*100 copies limited edition. Comes housed in a mini rave case with a handmade 16 page book and sticker* "One does not necessarily think of tradition when contemplating Birth (Defects)’ impossibly brutal live recording Will Shatter Rides Again, but the gnarly live tape has a long and proud history in punk, metal, noise, and underground circles in general. Big Black did one, Pell Mell did one, Ramleh did a few, Throbbing Gristle did a suitcase full. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, the decades that forged our heroes’ taste and worldview, the live tape was often a band’s first release; a hardcore or metal band’s “demo” was usually just a recorded rehearsal.
As is perfect for an ostensible rock set suffused with noise, nothing on a cassette is ever pristine like a CD or elegant like an LP. Even as digital distribution makes the most obscure music available in your pocket, the tape -- with its potential of wobble and hiss -- remains the most visceral format. No wonder noise acts loved them so much. Birth (Defects) celebrates all of this on Will Shatter. Unless something very weird happens (or that long-desired Japanese tour happens), this is a tombstone for Birth (Defects) as a live act, a coda rather than an introduction. (A final 12” is due in spring 2026.)
The brainchild of Sean Gray on vocals and electronics and guitarist Rob Savillo, Birth (Defects) expands in a live setting. This iteration of the band included electronics whiz Joey Generic, bassist Ian Graham, guitarist Jake Reid, and drummer Matt Buie, all of whom are steeped in a deep love of noise made by guitar and amp, electronics or otherwise, all of whom are united in a desire to alter brain chemistry through sheer volume. Those who know the band’s earlier, more straight-forward work, which fits easily under the “noise rock” heading, may be taken aback at how much Japanese noise is folded into Will Shatter Gray may have cut his teeth as a kid on Sonic Youth and the Velvet Underground, but as he was always on the lookout for extremes, Gray’s brain went full-galaxy when he heard the hideous abstractions of Japanese noise, especially the aural horrors of Hijokaidan. Understandably, those tentacles have wormed their way into this rectangular slab of madness.
Will Shatter was recorded by Joey Generic in Delaware, on May 31, 2025, at the Newark Bike Project. One mic in the back of the room, capturing a half-house of the maelstrom mere feet away, harsh lightning, no banter, just blood and fire. The recording was mastered by Shigenori Kobayashi, who has worked with legendary Japanese hardcore bands (Lip Cream, Life, Death Side) at Noise Room in Tokyo, January 2026. All of which is to say that Will Shatter might be a little much for the very timid. But for those who are inclined to pick up what Birth (Defects) is putting down, Will Shatter is beautiful, deeply so. It might be the sound inside of your head. It could fix you." - Joe Gross
