Hey there. Been a bit.

A few years ago, a band called Direct Hit released a record called “Brainless God”. Well, let's back up. A few years ago, my friend Woody told me I would like a band called Direct Hit. I downloaded “Domesplitter” and I thought it was pretty good. Particularly “Failed Invasion”. Then I downloaded “Brainless God” and I was underwhelmed. I got through the first few tracks and just thought, “Well, that was alright, I suppose”. Just didn't grab me. Then I hit “We're Fucked” and I figured I should keep spinning that record.

When I got my new computer, I didn't sync all my old iPod plays, so this is a bit skewed, but every single “Brainless God” track is in my “Top 25” now. I can't believe how good that record is. If you've heard it and didn't care, listen to it again and again. It will grab you. If it doesn't you may be dead. One of my favorite records ever.

Direct Hit recently announced they were recording a new record. I kept an eye out, but I was a bit hesitant. I loved “Brainless God” so much that I got Direct Hit's bomb logo tattoo'd on my arm (mainly because it fit really well right by an explosion and it's a bomb, but still). They started releasing tracks and I didn't really want to listen to them. I wanted to hear the whole thing. But I cracked. I listened to “Was It the Acid?” and hated it. I vowed to avoid anything else they released early.

On June 24th, “Wasted Mind” was released. Before I bought it, I read that “Wasted Mind” was all about drugs. “Brainless God” was all about god stuff, which is the perfect thing for me. If you do not know me, drug stuff is the exact opposite of the perfect thing for me. Every song on “Brainless God” had at least some resonance, lyrically, with me. Some of them are perfection. I was less than jacked to hear a bunch of songs about drugs, being a straight edge nerd, but that wasn't about to stop me.

I bought “Wasted Mind” a few days after it came out. I didn't listen to it right away, but I put it on my phone and figured I'd wait for the right time. I ran through it once the other night and I was super indifferent toward it. I heard the first track (which is an intro thing) and skipped. The first real track is decent. The second track is okay. The third track immediately reminded me of Elvis Costello's “Pump it Up”. Not necessarily in a bad way, but I couldn't shake it. “Promised Land” has a weird vocal cadence and “Hospital for Heroes” has some goofy pop “woah-ohs” (I love “woah-ohs”, just did not expect them here). Next up is “Was It the Acid?” which I already hated. I hated the hi hat sound on “Another Dimension” immediately. “Bleach Music” starts off in a way I just do not like. Can't explain that. I despise the beat to “Infinite Pills, Infinite Alcohol” and by now, with two tracks left, I had lost interest. I shut it off and told my wife I was kind of bummed out by it that evening over dinner.

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One of my other favorite records, recently at least, is Miles Away's “Endless Roads”. I'm not sure there are many records out there that can rival “Endless Roads” and “Brainless God” front to back. Choosing between them would be like choosing between “Master of Puppets” and Poison the Well's “You Come before You”. Different objectives, two fucking amazing records.

Miles Away released “Tide” this year, too. I downloaded it immediately and I HATED it immediately. Not indifference, I straight up hated it. The one thing jumped out in the first few listens: the way the intro went into the first track. That's it. Eventually, “Let the Words Roll By” grew on me a bit. I kept spinning it and kept skipping to that track. Then the first few grew on me. Then “Entitlement” made me love the record and “Mousetraps” sealed the deal. It's nowhere near as good as “Endless Roads”, but it's solid. I stuck with it and dig it quite a bit now.

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I wanted to love “Wasted Mind”, so I tossed my headphones in my car (my god damn tape deck is forever broken) even though I am morally opposed to people listening to their headphones while driving. I promised myself that I would keep the volume to a minimum, as if that somehow made it safer or better.

After a listen or two, the break in “Artificial Confidence” started making me bob my head. “See?!” I exclaimed to no one but my brain, “THIS is what I need out of this record!” Then “Forced to Sleep” started to make me hum a little bit. I wasn't as into it, but I figured I could press on. I listened to “Paid in Brains” again and immediately opened YouTube and found “Pump It Up”. It wasn't nearly as similar as I thought at first and I really started to like the chorus, even with that god damn hi hat. Okay. We're getting somewhere, anyway. I listened to the rest of the record, but I wasn't really listening, you know. I came home and told my wife that the record was starting to grow on me. She nodded and said, “I'm shocked!” in a very sarcastic way. I hit her with a Sweet Chin Music and DX chopped over her lifeless body. That'll show her.

We went to the lake over the 4th of July and, on the 3 hour ride, I threw on “Wasted Mind” (my wife's tape player works!). We got to “Hospital for Heroes” and I said, aloud, “holy shit. It's got me. I'm into this”. I still didn't care for “Was It the Acid?”, so I told my wife “I think I like this next song a lot” while it was playing and waited for it to end. “Another Dimension” hit and I cringed at the hi hat. But then I listened to it again, then a third time. I looked at my wife and said, “I think this song might be perfect”. Direct Hit had me right where they wanted me. “Bleach Music”s intro still was kind of... boring to me, but man, the surf rock flavor in it is amazing. “Infinite Pills” hit next and I still hate that god damn beat. But “Villain Alcoholic” is a fucking masterpiece, folks. I hadn't really gotten that far into the record, at least not at full attention, but I paid attention to “Villain” and it was almost instant. Such a solid tune. Still not really sold on “Do the Sick”, but I'm sure that will come with time.

It's so odd to me, how music works. I didn't hate “Wasted Mind”, but I didn't care that it existed. I wanted to throw in “Brainless God” and just think about how good “Getting What He Asked For” is and think about how “Bank of Elevators” was the song I sang to myself the whole time I was in the hospital, waiting for my daughter to be born. The reason, of course, should be obvious.

But it clicked. I am absolutely in love with “Another Dimension” and “Villain Alcoholic”. And, since I've named way too many songs already, I'll just leave it at, I really like at least 4 or 5 other tunes. Like REALLY like them. Even “Acid?” has grown on me a little, but I still can't get behind “Infinite Pills”. But there are some absolutely wonderful songs on this record and I look forward to falling for it even more.

I know, I know. This was rambling and I said I wouldn't review shit because my reviews are “I like this a lot!” or “Man, this SUCKS” but I wrote this, essentially, because I wanted to say one thing (and to get a new PINM up after a decade):

Go buy “Wasted Mind” and “Brainless God”. Direct Hit is fucking incredible and they deserve your money. Disregard the drug overtone bullshit, and, if you're so inclined, disregard the religious overtone bullshit. Or, embrace the drug shit and embrace atheism. Whatever! Do you. Enjoy good music. Give records a real shot.