Gems of Masochism
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Track listing
- 1 Paper Moshay 1:57
- 2 Too Bad You're Gonna Die 2:40
- 3 Date With Destiny 2:32
- 4 David 2:00
- 5 Dead Now 3:38
- 6 Gotta Love the Lights 4:19
- 7 Introducing Elizabeth 5:54
- 8 Picnic Pants 1:49
- Total length: 24:49
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5 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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Gems of Masochism 33 rpm
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Gems of Masochism Gatefold
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Gems of Masochism Digital file, Streaming
10 Reviews
Sounds like HMLTD but 25 years earlier.
Wish they kept the screamo elements of their first tape.
Wish they kept the screamo elements of their first tape.
Published
If you are really confused on how to disappoint your parents bc you are very confused whether you should be a goth or an emo,
don't worry this record is here for you .
don't worry this record is here for you .
Published
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Antioch Arrow has always been a band spoken of quite reverently in screamo/core circles, I had always heard them compared with the greats. However, listening to this, it is obvious that not only are they not screamo, they are barely anything recognizable. They were completely original, perhaps best slotted into the post-hardcore scene but obviously they had so many other elements inserted into their sound that were more than unconventional. The sad thing is they really only managed four releases: two albums, a split and an EP before breaking up. I feel like they made a bigger impact than most of us know, as their name still comes up with bands like Jeromes Dream, Orchid and Joshua Fit For Battle (in retrospect, this band doesn't fit in with them at all, I don't get why screamo kids I knew always loved this band). Although knowing about them for years, I never really listened to them until now. It is not the most insane thing I've ever heard, but I can only imagine what hearing this in 1995 was like, especially live. It is discordant and experimental but still quite rooted in the "core" scene. It certainly is nothing mind blowing but it is interesting and original enough to warrant your attention.
(Note: it has been brought to my attention that they used to be screamo before this album. I should have guessed. Well, the more you know...)
(Note: it has been brought to my attention that they used to be screamo before this album. I should have guessed. Well, the more you know...)
Published
Great contorted proto-screamo arrangements and some of the most prominent keyboard work on a punk-related album, marred by a vocalist who can't decide between being Kim Gordon, Marilyn Manson or the most annoying moan-sigh-lisp indie pop singer ever. Still, when it hits, it hits hard - and leaves you longing for a bit more than its measly 25 minutes.
Published
The title of this album, I find somehow adequate.
Published
This is a gem of vanguardism.
Published
This is a bit of a leap forward from the previous Antioch Arrow material, which was stressed, drum-heavy, a little goofy and quite badly recorded. ‘Gems’ is quite goofy and still keeps an emphasis on percussion, but the hardcore aggression is completely gone. When they rock out, it seems more from a desire to ‘freak out the squares’ rather than out of hXc obligation. Also, the 3.1.G. reissue has pristine audio quality – no disrespect to the Gravity label but the CD versions of the Antioch stuff I have were mastered absolutely horribly.
Anyhow, Montaigne really, uh, comes out of closet here, so to speak – I mean he’s really pushed to the forefront and he rises to the occasion with his most theatrical performances, whether crooning post-coitally, shrieking like a witch or whispering threats. The song ‘David’ maybe takes the gothic poetry too far, with its oh-so-arch allusions to fishnets and mascara & lament about someone who ‘looks so cute with those high heels on’ and is ‘the only one who I would cut myself up for’. (Shit man, what am I talking about? There’s NO WAY to take the gothic poetry thang too far, especially when it’s done this well.)
The tracks switch between keyboard-iced, theatrical punk cabaret and more creepy hushed moments like the foggy ‘Introducing Elizabeth’. It’s mainly a guitar free album but is bookended by two short freakout tracks of the old Antioch Arrow variety. This album is a great example of my favourite qualities in albums: it’s short, there’s no filler, the musicians are good but not overly proficient, it’s gothic, it’s kind of dumb but fun to listen to, and it’s pretty sexy.
Anyhow, Montaigne really, uh, comes out of closet here, so to speak – I mean he’s really pushed to the forefront and he rises to the occasion with his most theatrical performances, whether crooning post-coitally, shrieking like a witch or whispering threats. The song ‘David’ maybe takes the gothic poetry too far, with its oh-so-arch allusions to fishnets and mascara & lament about someone who ‘looks so cute with those high heels on’ and is ‘the only one who I would cut myself up for’. (Shit man, what am I talking about? There’s NO WAY to take the gothic poetry thang too far, especially when it’s done this well.)
The tracks switch between keyboard-iced, theatrical punk cabaret and more creepy hushed moments like the foggy ‘Introducing Elizabeth’. It’s mainly a guitar free album but is bookended by two short freakout tracks of the old Antioch Arrow variety. This album is a great example of my favourite qualities in albums: it’s short, there’s no filler, the musicians are good but not overly proficient, it’s gothic, it’s kind of dumb but fun to listen to, and it’s pretty sexy.
Published
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Depicting a cover that shows each member making a face like asking you to bang them from behind, Gems of Masochism is quite that unique record that gets totally overlooked for being too weird too ahead of time. Recorded in 1994 one can see in this band’s sound much of what emo hardcore was going to become; eclectic, awkward sounds, angular (read: I just learned to play) guitar homoerotic imagery and pedestrian musicianship cleverly disguised by the band’s penchant for mannerisms and gothic influence. The songs are short and seem to come out of leftfield, an approach that was at the time quite unheard of especially considering the overwhelming quantity of repetitive dumbasses that scenes (like the hardcore) often spawn. Lyrically, Antioch Arrow has also greatly influenced the likes of These Arms are Snakes and maybe a ton more (many of whom should deservedly be overlooked) who aspire to sound poetic by not making much sense. The most enjoyable aspect of Germs of Masochism is the sheer playfulness that titles like Date w/ Destiny and You Gotta Love the Lights offer, at times raging while whispering and at times treating us gently by being dischordant, the album is all in all, refreshing in times of excessive cloning.
Published
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Catalog
28 May 2024
26 May 2024
24 May 2024
22 May 2024
17 May 2024
6 May 2024
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1
Paper Moshay
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2
Too Bad You're Gonna Die
-
3
Date With Destiny
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4
David
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5
Dead Now
-
6
Gotta Love the Lights
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7
Introducing Elizabeth
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8
Picnic Pants
4 May 2024
1 May 2024
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1
Paper Moshay
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2
Too Bad You're Gonna Die
-
3
Date With Destiny
-
4
David
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5
Dead Now
-
6
Gotta Love the Lights
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7
Introducing Elizabeth
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8
Picnic Pants
29 Apr 2024
21 Apr 2024
17 Apr 2024
4 Apr 2024
3 Apr 2024
3 Apr 2024
1 Apr 2024
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1
Paper Moshay
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2
Too Bad You're Gonna Die
-
3
Date With Destiny
-
4
David
-
5
Dead Now
-
6
Gotta Love the Lights
-
7
Introducing Elizabeth
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8
Picnic Pants
Contributions
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