FOR AGAINST Black Soap / Dark Good Friday
[WM29 7" vinyl released September 2010 in a limited edition of 500]
[WM29 7" vinyl released September 2010 in a limited edition of 500]
“Black Soap” / “Dark Good Friday” is the inaugural release in Words On Music’s For Against 7” series.
The two tracks are taken from the band’s debut recording session in the autumn of 1984 with the trio’s original lineup of Jeff Runnings (vocals, bass), Harry Dingman (guitar), and Greg Hill (drums).
“Black Soap” is the first song ever written by For Against. It is a torrid, sharp post-punk composition that highlights the band’s early fascination with Joy Division, and particularly its predecessor, Warsaw.
In the opening verse Runnings asks, “Down below the surface / Is everything perfect?” Every For Against fan knows the answer to that question is assuredly ‘no’ and the trio injects shadows around every corner in order to constantly blur the line between pop and punk.
Dingman’s chop-saw, flanged guitar chords descend like a flock of angry birds, while Runnings declares, “Your black soap won’t get me clean.”
“Dark Good Friday” is equally frenetic, but showcases Runnings’ unmistakable soaring vocal melodies while relying more heavily on Dingman’s meticulous, but always atmospheric, fretwork.
Early flourishes of Hill’s trademark drumming are apparent throughout both songs, with every nook and cranny filled with decisive fills and cymbal crashes, on or off the downbeat.
The two tracks were recovered from the original Tascam 4-track tapes and mixed by Marc Ostermeier (Shade Side Sunny Side, Never Been) in 2010.
The Black Soap / Dark Good Friday 7” is released in a limited edition of 500 copies.
The two tracks are taken from the band’s debut recording session in the autumn of 1984 with the trio’s original lineup of Jeff Runnings (vocals, bass), Harry Dingman (guitar), and Greg Hill (drums).
“Black Soap” is the first song ever written by For Against. It is a torrid, sharp post-punk composition that highlights the band’s early fascination with Joy Division, and particularly its predecessor, Warsaw.
In the opening verse Runnings asks, “Down below the surface / Is everything perfect?” Every For Against fan knows the answer to that question is assuredly ‘no’ and the trio injects shadows around every corner in order to constantly blur the line between pop and punk.
Dingman’s chop-saw, flanged guitar chords descend like a flock of angry birds, while Runnings declares, “Your black soap won’t get me clean.”
“Dark Good Friday” is equally frenetic, but showcases Runnings’ unmistakable soaring vocal melodies while relying more heavily on Dingman’s meticulous, but always atmospheric, fretwork.
Early flourishes of Hill’s trademark drumming are apparent throughout both songs, with every nook and cranny filled with decisive fills and cymbal crashes, on or off the downbeat.
The two tracks were recovered from the original Tascam 4-track tapes and mixed by Marc Ostermeier (Shade Side Sunny Side, Never Been) in 2010.
The Black Soap / Dark Good Friday 7” is released in a limited edition of 500 copies.
