C.H.E.W. (AKA CHEW) "Demo" 7"

Side A: Neuroleptics, Half Pint, Black Sheep, Protect And Swerve Side B: Split Tongue, Askin' For It, Fine Tuning Reverse board jacket, risograph insert printed by Oddities Prints LISTEN Frankly-speaking, it was really only a matter of time before this band’s demo was given the wax treatment. C.H.E.W. (formally known as Chew, and before you ask, no, the acronym doesn’t stand for anything) has quickly proven themselves to be one of Chicago’s crowning hardcore acts, even when this seven-track demo – originally released in March of 2016 – is the sole exposition of this group’s distinctive, menacing grooves; and that’s just tragic. In a subgenre so easily inundated with rehashed, recycled, ultimately repetitious riffs and breakdowns, bands like C.H.E.W. help breathe new life into a subcategory otherwise left to be scoffed at, be it through genuinely brilliant, genre-bending songwriting, or compacting every ounce of the members’ passion into a discordant, unconventional hardcore performance