Subliminal is a crash course in distorted bass slaps and manic time changes, courtesy of LA-based two piece Clevis. The EP clocks in under 15 minutes, which barely gives the listener a chance to digest what this bass and drum duo are capable of acheiving.The influences are obvious from the start, with some funky bass hits reminiscent of a Primus cover band audition coupled with the snare and ride-cymbal-happy Lightning Bolt styled drumming. Without letting the listener get too comfortable, the tone shifts into some buzzing bass riffs, channeling low end god Cliff Burton. Nothing here lasts for more then half a minute, and just when the listener is  ready for the first couple of tunes to truly start rocking out, it all ends, and a new riff starts the next cycle of drum fills and 4-string rumbles.

While the opening two tracks feel like they contain more style then substance, “Bird On The Brim” actually begins to flesh some parts out. The opening bass lines are the first real sense of melody on the album, and the drums hold back to actually keep the focus on the 4-stringer. The band's signature manic riffing returns for a spell, but after awhile, Clevis actually decides to revisit the success of the opening frames, and we finally feel like we have heard a complete thought from the band. At almost 6 minutes, the track sounds epic in comparison to the other three blasts.

Clevis definitely function like a band that is still trying to find a direction and settle itself on a solid footing. After tightening its sound a bit, splurging for an all around fuller production quality, and adding a tad more variety throughout, the duo could be a fierce competitor in the drum/bass noise-rock game. The talent is there, hopefully the songwriting is soon to follow.

-Nick Brandt