There are a few things that remain consistent throughout Against Nature releases, and chief among them is that it’s never too long until the next one. To wit, the Maryland trio’s latest, Ground Down, was released late in 2011. It was their second album of the year behind Stone Over Stone, and their 18th record overall since 2005. They are staggeringly prolific and almost completely self-contained. Guitarist/vocalist John Brenner handles most of the writing, all of the engineering and mixing, creates the artwork that accompanies the internet and limited physical releases, and puts them out at his own pace on his Bland Hand Records label. Perhaps most amazing of all is that Brenner, in all my interaction with him over the last several years, has never shown any sign of pretense, of rockstar fantasizing or of being sustained in his creativity by anything other than the love of what he does. Against Nature – the three-piece including the rhythm section of bassist Bert Hall, Jr. and drummer Steve Branagan – does not change its lineup or stray too far from its subdued and classical aesthetic, and perpetually, what you see is what you get. It’s rare you’d think of heavy rock as having a sense of humility, but Against Nature have done it 18 times now and already announced their next album, Fallen Rock, which is slated for release early in 2012.

Self-reliance taken to such a degree can have its perils, but Against Nature fall prey to almost none of them on Ground Down. They don’t have time to give into over-indulgence as some self-recorded, self-released bands might – they’re too busy already writing the next album. Yet none of their material ever sounds rushed or as manic as you might think. Ground Down opener “First Things First” offers mid-paced blues and is among the album’s more active tracks, Hall throwing serious groove into a start-stop bassline that’s pure Marylander, and Brenner picking away at a lead that’s the perfect complement to the song’s downtrodden vocal. By and large, “First Things First” sets the tone for Ground Down, but they work in and around the bluesy aesthetic. Brenner’s keys give “Written in Bone” a semi-Southern feel, layered in with the guitar, put the production here, as ever, highlights a sense of restraint in the music that connotes a peaceful mood no matter where the album actually goes, and that includes the more rocking “Sky up, Ground Down,” from whence the record takes its name. Where in the hands of Stone Axe, it might bristle with Thin Lizzy-esque energy (and anyone with a soul will tell you there’s nothing wrong with that), Against Nature make it almost pastoral and keep that vibe into “Evergreen,” which grooves out a sincere ‘70s influence while asking nothing more from its audience than a few nods for Brenner’s solo, which is among the album’s best.

They pull back some on “Don’t Kid Yourself,” the centerpiece and a vocal highlight, and keep the quiet vibing working for them through “Passerby” until the Branagan’s crashes in the chorus of “Rough Road” surprise with their prominence. My pick of the album, though, is “Susquehanna,” which brings back the classic blues feel of the album’s opener and pays homage to the longest river on the American East Coast. It’s Ground Down’s most memorable chorus and belongs to a league of excellent Against Nature tracks that runs a thread through their extensive discography, setting a somewhat darkner mood going into the gradual fade-in of instrumental closer “Tired of Being Tired,” which feels so natural in its beginning guitar that I’d almost swore I heard record pops the first time I put it on. Against Nature have their formulas, no doubt about it – seven of the nine songs here start out with just Brenner’s guitar – but the organic spirit they manage to capture across each record makes their material always welcome, as far as I’m concerned. It’s not just any band that could put out three albums a year and still manage to hold any interest on the part of their audience, but for those who follow Against Nature at this point, a new record is like a phone call from an old friend. On the one hand, you know what you’re going to get, and on the other, you know what you’re going to get. Ground Down offers some sense of creative development on the part of the band, but because they release material so frequently, it’s hard to trace their path by relating any one or two albums alone. My suggestion instead is to go into Ground Down knowing what you know about Against Nature, whatever that might be, and enjoy the album for what it is. Given the quality of their songwriting, that’s more than enough.

Against Nature on Thee Facebooks

Bland Hand Records

Tags: Against Nature, Bland Hand, Maryland

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.