Sometimes (or maybe most of the time) you want music that isn’t hidden under studio tricks, far out concepts, or hard-to-crack veneers. There’s something primal about music that is raw, in-your-face, and visceral. A lot of hardcore and post-hardcore bands fall victim to art rock shenanigans and become more of a gallery piece. Fort Wayne’s Burial Party understands that and can be counted on for the full visceral experience. 

In 2019, the post-hardcore five-piece, which includes John Cheesebrew (vocals), Dan Kinnaley (guitar), Justin Weiks (bass), Eric Rutkowski (guitar), and Adam Lewis (drums) released their debut EP Please, Electric Move Slow. Recorded with Jason Davis at Off The Cuff Sound, the band left blood, sweat, tears, and guitar picks on the studio floor. After three years and a pandemic the band is back with a self-titled EP. After three years and a pandemic the band is back with a self-titled EP recorded at Kinnaley’s Chipped Tooth Audio studio, as well as being mixed by Kinnaley. The result of a pandemic and tectonic shifts in our lives has resulted in an urgent, blood-curdling cry called Burial Party. 

Five songs, in and out, and you leave the thing bruised and beaten and all the better for it. The EP opens with “Burial Party,” the band setting their name in amber to live forever and causing tinnitus for future generations. Don’t stare too long or you’ll get whiplash as “End To Never End” swoops in before you can say “whoa.” How can you not head bang to a song called “Neon Beef”? It’s not possible. “Deep State” closes things. It’s epic for Burial Party, coming in at almost four minutes. It opens with a dirge-like vibe before shifting from first to fourth gear in the blink of an eye. 

Burial Party leave the bells and whistles for the kiddos at Chuck E. Cheese. This EP thrashes and gnashes and makes its presence known in sheer volume and angst. The production is raw and precise, putting Cheesebrew’s face an inch from yours while the guitars, bass, and drums are right behind him. If you want your music to make you feel something visceral, Burial Party is the album for the job. — J. Hubner

Burial Party drops Oct. 28 with a CD release shot at The Brass Rail with Michigan’s Cavalcade and new band The Holy Nothing.