The Convocation Of... - Pyramid Technology (2001)

Far be it from me to pretend like I know anything about this band, other than what I've read (Tonie Joy from Universal Order of Armageddon, Moss Icon, Born Against and the Great Unraveling heads the band) I am left to only subsist on what this record does for me.

With music, that certainly leaves a lot of room for speculation... opinions, emotions, creative processes converge in different ways for each of us when we hear sounds. When someone uploaded the first self titled album back in summer of '07 (my first time hearing them) I was convinced that I had missed out on something. This kind of angular, muscular music is right up my alley. Though I had enough to go on based on my first go arounds with the s/t, it was Pyramid Technology that set my sights higher. Nearly every review I read stated what I could only hope was true; that this record rocks the fuck out. In fact, something that hardcore often lacks, in any of its varieties, is pure balls out rock and roll. Sure, hardcore packs a punch, no matter if its beating you over the head with muted breakdown sections or gouging your insides out with razor sharp guitar assaults or simply shaking you right to the core with wails and walls of sound. These things are always pleasing to me. But where is the rock? That undeniable groove that links classic rock to all other forms of rock?

I dont intend to state that there is no rock existing in these genres, its just few and far between.. to the point that when something like Pyramid Technology comes along, you are not only surprised to hear such rocking moments, but also to feel the familiar bad-assery that comes along with such swagger. The Convocation Of.. takes the best moments of Tonie Joys previous efforts and seamlessly melds them together with out and out rock music, of the likes that have been present on a number of records throughout history from Blue Cheer, to Black Sabbath and even Led Zeppelin. Some would even say the opening lines of the record echo a slight Jimi Hendrix vibe. But this all makes so much more sense in the grand scheme of things when you take into account the tense, angularity of much of the drumming and guitar playing. Like as if June of 44 or Unwound were covering Band of Gypsies, The Convocation Of... muscles out any piddling rock middle ground and stands firmly with each foot residing in the most important territories of what make rock so vital; Attitude, displayed sonically in this case, either through a riff that just screams "play air guitar to me!". And Groove, with each song grooving right through bad ass fills and tangential guitar explorations alike, tossing in wah when it feels like it and making no apologies about leaving your brain on the floor 4 measures ago.

What I really want to say is that I am glad I had finally gotten around to finding this and was lucky enough to score an LP of it for a great price. It has more than outlived my expectations and proves to be one of the best of the creative rock / post-punk genre. I urge anyone into rock music in general to digest this at length. I urge anyone who has only heard the first album to jump on this like jackyls to the prey. A high point in not just punk and hardcore, but rock & roll as well.

------------UPDATE--------------

Its come to my attention that not only can you still purchase Pyramid Technology on vinyl from Insound, they are supposedly releasing new material on Gravity. I think it starts with a 7", but either way you slice it, this is good news for record collectors and fans of the band. Check their Myspace for updates on that biz.