These Beasts formed via one of those serendipitous plot lines where a guy who’s been in tons of bands moves to town (Chris to Chicago), meets and hits it off with a local drummer (Keith Anderson) based on shared music tastes, and they orbit near each other for a few years before timely breakups and a shared practice space frees them up to build something new and huge. Add in the requisite dude who stopped playing bass but still has his killer rig (singer/bassist Todd Fabian) moving to town at the key moment, and the rest… well, you know.These Beasts’ self-titled 6-song EP was recorded by Sanford Parker at Decade Music Studios, a historic facility that once focused on gospel recordings, situated in the old Cabrini Green neighborhood of Chicago. The record is thick and buzzing with angular, driving riffs and noisy grooves. Elements of everything from Rosetta to Botch break the surface, and a pervasive assuredness confirms the band’s talent and distinctive vision. With all members writing together, These Beasts’ songs originate via everything from hummed riffs to immaculate spontaneous jams that fall inexplicably into place. Unafraid to scrap anything, they’re endlessly winnowing their material to deliver fierce, singular energy, finished with lyrics that balance the autobiographical and metaphorical.
