In their morbid self-titled debut album, Viet Cong approaches a deep existential dilemma. Throughout their LP, Viet Cong grapples with the inevitability of death with reckless abandon.
Featuring Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace from Calgary’s much-beloved noise-rock outfit Women — who permanently disbanded following the unexpected death of guitarist Chris Reimer — Viet Cong is a sort of continuation despite the tragedy. In an interview, Flegel stated that after Reimer’s sudden passing, he realized death is imminent and can happen abruptly.
This band’s outlook is bleak in the best way possible. Recorded in guitarist Chad VanGaalen’s basement, the instrumentation is unadorned by extraneous effects. Guitars are jagged and abrasive, with drumrolls thundering tumultuously around the fringes and Flegel’s voice strained with a plaintive insistence. Viet Cong still jumps around stylistically over the course of the seven tracks, just as they did on their debut EP “Cassette” — though in this case, the compositions are more cohesive.
“Newspaper Spoons” opens the album with pounding industrial-grade drums joined by rumbling bass and buzzing guitars, which then give way to the dreamy synthesizer chimes. The other instruments lurk in the corners, and the repeated synth and bass become isolated, bringing the song to a close. By itself, the song is weak, but it serves as a suitable introduction for the strong barrage of songs following.
In “Pointless Experience,” the tone is all but resigned, with Flegel singing, “If we’re lucky we’ll get old and die.” Starting out with panned guitar squall and machine-gun snare hits, the song pushes onward, leading up to bounding bass and the guitars’ splintered notes. While the lyricism is undeniably morose, it helps consider it in the broader context of the band’s history of bitter winters and the loss of former guitarist and dear friend Christopher Reimer.
The mood seems to lighten temporarily via “March of Progress,” which features Middle Eastern-sounding call-and-response guitar strums which belie the ominous undertones beneath the surface. As with the opener, the song can feel a bit like filler until the latter half, when it picks up and the whole band comes in.
The next track, “Bunker Buster,” projects untuned guitar strings, choppy cacophony and a muted note breakdown in the center, which then builds back up before deconstructing itself. It ends with the boom of a tom fading into what sounds like a power generator on its last leg.
Viet Cong’s exemplary lead single “Continental Shelf” boasts a memorable guitar riff and comes complete with a vintage beat. Penultimate track “Silhouettes” has the greatest feeling of urgency, with an impulse driving Viet Cong over the edge into territory inhabited by only them.
If the album’s theme were not clear enough already, the final track “Death” slowly unravels throughout the 11 minutes. It begins with fairly innocuous, jangly guitar picking, the bass skirting alongside and Wallace striking the drums as if he’s using a punching bag. But along the way, the guitars shift gradually until the song reaches the point of no return. The drum kicks in full-tilt, and holding off chaos is all that can be managed.
There’s a sense of desperation underlying these songs, a plea for some last resort or a way out. Viet Cong’s gaze is leveled straight ahead toward the future. No one knows for sure what is in store, but Viet Cong are making the most of what is left.
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