Review: The Carnival Rejects/The Parasitic Twins – The Parasitic Rejects

Recently we posted our interview with Dom Smith, the drummer of The Parasitic Twins, about his platform Wobbling About and Rocking Out, WARO in short, here. Last year we also interviewed the other band member of The Parasitic Twins, a duo, vocalist/guitarist Max Watt, here. Back then Max already mentioned a band called The Carnival Rejects, who they were touring with at that moment. Now, since May the 29th a split between those two bands is released with a title that is a combination of both band names: The Parasitic Rejects. Both bands deliver their tracks alternately. The Carnival Rejects delivers three own tracks, The Parasitic Twins delivers two own tracks as well as a cover of Babylon Zoo’s Spaceman. The line-up of The Carnival Rejects consists of guitarist/vocalist Jamie, bass player/vocalist James and drummer Fi.

It is up to The Carnival Rejects to kick off this split with opening track Seize Control. They do so at quite a fast pace with the typical punkstyle drums especially standing out and being very important for this pace. The vocals are very much reminding of ’90s skate-punk. Punk? Yes indeed, punk. The Carnival Rejects is a punk band and logically does show a lot more punk-influences compared to The Parasitic Twins. The Parasitic Twins also show these influences a little, but their music also contains a lot of other influences, for example some doom- and sludge-influences. Due to the fact that both bands are delivering their tracks alternately the differences become very clear. Don’t get me wrong, I can also really appreciate punk, but in this case it becomes quite clear that the songs from The Carnival Rejects are quite a bit more simple and catchy than those of The Parasitic Twins. This however doesn’t mean that those songs are bad, the execution is very well done. However, the tracks of The Parasitic Twins are more to my liking, something that probably also will be the case with other metal fans. The Carnival Rejects’ second track, the third track on this split, Disengage, including a nice bass riff, is already a bit better than Seize Control. However, To The Bone, the last track by The Carnival Rejects and fifth track on this split, is the best track of these three tracks. Besides a few screams, To The Bone also includes a bit more variation than Seize Control and Disengage.

Like already said the tracks by The Parasitic Twins are more to my liking. Their first track and second track on this split, Autopsy, immediately is much rawer, darker and less simple than The Carnival Rejects’ opener Seize Control. This track’s sound is a bit messy, but that only contributes to the raw and dark atmosphere. Feel Nothing, the second track by this band and fourth track on this split, contains that same raw and dark atmosphere. In this track the nicely crunching guitar sound is also playing a big part in that. Vocally The Parasitic Twins also deliver much more variation. In their two own tracks, Autopsy and Feel Nothing, we can hear screams as well as crunchy growls. In Spaceman, the Babylon Zoo cover, we can hear clean vocals, shouty vocals, screams as well as growls in different combinations of lead vocals and backing vocals. This cover is very nicely executed and gives the original a much more rawer and filthier edge.

With six tracks in 13 minutes and 30 seconds this The Parasitic Rejects split is over quite soon. Especially The Parasitic Twins are showing a very strong side of themselves on this split. The Carnival Rejects’ tracks are much less impressing, while this probably was less obvious when these two bands weren’t combined.

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