by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Weighing in at just under a half-hour, Violenteer’s self-titled 6-song debut EP is a tale of competing sonic identities sandwiched between two slices of bass. 

The recording showcases the Cotton Brothers. In the right channel on bass is Randy Cotton, who you might remember from his work in ’90s Omaha golden age punk band Ritual Device, which was followed a few years later by metal band, Ravine. In the left channel also on bass is Barry Cotton, formerly of the band Members of the Press. These guys share a love for pounding, nihilistic-fueled metal that is like listening to one explosion after another or the dark soundtrack to a ’90s grind-core horror flick. 

Cutting through the dueling basses’ thundering rumble is vocalist Steve Tulipana’s howls, growls, spoken words and the occasional sung lyric. Tulipana made a name for himself as the frontman of ’90s Kansas City noise-rock band Season to Risk. 

The album is a mountain of noise/soundscapes that tumble forward at approaching-doom pace, lovingly provided by drummer Eric Ebers, another Omaha punk rock veteran from bands Ritual Device and Ravine, now a member of shoe-gaze outfit Minne Lussa. New drummer Corey Thumann has taken over behind the kit for the live band. Though overcast by a cloud of metal angst, two songs on the EP break through the darkness. 

“Up the Flood” jumps forward atop a groovy, punchy drum line before breaking into monster riffs, then throttling back again to that crazy rhythm. It’s the closest thing to vintage gutter-groove Ritual Device I’ve heard since the last Ritual Device reunion show. 

Then there’s “Just Another Day,” a grunge-style ballad that features Tulipana’s best vocals singing the album’s most appealing melodies. The song breaks down to an indecipherable spoken-word bombast before shifting into a Pink Floyd (a la Meddle)-style psych rock soundscape. This song, no doubt, will be the epic closer for Saturday night’s album release show at Reverb Lounge. 

Joining Violenteer on this loaded four-band bill are Dance Me Pregnant (‘00s-era O’Leaver’s punk rock survivors Chris Machmuller, Johnny Vredenburg, Corey Broman and Jeff Ankenbauer), Lodgings (last I heard, their new records was in the process of being mixed) and Bad Bad Men (the Wolf-Hug-Siebken power trio extraordinaire). 8 p.m., $12. 

Limited-edition 12-inch vinyl and digital download are on pre-sale at the Violenteer Bandcamp page, where you can also hear the first single from the EP.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.