If the aim of
Pain Olympics was to leave the listener wanting more, then it's gold medals all around. Although the 29-minute runtime is bursting with brilliance, the breakneck speed of the record approaches escape velocity only to abruptly hit the brakes. It can be a little disorienting at times, as the tracks pinball from one another with minimal space to catch their breath, even managing to forge a newer cosmic side to their sound in the process. It feels like a truer opening statement from the band, as their debut was really just two EPs melded together, and fully demonstrates their capabilities, especially their updated version of "Bastard Basket," which eschews the scratchy nature of its initial iteration for a weightier sound. Despite its erratic nature,
Pain Olympics does manage to find cohesion in chaos; the band may have
Zach Choy's vocals and propulsive percussion front and center, but the cast of larger than life members -- including the irresistible magnetism of
Mohammed Ali Sharar -- that surround him conjure something far greater, an odd unity of sound and visuals that would otherwise fall apart if too many egos were at play; no-one else in 2020 exemplifies art-punk as much as
Crack Cloud.