Goes Cube

Beckon the Dagger God

(Goes Cube)

US release date: 2 January 2007

UK release date: Available as import

by Dan Raper

Goes Cube, a local NYC hard rock act beloved of some of the more influential NYC indie websites, is giving the ground-up thing a go. Specifically, it’s the ear-shredding live show that’s generating the most buzz—and in a town occasionally given to over-intellecualized, not-too-enjoyable musical natives, that straightforwardness is appreciated. ¡Forward, Russia!-like, the band’s gone for numbers instead of track names, which only makes the onslaught more continuous-sounding, from “30“‘s straight hard rock to “29“‘s distorted guitar chunks, straight through. In their more mellow moments, as on “37”, the group has a strong undercurrent of Tool, but generally Goes Cube’s desperation shines through in Dave Obuchowski’s raw baritone. Despite all the hype, beneath it all, Goes Cube derives its songs from a familiar kind of hard rock groove, ridden out to the 4-5-6 minute length through simple repetitions or protracted crescendos. And hard as the group tries to capture the spark of the stage, you still get the impression that this overdriven power might indeed be best felt in the live setting.

— 20 March 2007

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