Consume – Consume

March 2007 • Insane Society Records

I don't know a single thing about this band, Consume; I simply found this compilation on YouTube the other day and decided to give them a shot. It's decent d-beat stuff, though nothing terribly unique. I've been listening to a lot of this sort of punk lately, though, the old-school crusty sound of bands like Discharge and Amebix and all them. With its catchy, simplistic guitar lines and drumming, there's hardly anything about Consume's music to dislike. It's tough to pick out highlights since all the songs are pretty similar, but there are plenty of moments that make me want to air-drum along.

Therein lies the problem, perhaps—long punk compilations like this have never sat well with me. I love punk EPs for their brevity, their ability to deliver quick bursts of anger, and in short order. With eighteen tracks and a forty-plus minute runtime, this compilation feels like too much. I guess that's kind of the point, probably; this is probably their entire discography to date and if you want to listen to the band you get a lot to choose from. And that's not a bad thing. They may not the best band but this release is enjoyable for what it's worth.

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