It was not surprising to discover that Matt Flegel was into Louie’s fourth season – a show that celebrates the comedy of our lowest moments – for actually making you feel “severe human emotions”. For six episodes Louie romances his neighbor’s Hungarian daughter. Separated by language and the insurmountable obastacle of reality, the two are star-crossed from the start. Of course, she returns home to her family, leaving behind a devestated Louie. Attempting to cope, he stalks an elderly tenant from his building on a walk, lamenting his current misery as a greater burden than the joy of love that preceded it. Annoyed, his neighbor scolds him, “enjoy the heartbreak while you can… What I would give to have that feeling again. The bad part is when you stop caring.”

If you listened to Women, chances are you loved Women.

Calgary’s Viet Cong clearly have no time to waste, turning out an EP and full-length within 6 months of each other. A healthy respect for one’s mortality keeps productivity high, and these dudes are no stranger to death. Bassist/singer Matt Flegel and drummer Mike Wallace are both formerly of Woman, a dissonant, eerie noise project, who’s lineup also included Matt’s brother Pat and Christopher Reimer. Women played their last show in 2010, cancelling the remaining dates of their European tour after the Flegel brothers engaged in an on-stage scuffle. The group unoficially disbanded, with Reimer joining The Dodos during the sessions for 2013’s Carrier. One random February day the news hit that Reimer had passed away in his sleep, devestating those close to him. The tragedy smothered any hopes of Women returning, underscored with the loss all of Reimer’s fans felt for an artist who gave, and promised, great work. If you listened to Women, chances are you loved Women.

Viet Cong Press Photo with phonebooth – Serial fans perhaps?

Flegel and Wallace avoided wallowing in their loss, processing their grief through their work and art. Their experience is contemplated lyrically across the record’s tracks, culminating with the ruthless 11-minute closer ‘Death’. It’s best to stop the Women comparison her however, Viet Cong is established on their own accomplishments. In an interview with Pitchfork, Flegel recalls their first show in New Orleans,”this dude drove out from Baton Rouge and was literally the only person at the show. It was us, the sound guy, the bartender, and him”.

“this dude drove out from Baton Rouge and was literally the only person at the show. It was us, the sound guy, the bartender, and him.”

The Cassette EP is a worthwhile listen if you enjoy hearing bands in their embryonic stages. Flegel began the creation of Viet Cong, demoing tracks with Chad VanGaalen (please listen to Diaper Island), before recruiting guitarist Danny Christiansen out of a Black Sabbath cover band. Joining Wallace and guitarist Scott Munro. They try on punk harmonies styled after the Ramones, served up with Attractions-era Elvis Costello chords in ‘Throw It Away’. Ditching the 70’s styling, ‘Structureless Design’ is all drum machine and cheap synth bass.

‘Newspaper Spoons’ marks the beginning of 37 relentless minutes of squalling guitars, distorted drums, and diseased melodies. In ‘Pointless Experience’ disorienting samples of feedback pan between the left and right channel, ensuring you find their rhythm. The vocals are graveyard chants, conjuring spirits who remind you, “if we’re lucky we’ll get old and die”. Treat life like Ron Swanson at a breakfast buffet – don’t stop until you’ve had your fill, then keep going.

Centerpiece ‘March of Progress’ begins with two minutes of drone, the peaked-out drums dribbling between roll patterns, inverting accents as the drone not moves between pitches. Reflexively contextualizing their career, “nausea and fear for these old forgotten halls” is their anxiety over perception. Their songs “can’t guarantee ensured success” even when “you’re reputation is preceding you”. Double-time the bass takes over drone duties as the rest of the band turns up. This is the point to throw on headphones if you haven’t already.

Viet Cong – Viet Cong (2015)Out Now

The promise of this band as a live outfit is unquestionably high. ‘Bunker Buster’ creeps you out with palm-muted guitars served scrambled, over a brooding, busted up 6-beat. The recording doesn’t deliver on what must have been an attempt at a Sonic Youth-like freakdown, toiling away a 3-minute instrumental outro.

Singles ‘Continental Shelf’ and ‘Silhouette’ are the friendliest this record gets. ‘Continental Shelf’ contains a shining nugget of a melody, made all the more precious by its aggressive context, while backed by a disturbed Specter oo-baby beat that sounds like it scaled over the Wall of Sound and dropped into the Fortress of Feedback.

backed by a disturbed Specter oo-baby beat that sounds like it scaled over the Wall of Sound and dropped into the Fortress of Feedback.

‘Death’, like life, is a disturbing, but often beautiful journey. The tension and emotion of the entire record crescendos in an 11-minute fever dream. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them extend the instrumental portion 3-5x longer in concert. The casual brilliance of improvisation in this track shows off Viet Cong’s live chops. Good news for a band who’s going to do very well on European tours. Recorded in a barn, Flegel wanted the record to have a “big, epic feel” to it. You can hear his shouts reverberating off hte room’s walls as they pound out the final notes of the recording. The lyrics are indistinguishable, but the meanings not – Viet Cong is going to do this on their own terms.