Album Review: S/T – Lay of The Cid

Lay Of The Cid’s self titled debut is a well-timed and swift rock n’ roll kick in the ass. Self-released in August, it only recently made its way to MCR. The three-piece, named after a medieval Spanish epic poem, take on all kinds of jangly punk and prog-rock with manic aplomb and without sounding like any of the current crop of screamo-damaged metalheads. Singer Zach Guy attacks the seven songs on the EP with a voice that is at times reminiscent of an excited Julian Casablanca’s of The Strokes, and the angular riffs and The Mars Volta-esque multi-structured songs add an additional dose of energy. Production on the disc is slick, yet manages to never zap any of the power or the organic quality of the songs: the finale “The Spannies” sounds like a heavily electrified Spanish-style guitar ballad. The record is an auspicious start, and proof that technical proficiency and raw power don’t need to be exclusive of each other.

“Jack of all Tirades” – Lay of Cid

Lay Of The Cid play The Factory in Rochester Thursday, January 15th.