veneers

Veneers is a band from St. Johns, New Foundland who formed in 2010. Veneers play an amazing style of angular post punk/post hardcore/math rock/indie rock/and screamo. The band's sound is tense, angular, discordant and at times dark. The band's influences are varied and include bands such as Haram, Past Lives, Deerhoof, and Jerome's Dream. I also pick up hints of bands such as The Plan, North Of America, and The Holy Shroud in the band's sound as well. What makes Veneers a standout in this genre of music is how the band seems to effortlessly channel their angular and discordant style of post punk and math rock through the more intense sounds of post hardcore and screamo. I would have never thought that pairing post hardcore and screamo with math rock/indie rock would have worked, but Veneers have shown that this fusion of styles work remarkably well. I never would have thought that influences such as Haram, Jerome's Dream, Past Lives, and Deerhoof would be used by me in the same sentence, but here I am using this as a description. Similar Stories is the band's latest LP and features eight tracks of noisy, discordant, angular, and intense music. Amazing album, to say the least. Similiar Stories is a split release between Noyes and Anteduvia records. Highly recommended! Enjoy. I also included Veneers split 7" with l/p for you to check out as well. - The Elementary Revolt

Hailing from our country’s most beautiful province (pure fact), St. John’s Veneers boiled their eastern-most isolation into one singularly noisy and brazenly cool record. Almost decidedly un-Haligonianin in their take on East Coast post-hardcore, this is less pop explosion and more off-equilibrium post-punk lilt. The acclaimed hardcore pedigrees of their former projects are apparent in the band’s surety, swagger and rhythms from the GSL school of sass, plus vocals from the Ad-Rock school of microphone treatment (broken). Us landlubbers might get seasick, but those from The Rock have been hardened by a life next to the waves. - Weird Canada

Bought this record on a total whim...well sort of. Mr. Stebner recommended it to me, so I guess that's reason enough to purchase a record. This 7" contains offerings from two rad new eastern Canadian bands, Veneers from St. John's, Newfoundland and L/P from Truro, Nova Scotia. Like Alberta, the maritime provinces are raised on a healthy diet of isolation and long, cold winters, and like Alberta produces some kick ass bands because of it.

Veneers was a bit unexpected. The band contains members of Polina so I was expecting something a bit heavier, full of screams. Instead I got slow plodding post punk with just a bit of swagger and snottiness. Even though I don't jam the Haram record nearly as much as Kevin does, I immediately thought of it while listening to the Veneers songs. This may turn some people off, but some of the vocals have a bit of an older Mae Shi vibe to them, but maybe that's just me. A good mix of attitude, urgency and frantic shouting. I really dig both songs a lot and I'm super excited to see what they do next. I guess there is a tape floating around somewhere, so I'll have to get my hands on that soon.

On side B, 3 songs from L/P. Really fun and fast punk rock with a bit of a garage pop edge to it. Like a bunch of east coast pop kids who grew up listening to that Halifax pop sound doing their best Stooges impersonation. Toss in a bit of Bad Brains rippin' hardcore punk style for good measure and you have a pretty decent idea of what to expect. I figured I'd like this side of the record a lot less than the Veneers side, but in all honesty it's grown on me quite a bit. There is a lot of interesting stuff going on, and they're really fun tunes.

I really like when a record surprises me like this one did. 5 solid jams from 2 solid bands! Lesson learned? Always listen to Kevin Stebner.
~AB - gonnagetsued

Bought this record on a total whim...well sort of. Mr. Stebner recommended it to me, so I guess that's reason enough to purchase a record. This 7" contains offerings from two rad new eastern Canadian bands, Veneers from St. John's, Newfoundland and L/P from Truro, Nova Scotia. Like Alberta, the maritime provinces are raised on a healthy diet of isolation and long, cold winters, and like Alberta produces some kick ass bands because of it.

Veneers was a bit unexpected. The band contains members of Polina so I was expecting something a bit heavier, full of screams. Instead I got slow plodding post punk with just a bit of swagger and snottiness. Even though I don't jam the Haram record nearly as much as Kevin does, I immediately thought of it while listening to the Veneers songs. This may turn some people off, but some of the vocals have a bit of an older Mae Shi vibe to them, but maybe that's just me. A good mix of attitude, urgency and frantic shouting. I really dig both songs a lot and I'm super excited to see what they do next. I guess there is a tape floating around somewhere, so I'll have to get my hands on that soon.

On side B, 3 songs from L/P. Really fun and fast punk rock with a bit of a garage pop edge to it. Like a bunch of east coast pop kids who grew up listening to that Halifax pop sound doing their best Stooges impersonation. Toss in a bit of Bad Brains rippin' hardcore punk style for good measure and you have a pretty decent idea of what to expect. I figured I'd like this side of the record a lot less than the Veneers side, but in all honesty it's grown on me quite a bit. There is a lot of interesting stuff going on, and they're really fun tunes.

I really like when a record surprises me like this one did. 5 solid jams from 2 solid bands! Lesson learned? Always listen to Kevin Stebner.
~AB - gonnagetsued

Local post–hardcore outfit Veneers was formed by Peter Andrews (drums) and Mitchell Westcott (guitar & vocals) after the demise of their former band Map to Temenos. Since drafting bassist Ross Connolly the three piece has released a demo, a split 7” and just recently their blistering eight track album Similar Stories.
The record begins with “Sinking Ceilings/Fatal Floors” a one and a half minute sound sequence of distant fireworks and people cheering backed by an eerie wash of synth. The quiet, subdued introduction doesn’t last long before it’s trampled on by “HC Svnt Dracones” which tears through your speakers like a wild animal with its dissonant At The Drive-In style chords and brash cymbals. The song then pulls back the throttle and melts into a steady stomp of kick drum and chugging bass while Mitchell sings something about “swallowing a cruise ship” through what sounds like a telephone receiver. Before long the songs launches back into high gear and then seamlessly transitions into the polyphonic drum pattern of “I Dreamt You Stabbed Me” which shifts restlessly back and forth between the steady tapping on snare and rim in the verse to full blown mayhem in the chorus.
“Vesuvius” begins with some muffled distortion, creating the atmosphere of slowly being lowered into the belly of the legendary volcanic inferno from which the song takes it’s name and then gives way an odd-time drum shuffle and metallic, treble drenched guitar instrumental. “Gold Nails” is probably the most melodic song on the album with some sustained guitar picking over waves of drums and washes of cymbal before descending back into screaming chaos in the outro which carries over into today’s track “Wraith”. Track seven (either called – -, or untitled) is another ambient soundscape which cleanses the musical palette before the album wraps up with the exuberant thudding angst of “Rusted Hammers”.
Veneers are undoubtedly one of the most creative and talented bands on the local alt/math-rock scene and Similar Stories is an essential listen. Check it out today on Veeners Bandcamp page.
http://veneers.bandcamp.com/ - The Scope