ALBUM REVIEW: Live & Loose In The USA – Show Me The Body

Live albums miss the mark sometimes, they fail to do what they intend: successfully capture the essence of a band’s live performance and make fans shed a tear at how bad they want to go to a show after they’ve listened to it. However, industrial hardcore outfit SHOW ME THE BODY might just restore your faith in live records through their documentation of the USA leg of their World War Tour, following the release of their previous studio album Trouble The Water. 

The tracklist reflects the standard setlist used for the World War Tour, being heavily compromised of the material on the trio’s previous record. Finding themselves in Detroit for opening track Out Of Place, synthesisers are mystifying until they aren’t when Julian Cashwan Pratt musters a hearty shout “Detroit! Show me what it is!” to transition into the turbulent Boils Up; it’s constant pummelling, gloriously loud and SHOW ME THE BODY at their most authentic.

We Came To Play is showcased in Baltimore with Corpus’ very own WiFiGawd and guest Alex Cejas; the violence of a SHOW ME THE BODY show muscles its way through with the caustic screeches Pratt‘s banjo tearing through the air. The same goes for War Not Beef and its sheer aggression that pushes you away. But the cream of the crop is the Camp Orchestra / Metallic Taste medley, posing two fan favourites against each other in striking contrast. The prior creeps up gradually before devolving into its depravity, coming to a halt for the latter effort, the only downfall being the live sound having such a dissonance that it doesn’t always translate very well.

WW4 retains its haunting attitude in Brooklyn and the verbal seduction is put on display, the crowd relieving themselves of ominous squeals of joy at its arrival. The track has had sombre notations to it, the visual image of being pinned to the floor by a rogue cop, subtle dealings and the collapse of the world surrounding you. The provocative track is a highlight amongst plenty of pre-existing gems. One last medley to sign off, with two more iconic tracks in the SHOW ME THE BODY catalogue, albeit brief, bouncing between USA Lullaby and Body War — beginning with a blistering pace for the latter and being nothing short of remarkable to see in the flesh, let alone hear it, before Pratt bows out with a succinct “Thank you, we’re SHOW ME THE BODY.” a fitting farewell for the phenomenal swing at a live record.

Rating: 8/10

Live & Loose In The USA is out now via Loma Vista Recordings.

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