"Rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk,
in order to provide articles for people who can't read." - Frank Zappa

Con:sump:tion - Consumer Warfare


Written by Graham Beck



When first confronted with Con:sump:tion’s album Consumer Warfare, I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical.  What with the hand-drawn artwork of a guy holding a knife outside of what looks to be a Walmart, coupled with song titles like ‘Praise the Sun’ and ‘Hold My Beer’, let’s just say I didn’t slip the disc into my cd player with high expectations. 
Sometimes, I’m just a pessimistic asshole.
Con:sump:tion, a three piece from the outer limits of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has not only thrown egos and pretensions out the window but has brilliantly blended a splash of thrash, a dash of grind, and a pinch of post-grunge-era rock into a three course meal fit for a King (Buzzo) .  Imagine if you will, Helmet’s Page Hamilton and Brutal Truth’s Kevin Sharp have a wonderful, candlelit dinner along with a few too many drinks.  They go back to Hamilton’s place, one thing leads to another and POW, nine months later you have Consumer Warfare.  (Sorry about the visual)
I can’t exactly tell if Andy (Guitar/Vocals), Danny (Bass), and Nick (Drums) spent a ton of time writing out these songs or if they just haphazardly threw them all in a blender and let it rip.  Either way, they have produced a great album.  Consumer Warfare has a good raw, punky edge to it without being hard to listen to as well as containing some intriguing song structures that keep the listener interested throughout the length of the 10 track album.


Not only does the ripping opening riff of ‘Zombies(Are Cool People)’ set the tone for the entire album but sounds like what it would be like watching Birdflesh and The Melvins on a teeter-totter, hopped up on a super dose of speed, slapping each other with machetes - all in 41 seconds. Not to mention that it’s just a great name for....well, ANYTHING.  Their song ‘The March of C:S:T, perhaps a “tip-of-the-cap” to S.O.D., is a lyric-less, blistering 56 seconds showing that Con:sump:tion has chosen their path and lucky for the rest of the world, it’s not the path most traveled.  
Sure, there are spots where the bass and guitar aren’t always in tune.  And sure there are times where the guitars and the drums aren’t on-time with each other.  And sure there are a couple of songs that sound like Nick is playing sheet metal with broken dishes on it instead of cymbals but fuck.....that’s what it’s all about.  Drop the egos, plug it in, and just kill it.  
If you like bands like Helmet (Strap It On years), Brutal Truth, and Motorhead; or if you just miss the days where someone would give you a demo tape that had goofy shit on the cover, sounded like it was recorded in someone’s basement in one take and you and your friends could not stop listening to it over and over again...then go get Consumer Warfare.

Con:sump:tion’s Consumer Warfare can be found at www.corporatedethburger.com/2.html for a measly $3.  Don’t be cheap, just go get it.


If you want to tell Graham what else he’s being an asshole about, write him at reanimatedcerebralannotations@yahoo.com  

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I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and currently live in Cleveland, OH with my girlfriend and our three cats.