House With a Curse

Quite literally the midpoint in their discography between their early abrasive hardcore and the post-punk excursions that led directly to vocalist/guitarist Ryan Patterson’s next project, Fotocrime, House with a Curse captures both sides of Louisville heavy rockers Coliseum. The move towards a more accessible sound was a deliberate one – they hired Jawbox’s J. Robbins to produce and brought in indie rock royalty like Will Oldham, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and Jason Noble as guests – but it didn’t blunt their goddamage. Gut punches like “Blind in One Eye” and “Skeleton Smile” still hit as hard as ever. Coliseum’s self-titled represents their pit-packing phase better and Anxiety’s Kiss their gothic side, but the best of both worlds live in this house.