Cleveland rockers Cloud Nothings conjure a storm at The End

Cloud Nothings mastermind Dylan Baldi had
a few things to get off his chest.

Rock music is meant to be raw, dirty and real. When played the way it's supposed to, it will put you in the type of frenzy to eviscerate everything in your living room. And Tuesday night at The End, the Cloud Nothings proved you don't have to limit yourself to three chords to do it.

The indie punk rockers from Cleveland never lacked for energy as they tore through the eight tracks on their latest LP, Attack on Memory. The album has won acclaim thanks to Dylan Baldi's icy take on indie rock, but the live show brings out a much richer, heavier and deeper sound. Simply put, this is big boy, balls to the wall, perspiration soaked hard rock that grabs your throat and never lets go.

The set kicked off with the excellent "Stay Useless," a leering and cynical piece musing on the futility of life. The band is going nuts, and the moshing is already kicking into high gear. Unfortunately, there were some technical issues.

Baldi's microphone decided to go on strike after the first verse of "Fall In." So we were treated to a mostly instrumental version of the song. After that they jammed out for a little bit and then went into the instrumental "Separation" while the techie was (presumably) working out the bugs.

The highlight of the night was "Wasted Days," which presents an oppressive aggro-rock attitude that eventually gives way to an extended post-punk instrumental jam section. If you enjoyed this song on the record you'll love it even more live, as the intensity the Cloud Nothings brings is truly off the charts.  The drum work is nuts. Jayson Gerycz goes berserk on his kit, as he maintains a blistering beat on the snare while hitting the hi-hat, crash cymbal, and floor tom with his off hand without breaking rhythm.

Anna Fox Rochinski brings 60s shoegaze to life with passionate harmonies.

Other highlights included the bouncing, brooding "Cut You," and the dizzying snare and hi-hat beat on "Our Plans." The eerily atmospheric "No Future, No Past" served as the set closer, which turned into an energetic crowd shoutalong on the final chorus.

Beforehand though, there was a varied patchwork of opening bands.

Quilt kicked off the evening, opening with a bit of 60s inspired surf rock with some trippy keyboards and an emphasis on vocal harmonies. The keyboard is the standout element for me; once Anna Fox Rochinsk ditches it for the guitar, they began to lose their distinctive edge.

TJ Duke brings Cloud Nothings'  propulsive rhythms to life.

Playing directly before Cloud Nothings was A Classic Education. Singer Jonathan Clancy possessed great stage presence, but his band specialized in the light, breezy type of indie rock I've heard far too many times.

My favorite opening band was The Big Sleep,
a Brooklyn trio best known for their post-rock work. We didn't see much of that from them, however, as they instead opted to unleash a hard edged, driving rock sound.

It was sometimes dark and moody, sometimes avant-garde, but always in your face and aggressive. Sonya Balchandani's hypnotic vocals inject an air of mystery into the music, and "Four Wishes" contains as good 
of a riff as I've heard played in this building. 

If you like your music delivered with a steely edge, Cloud Nothings and The Big Sleep were money. If you prefer sounds that gently wash over you, Quilt and A Classic Education likely brought a smile to your face. No matter your preference, there was no way to lose on this night.

The Big Sleep's quick wristed axeman Danny Barria crafts dark melodies.

Attack on Memory generates frigid forecast for Cloud Nothings

I hope you weren't expecting to hear bright and cheery punk when you picked up the new Cloud Nothings album. You won't find it here.

Cloud Nothings are an indie/punk band from Cleveland who are fed up with the futility of life, and specialize in being extremely cold and dissonant. Their latest record, Attack on Memory, signifies a major shift in sound and attitude from their previous works.

The first two albums were generally lo-fi 90s pop punk influenced rock with a focus on delivering an upbeat sound. The first thing you will likely notice is that Attack on Memory is much more biting and acerbic in terms of tone and lyrical content. Dylan Baldi's lyrics reflect undying pessimism toward the future.

Though it isn't just in the lyrics; the music itself exudes a literal chill.

This album is like opening up your door on the first day of winter and being hit with the sudden realization that everything is bleak, barren and desolate. The opener, "No Future, No Past," isn't a very complex tune at all. Baldi's dreary, droning voice rises forth over clanging chords in what surely must be the soundtrack to a warped funeral procession. On "Wasted Days," Baldi perhaps best articulates his gloomy outlook:

"And I know I'm losing all my time
Doesn't seem like it was ever mine.
Feeling sick but I don't know why
Getting tired of living 'til I die"

It's the perfect anthem for anyone who has ever found themselves drifting aimlessly through life with no plan or future prospects. Midway through there's an extended instrumental section which builds up to a climatic crescendo. The further along it goes, the more intense it gets until eventually it degenerates into little more than noise. But it's a brilliant section for building a sense of tension. This sets the stage for Baldi's return, who emits his agonized shrieks of: "I THOUGHT I WOULD BE MORE THAN THIS!"
 
It's a chilling moment. It's certainly the closest you'll ever want to get to the fallout of a life gone down the tubes.
 
If you're familiar with previous Cloud Nothings albums, you may be a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in tone that Attack on Memory presents. There are some tunes that are a little more endearing. "Fall In" has a nice bouncy pop punk feel, and "Stay Useless has a lead in riff that sounds like something pulled from a commercial for the Winter X Games.

"Separation" takes it a step further by proving the band doesn't even need lyrics to get their point across. It feels tailor made to get a crowd rocking and grooving. Incidentially, "Separation" ends a four song stretch that I feel like is the highlight of the album. "No Sentiment" and "Our Plan" are servicable cuts, but are a bit simplistic in terms of lyrics and strucutre and don't fully feel fleshed out. The closer, "Cut You," is fine musically, but the abusive boy/girl relationship theme feels somewhat cookie cutter.

"Attack on Memory" is a huge leap forward for the band in terms of songwriting, sound quality, and for establishing an identity for the band. I still think they have some room to grow as songwriters -- sometimes the lyrics are a bit too simple on a few of the songs. But the Cloud Nothings have established a unique atmosphere that is channeling life into the admittedly stagnant punk genre. You owe it to yourself to check them out.

Score: 84/100