The Intima - Peril and Panic

I used to pride myself at keeping my ear to the street with finding out about new music, reading MRR or HeartattaCk or other zines to see what was going on or trying to make it out to almost every show I could and watching every band. It was kind of surprising when incredible bands in my own back yard would slip past my notice. This is exactly what happened with The Intima, and almost too late, despite existing in Olympia for a few years before I finally heard them.
I found out about The Intima thanks to my friend Scott, who helped put on shows at the Capitol Hill Art Center's temporary location in what's now a repair shop for luxury cars. Scott and I had been in the process of trying to start a band with my roommate Bryan that sounded like Unwould or Shotmaker, and Scott told me that I *had* to go check out The Intima at SHAC, being that they were a political art/hardcore band in the vein of Unwound but with themes about industrial collapse and Derrick Jensen-esque eco-anarchist social critique.

Thank goodness for Scott's recommendation, because they were indeed right up my alley. Like Unwound they had dissonant melodies and circular rhythms, but faster and with the addition of a violin. The vibe of the band sometimes reaches moments of Godspeed! You Black Emperor but without bothering to patiently create the dramatic build-ups, instead feeling immediately urgent and explosive with their presentation and message.

This is a band that definitely needs to be discovered and/or revisited. This band could be seen as a good example of taking a singular political theme (eco-anarchism, in this instance) and exploring several parallel ideas and concepts within that and creating soundscapes that match the message perfectly. Personal favorites on this album: Angular Walking (which was a favorite mix-tape choice for both me and Bryan), Blue Coffins, and From Exile.




The Intima - Peril and Panic
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