Local Music Review: Shit Dogma – 2019 EP

Shit Dogma
2019 EP

Self-released
Street: 02.26
Shit Dogma = Man is the Bastard + Discharge

Some music is made for dingy basements, DIY venues with overflowing toilets and playing until the cops show up. Shit Dogma drive squarely in that lane with their dirty brand of D-beat hardcore. Drums, bass, vocals—that’s it. I’ve always had a soft spot for bands with a strong bass element (whether it’s the sole instrument or prominently featured). For Shit Dogma, the bass-forward, guitar-less approach really works. By stripping away guitar, there is nowhere for any of the elements to hide. Andy Patterson’s Boars Nest recording is a great choice for this crew, and you really get a sense of what each instrument is doing. Riffs and the motion of songs need to be carried by these sole two instruments, which lends an element of sitting in on a fierce jam session.

This EP also provides a refreshing political take. It may not be earth-shattering in the punk/hardcore space, but it serves such an important purpose of keeping that flame alive. When you’re 16 and discovering that there is more to music than what civilians listen to, bands like Shit Dogma are so important. Sure, you can do your history and check out any number of older bands, but if you want to experience it here—and now—and vital, where do you turn? You show up at that DIY venue and check out a Shit Dogma set, that’s what you do.

Additionally, something weird has been happening these days with all political discourse inevitably coming back to mainstream points and argument. Soapbox moment here: I feel that it’s a direct result of our constant confirmation bias, which is much easier fed in 2019 than it was 20 years ago. Shit Dogma are here to remind us that, hey, there are viewpoints that exist wildly outside of our, ahem, dogmatic corners. This is invigorating, as underground music always needs its bomb throwers, challengers and general miscreants. –Peter Fryer