The reason that any of that matters is the fact that Try a Dull Knife was released via Version Sound. And Version Sound was/is (?) based outta Xenia. So in recalling what Gummo gave viewers during the mid ‘90s, imagine that town more than a decade earlier. That, my friends is plainly terrifying. But in figuring the music – which was all recorded and such by bands in and around Riverside, CA – it’s pretty important to have some of those Ohio born images bumping around in one’s mind. That’s how odd a compendium of this SoCal scene is. There’s not a cohesive push to any one genre, instead Try a Dull Knife is a delicious mélange of noise, punk, electronics and thrash.
White Flag is easily the most recognizable group on here – but being relatively unfamiliar with that group, both of the tracks included here (“Hell in a Handbasket” and “Love Me Like a Reptile”) are most likely found elsewhere in much higher fidelity. There’s other punk here as well – most notably Test Pattern. And while the two tracks that the group goes in on are a bit thin, it’s clear that the group has its act together. Interestingly enough, though, the band’s “Bite the Knife,” which could be assumed to have resulted in the compilation’s title, is pretty much a rip off of “Sympathy for the Devil.” It sounds good, so no complaints.
What’s confusing and a bit startling about Try a Dull Knife are the electronic inclusions. The five tracks that Death Patrol contributes – and no, I have no idea why ostensibly an EP’s worth of material from the band sits in the middle of this tape – are most certainly rooted in rock. But the warbling electro noises probably scared their parents when the band was practicing in the basement.
Most interestingly, though, is Cahuenga and its cover of Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine.” There’s no way anyone would be able to pick this track out as a cover – until the cascading ‘ahhs’ that function as the chorus kick in. As unsettling as that is alone, Cahuenga’s effort sounds roughly like the Screamers, if that’s even able to be grasped – the Screamers doing Floyd?
Either way, Try a Dull Knife is apparently a much sought after commodity these days. Surely tape collectors would shell out some big skrills for a copy, so dust off that shoe box of tapes under your bed and see if it’s still in there.