A back-and-forth between snare and minor acoustic chords chime in on the first track, “Meaningless Glare.” High-pitched, wailing, whining guitar feedback and plucking carry the song into the first verse and remain present throughout the song. Haunting harmonies of low-toned voices begin to speak to you, preaching the meaning behind people’s run-down existence. A very fitting introduction song to what is in store for the remainder of the album.
Kansas City’s premier despair-core outfit, Folkicide, is back at it again with his latest full-length. The Meaningless Glare of Broken Human Beings is thirteen tracks of what you have always wanted Folkicide to sound like. With this release, it is clear to tell and easy to say that Folkicide has found his voice.
Recorded over several of the warmer months of 2013 at Merriam Shoals Studio, Folkicide pulled out all the stops for this album: featuring guest appearances from some of KC’s finest, extra instrumentation on many songs, clean and clear guitars, and even some catchy tunes that will find their way through your brain and keep his mantras on repeat. Sticking to his roots, Folkicide infuses folk music with a heaping portion of attack on the establishment. Just take a look at the song titles and you’ll know what I mean: “Divine Violence,” “Melodic Screams,” and “Taste A Hate Like Mine” are all superb examples.
As mentioned, Folkicide has enlisted the help of his friends to bring this album to life. Marco Pascolini lent his guitar to track five, which also features Mikal Shapiro’s voice. The extra intricacies lend themselves useful in this track, and Shapiro’s voice just improves the song that much more. What good is a song titled “An Imaginary Rant From An Imaginary Girl” without striking female harmonies? Violins, a choir, organs, and trombones are among some of the other extra instrumentation dealt in by guest musicians.
If there were a lead single off of Meaningless Glare, it would have to be “Little Nihilist,” the eighth track on the album. Those charming minor chords that are a must-have in most every Folkicide song blend with clean and riffy electric guitar noises. Folkicide soon breaks in with a baritone voice shadowing his own. A strange bridge quickly ensues. Weird horns, chanted “ho-hum” vocals, layered acoustic jams, and vocals melodies bring up the backbone.
The Meaningless Glare of Broken Human Beings is arguably the best work Folkicide has put out to date. A perfect example of what he is and what you believe he stands for, which is a hazy topic. Thirteen tracks of melancholy and pessimism may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but these specific thirteen tracks are majorly accessible.
—Steven Ervay
Steven is an all-around awesome dude who works tirelessly for the KC music community.
Get a taste of Folkicide’s despair-core style on Monday, July 7 at East Wing, and Wednesday, July 9 at Davey’s Uptown for the Acoustic Mayhem series.