Hit Pick

Skaters in the '80s thrashed to Jodie Foster's Army; today, they have Scott Baio Army. This punk foursome is splitting an album with fellow Denver group Line of Descent; the two will commemorate the release by co-headlining a show on Saturday, January 18, at Monkey Mania, with Angels Never Answer and Black Lung. The Army's half of the disc indulges its sense of fuck-it-all absurdity. Sandwiched between samples from teen movies and creepy patriotic propaganda are eleven blasts of phlegm-fueled fury that recall the prank-minded antics of legendary hardcore bands like Charles Bronson and Born Against. But don't let the goofiness fool you --beneath all the hilarity is a blistering outrage aimed at everything from organized religion to patriarchy. Line of Descent, however, feels no need to downsize its dark side. A veritable Denver supergroup that includes members of Deadlock Frequency, the Messyhairs, Crestfallen, Still Left Standing and Pariah Caste, this quartet tears through good moods like it does eardrums. Although intricate, even brainy, the songs are bashed out with a vitriolic abandon that hasn't been heard since His Hero is Gone or early Neurosis. Originally just a studio project, this is Line of Descent's first live performance; combined with Scott Baio Army, the intensity of this show ought to be off the mercury.