In deepest darkest Glasgow far away from the surfeit of indie rockers with pretty haircuts you will find lo-fi experimentation. Not the self indulgent musings of the cardigan wearers but sledgehammer mix and match outfits like Deathpodal (actually the musical persona of one Alistair J. Chivers).
There's no shortage of ideas or influences on show here and that more than compensates for the inconsistencies in style over these five tracks. Taking "There is A Diagram For This" as an example, first impressions suggest rambling prog-rock but life just isn't that simple. Punctuated - or more accurately assaulted - by a sudden onslaught of maxed out guitars and rhythms that would make a Norwegian death metal band proud, you can see that we are not in three minute pop song territory and have instead landed in a world full of torment. Even the most conventional song ("Squirrel and the Fox") twists the moody attitude of the indie rocker into something a lot darker and nastier than a bad hair day.
Another change of direction occurs with "Every Superstition Shall Be Removed". Angular post punk guitar à la Lonelady gets blended at gunpoint with the kind of pomp and urban anger that you would expect of Rage Against the Machine. This is a song just looking for a fight and is the best song here. Immense!
Imagination lives and these five songs are the proof. Occasionally undisciplined and at times nearly drowning in his own influences, Alistair Chivers has nonetheless provided proof that he is an original and I, for one, will be looking forward to see what he comes up with next. In the meantime, "Every Superstition Shall Be Removed" is more than worth the price of admission.