Girl at the Rock Shows

I found myself at the gorgeous Hook & Ladder Theater earlier this month without knowing anything about anyone playing. Honestly, it was a fluke, I had been interested in the show to see Whiskey Rock N Roll Club MPLS, but, unfortunately, they dropped off at the last minute. That being said, I was not about to take a Friday night off, so I still went and waited to see what the night would have in store for me. One of the three bands I saw was Angry With Numbers. I was instantly struck by this band’s passion. It quickly became apparent that this was a group of men who just genuinely love playing music together, and although it didn’t lead to the most exciting set I’ve ever seen, it did lead to a wholly enjoyable set that had me sucked in. So here I am, thinking back to that show as I get ready to review their 2023 EP, ‘Evil Is on the Rise.’ Was I going to feel that same passion? That same fire? Let’s jump into this five-song album and see!

As soon as the EP opened with “Manifest Destiny,” I was hit with the passion I wanted. It’s subtle because you can’t see the band playing when just sitting at home and listening to this album but, at the same time, there’s a fire behind this opening track that instantly transported me back to that random night at The Hook & Ladder. This song has a classic rock mentality with a bit more rockin’ aura to it. Angry at Numbers sometimes felt almost larger than life in this song, as if the sound they were producing was too much for my house to handle. At other times, I found this opening track to be one of those just easy listening kind of songs where all you could do was get lost in the swirling guitars, slamming drums, and anthemic vocals. There’s a little piss, a little vinegar, but overall, I found “Manifest Destiny” to be a super approachable way to open this album.

“Ditch Weed” seems to capitalize on that slight piss and vinegar feeling I was getting hints of in “Manifest Destiny.” This song comes with a heavy edge and angsty vocals that definitely seem to nod to the heavy metal scene of decades gone by while feeling original and fresh. As this four-minute song played, I saw different band names swirling in my mind—everything from Poison to Clutch to Anvil. A heavy yet well-thought-out and perfectly toned guitar solo about two minutes into this track highlights this band’s talent and shows that, although I may be new to Angry at Numbers’ world, they are not a new band. This song has a sense of timeless classic that you can only get after doing this for a couple of years, and Angry at Numbers does it so perfectly.

Third up on this album is “The Indestructible Soul” which kicks off with that perfect guitar tone that this band clearly does so well. The thing that really caught me about this track is the swagger. You feel it right off the bat. There’s a sway to the beat, but it’s still rigid as any good, heavier song would have. The vocals didn’t quite come off as heavy as the instrumentation does in this song, but I feel like that gave this song an authentic twist and kept me interested throughout the nearly four minutes that it lasted. Don’t get me wrong, there are some primal screams and some words that come with a bit more of a sharp tongue that matches the instrumentation, but overall, this song seemed to be a complete juxtaposition between vocals and instrumentation.

Although “Lake Street Handshake” is the shortest and, clearly, the softest track on this album, it hit me the hardest. There’s a more acoustic approach to this song, but it still comes with that fire and passion that Angry at Numbers has somehow put into this recording. A slow and steady, almost ballad-like track, I love the soft side of the band that this song highlights. It’s not just because it shows diversity but more because it shows just how well this band can play both sides of the coin. An almost psychedelic undertone in this song caught me off guard, but it also seemed to add that special sauce that solidified this song as my favorite. Really, like the rest of the album, you can’t just listen to this song once. You have to listen to it repeatedly because you will surely catch something new each time you hear it.

Closing out this album is “For Seasons”. This song starts underwater before the band clears up the haze, bringing their power back to the forefront. I understand that that may not make sense to you, but I promise you that you will listen to the beginning of this track and tell me you don’t get what I’m trying to describe. I love how this song perfectly splits the difference between the tenderness of “Lake Street Handshake” and the intensity of the rest of the album. Although I fell in love with “Lake Street Handshake,” “For Seasons” was a close second just because of this delicate line that Angry at Numbers seems to tow so flawlessly and effortlessly.

I fell in love with Angry At Numbers because of the way they got on stage that fateful night earlier this month and just played. They didn’t give me smoke and mirrors. They didn’t try to play overly complicated things. They didn’t try to impress anyone. They just got up there and did their thing with a sense of fire and passion. To say I was floored that I got that same vibe while listening to this all-too-quick EP would be an understatement. I may have caught Angry At Numbers as a mistake, but it was definitely one of my happier mistakes this year.

Angry At Numbers on Instagram

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check Out My New Playlist With All of My Favorite Songs HERE!