this band because I had met Joe and thought he was such a pleasant cat to be around...so how could I dislike his music? All right, I can take the criticism. I did want to like 31Knots. But their music made it easy to do just that.
Jagged, biting, prog rock has, possibly, never sounded more beautiful than on 31Knots' latest, It Was High Time to Escape, their second for label 54/40/or Fight. Haege's talents as a songwriter evolve for the better with each release, reaching an apex on this album with the combination to the gut of The Gospel According to Efficiency and No Sound. Both songs are the closest Haege has flirted with all-out accessibility, while not giving in to it. 31Knots is often given the math rock label, which fits in some ways. Their songs do play out like well-researched formulas, but I feel math rock lends an air of coldness to music. There is far too much heart in the music of 31Knots to consider it cold.
Haege's lyrics are harsh, yet intelligent, an element missing in a lot of mainstream aggressive rock. His voice begs, pleads, and screams at you to listen to what he's saying...because, surely, if it means so much to him, it must have importance to you, too. All the while, his guitar slashes at you, backed by the excellent drumming by now-departed Joe Kelly and replacement Jay Pellicci and dynamic bass work of Jay Winebrenner.
You may not love 31Knots the moment you listen to them, they might be a bit too jarring for that. But, indeed, they may become one of those bands that you love to have around because no one else has the balls to do what they're doing so damn well. -Eric Morris
