaching the 18th birthday?I love the band METZ first album. Have not heard the latest. Read recently about this Viet Cong band and expected something like METZ.Not even close, dear citizens. As mentioned above, I have had wonderful musical epiphanies in my long and out-of-mainstream life (Bill Nelson's Red Noise, Killing Joke, etc.), but honestly, I've not heard anything like this.I cannot give anything about this album away, simply because there are no words for the experience. Other reviews mention Joy Division, et al., but, no disrespect, there is no comparison. None.I live in metropolis. Radio plays what amateur drinkers want to get laid to. I lucked into reading about this band, and am fortunate to have it here with me for numerous listenings.There is much to discover here. No bad moments. Challenging you to effing listen.K

Viet Cong is a Canadian Post-Punk band based in Calgary, Alberta. The group is comprised of two former members of the band Women, vocalist/bassist Matt Flegel and drummer Mike Wallace. Rounding out the quartet are guitarists Scott Munro and Daniel Christiansen.Their self-titled debut is a delightful mess of moody and murky songs with blown out vocals and blunt instrumentation...galore!Apparently drawing from the same lineage as post-punk luminaries such as Bauhous and Joy Division, Viet Cong conjure up despair and melancholy, only with blatant dashes of upbeat atmosphere.Whether it's the restless vibe of "Newspaper Spoons" or "Pointless Experience" or the tranquil sea of misery and pathos on " Silhouettes" and "Continental Shelf", it's a journey urged to be taken by the listener. The album wraps up with the eleven-minute "Death", and from the opening plucky riffs, it appears to be familiar territory, however, the track dives left and right into its murky, abstract universe, creating a truly epic coda to this self-titled gem.

This band, now known as Preoccupations, came to my attention through Amazon music's handy AI, so credit where credit's due. Knowing nothing about them I first listened to the fifth song on the album "Continental Shelf". It's a song with a 1980s torch song beat and anthemic chorus. Obvious near quote of the Smiths but more of an allegiance to Sparks, Pixies and Sonic Youth.Lots of great stuff on youtube for them. They appear to deliver the goods live in concert too, which is vital for me.A little bit of the Pop Group and Can, a little bit of that helicopter guitar thing that sounds like Korean Hendrix--very tight rhythm and on point singing go toward a entropical carnivalypse of subvocal voltage. Break out in translation!

Just what I expected - although we didn’t play the album- instead we framed it for a huge fan. It was very beautiful - the inside jacket is gorgeous!

Great sound to this band. Came across it as a random recommendation talking with a guy in line on Record Store Day. So when I found it on vinyl ordered it in and was really happy I did.You don't always know what some albums are going to be but his recommendation was spot on and really dig this album! Would love to see them live.

I love this album! Definite overtones of Joy Division. We've been playing it a lot since it (finally!) came. Amazon was the only place I could find it in stock...

The sleeve of this album is where I keep my Danny Christ hair collection.

A very good debut album from this Canadian post-punk band. The bass playing is definitely emulative the style of bands such as Joy Dvision or The Cure. With rough vocals, interwoven reverb-heavy staccato guitars. My only complaint is that whilst the album ends with an 11 minute track, the album is only 7 songs in total which compared to the closing track, makes the album too short. I look forward to their next studio effort and wish it was longer.

Great album. Continental Shelf, Silhouettes, Bunker Buster, Death... all superb.

A very stirring and interesting listen. Some really good hooks on closer listen

all good