Molecular Genetics From The Gold Standard Labs

San Diego hardcore/screamo/conceptual mavens the Locust were easily one of the most talked about bands of the late '90s and early aughts hardcore scene. Their hyper-stylized image and shrewdly planned merchandising resulted in the sales of tens of thousands of t-shirts, belt buckles, and uniquely shaped vinyl, all sporting their insect insignia. As a brand, the Locust was an overwhelming success, so much so it was sometimes forgotten that they were a band first and foremost, cultivating a sound that introduced synthesizers to the breakneck grindcore drumming and shredded-throat vocals that grew out of early-'90s hardcore, all laying the groundwork for what would later mutate into screamo. In the early days, the Locust's sonic output came in the form of short, violent bursts, encapsulated on 7" singles or incredibly short-running 12" vinyl. Molecular Genetics from the Gold Standard Labs collects the majority of these early recordings, including Locust songs from a number of split releases with other like-minded freaky bands, and tracks from their groundbreaking 1998 self-titled album. All told, there are 44 songs here, most of which blaze by at well under a minute. The band's penchant for brevity doesn't suggest any kind of musical laziness. The songs are complicated to the level of the most obtuse prog rock, only with high-speed dubbing tempos and tortured vocal screams acting more as another instrumental counterpoint than the focal point of any given song. The collection works backwards from the band's five songs on a split single with Melt Banana in 2002, to their poorly recorded and less confident self-titled EP from 1997. The screamed lyrics are dripping in equal parts absurdity and snark, with elongated song titles like "Alas, Here Come the Hypochondriacs to Wait with You in the Lobby" or "Turning Your Merchandise Into a Ripped Wall of Mini-Abs" being commonplace. This extensive collection zooms by in just seconds over 36 minutes, and even at that relatively short running-length, the Locust's speedy onslaughts are a lot to take in all at once. Even "Flight of the Wounded Locust" -- an entirely synthesized composition and the collection's longest track at just under three minutes -- doesn't offer much of a breather before the band tears back into another micro-missive of electro-hardcore brutality. Despite its sometimes exhaustive nature, Molecular Genetics from the Gold Standard Labs does represent some of the band's best and most passionate work. In the early days showcased here, the Locust grappled with their status as an iconic "it band" in hardcore and post-punk circles, and made music as antagonistic, ferocious, and challenging as humanly possible, reminding fans that beneath the t-shirts and puddle-shaped, snot-green, limited-edition vinyl, there was an almost demonically powerful sound and artistic vision responsible for all of it. ~ Fred Thomas