Instruction - God Doesn't Care
Instruction are one of those bands that seem to have been namechecked by every ‘cool’ band and musician and whose support slots beneath cult bands have been salivated over time and time again by journalists, but who haven’t had a full length record to their name. Up until now, that is. God Doesn’t Care is a record that demands the listener’s attention. It’s rocky and catchy without becoming generic, it’s raw enough not to be considered pop.
‘Are you happy?’ is a truly great song, starting eerily and slowly before exploding into a full-blown rock anthem, with Arty Shepard’s vocals soaring above it, anguished and melodic, mixing the bare qualities of Kurt Cobain with the deeper, passionate approach of Phil Anselmo at his best. The production is big and meaty, yet never overpowers the songs and that is what Instruction are about. Forget the image and just sit back and listen.
The sound of sitars and percussion flowing off each other in ‘Feed the Culture’ provides an excellent change of pace midway through the album, drawing comparisons with the musicality of Jane’s Addiction and the vocal styling of The Stone Temple Pilots. God Doesn’t Care sounds urgent. It sounds frustrated, like it has a purpose.
Just one listen to ‘Three Stops Short of Dagenham’ and ‘Pissed Me Off Again’ leaves you with no need of convincing that Instruction are not exactly happy bunnies. Listening to Instruction, it’s clear that they are a band who are desperate to break out of the underground and get to a mainstream rock audience who will appreciate their music for what it is, not just because an MTV-VJ stylist has mentioned them in the appropriate show.
And after just one listen of this album, all I can say is that if God still doesn’t care, then, to be perfectly honest, it’s his loss.
5th May 2005