Shotmaker’s moment in time and place was pretty specific: mid-’90s, hardcore, Ontario, Canada. But the funny thing is it didn’t stop after a couple albums and the usual slew of shorter releases. They lived on in my head, in the head of anyone who heard them back then, anyone who saw them play, anyone who spent more than a fleeting moment with their chaotic, emotion-filled post-hardcore. Their sound flirted with noise rock, second-wave emo, and hardcore; it was a unique sound, one that deserves to be remembered.
Luckily, their music has seen a new lease on life with Solid Brass Records’ extensive A Moment In Time: 1993-1996 triple-LP discography release.
See, there are certain moments in Shotmaker’s catalogue (the opening of “Bailer,” “Failure”’s long build and melodic riffing) that just destroy me (if you’re going to listen to one Shotmaker song, let it be “Failure”). Not in a cloying, heart-on-sleeve way, and not in a technical metalcore onslaught kind of way. Just in that special way that few bands can, where the riffs are heavy but not heavy, the tempo is right where it needs to be, and things just never stop.
Then there’s the drag and pull so important to Shotmaker’s sound. This is what a rhythm section should sound like. This is “Controller Controller”’s post-hardcore perfection. And when I say perfection, I mean these recordings aren’t perfect. And that’s why they are. (If you’re going to listen to one Shotmaker song, maybe it should be “Controller Controller.”)
The unrelenting forward momentum, tracks like “Uninhibited” and “Curve” just driving, driving, driving, while songs like “The Game” channel all the energy, emotion and aggression of the best hardcore. (If you’re going to listen to one Shotmaker song…)
Actually, if you’re going to listen to one Shotmaker song, you’re going to listen to them all, and you’ll be all the richer for it, even if you’re hearing them for the first time today.
Stream A Moment In Time: 1993-1996 here and order the triple-LP set, which is out now, here.
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