The Absurd - live review - photo credit: Brett Callwood

Live Review: The Absurd at Silverlake Lounge in Los Angeles, CA

Material: Considering it’s a Monday night in winter, the Absurd should be commended for the fact that they dragged a healthy crowd to the Silverlake Lounge for what was the third of four shows making up a short, and apparently successful, residency. Nobody was disappointed. The songs vary from fairly straightforward hard rock to, in places, a post-hardcore/metal crossover sound that recalls Life of Agony. Vocalist Foerg even sounds a little like LOA’s Keith Caputo at times, thanks to a low-end croon.

Musicianship: The rhythm section is immense, and vital, here. The drums and bass guitar are so on-point, the two men are tight-to-telepathic. That machine-like quality allows Foerg the freedom to alternate between hefty, chugging riffs and a few moments of flowery exuberance. Foerg’s vocals are interesting; there’s a gloriously goofy quality to his voice that lends a fun element to songs that might otherwise be slightly generic and flat.

Performance: There’s not a tremendous amount of movement from the three guys, but Foerg manages to hold the whole thing together with some zany chatter between the songs, ever-so-slightly resembling the ramblings of a game show announcer. Katherine Roushdi of the L.A. band Roxford was a welcome guest, her Siouxsie-esque voice and hypnotic dancing adding a whole new element.

Summary: There’s a lot to like about the Absurd. There are enough little twists to take the sound out of the ordinary, and at least half of the songs have healthy hooks. The songs that Foerg refers to as “new” are the least impressive, despite the fact that, as we had never heard the band before, they were all new to us. But overall, this is a fun rock band worthy of another look.

The Players: Ben Foerg, vocals, guitar; Josh Loney, bass; Colin Jensen, drums.

Photo by Brett Callwood

Venue: Silverlake Lounge
City: Los Angeles, CA
Contact: [email protected]
Web: theabsurdband.com

The Absurd - "Steppënmellon"

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