Apriori-Demo Tape; digital release via Bandcamp, 2014

Disaster Amnesiac subscribes to a really great youtube feed from a guy in the SF Bay Area who films all sorts of local Punk Rock and Metal shows. I really look forward to his Sunday morning uploads, even though I often have a feeling of regret as I watch, knowing that all of this underground culture is going on so close to me and I'm missing it! Ah, well, I guess one can't be everywhere doing everything.
What one CAN do, even this lazy bastard, is go over to Bandcamp and immediately download Oakland band Apriori's 2014 demo recording. Disaster Amnesiac had the pleasure of watching a recent live show of theirs at roseman127's Youtube feed, and before their short set was even over, I was busy searching for their music online.
Said music is really satisfying Punk Rock, played with the aggression of early Hardcore. What I mean by that is that their sound has the wanton, half unhinged tempos and pacing that made hearing Punk so necessary to so many music fans; it is clearly cared about by the band, but played with the kind of over the top aggro energy that makes it fly out of the speakers as a great, enervating racket. The guitar player, James, uses raw, ripping tones that make Disaster Amnesiac think of Craig Gray, Craig Lee, or early Greg Ginn even. Rock power with Punk aesthetics and, again, energy. This is damn fine company to be in for any guitar player, and one just has to give kudos to him for it.
The rhythm section of Ben on bass and Aryel on drums pounds its way through the songs with stomping, powerful command. They don't just oompah, they rock. Seriously, one could slow their pace down (not that there's any reason at all for anyone to do so, just saying) and have equally bracing Metal or Doom or straight up Rock. Just as is the case with the guitars, these guys clearly know what they're doing with their instruments.
Singer Laura uses the kind of shouted approach that makes Disaster Amnesiac want to shout along, or simply thrash around the apartment, fist pumping the air and saying "YEAH!!!", not in an ironic way, but in an inspired way. She sounds great, equal to the energy coming from the players in the band.
The great thing about the internet is the immediacy with which one can find cool stuff. One of the great things about Punk Rock, when done well, is how immediately emotionally satisfying it can feel. Disaster Amnesiac suggests that you go immediately to Apriori's Bandcamp page and hear their great demo tape!