Twofer Tuesday: A Doubleshot of International Furlough
Over the past couple of month, Denver’s International Furlough has released two new tracks for fans of alternative rock, grunge, and 90s metal. If you’ve ever felt that there was a void out there for music like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, this band is for you. If you wished those bands would blend in more influence from bands like Tool and Primus, this band is for you. If you wish CKY and Helmet still made music more like their old stuff, this band is for you. And these two songs are a perfect place to start.
Starting with the first of the two tracks, “Down on the the Pharm” – an alt-rock/metal track that would feel at home wedged between Ministry and Puscifer on a late 90s genre film soundtrack – there is a distinct flavor of an earlier era of harder edged alternative rock that can earn comparisons to all the aforementioned bands and more. It’s the type of track you’d expect to hear on rock radio in that era just before nu-metal took hold or on an X-Games compilation.
The second of the two tracks is “Blind in One Eye”, another such track that you wouldn’t be surprised to hear on 120 Minutes or Headbanger’s Ball – appealing to metalheads and alt-rockers alike. This one has distinct Seattle influence, moreso than “Down on the the Pharm” does… yet, the two tracks compliment each other well and share alot of the same DNA. The main riff on “Blind in One Eye” is equally gritty and catchy. It’s genuinely hard to shake, even hours after you’re done listening.
With more music on the horizon, this throwback alternative hard rock outfit will have you harkening back to the early days of Smashing Pumpkins in one listen. Like a time machine, International Furlough is like a trip to a different time… and a welcome trip for those trying to sneak away from social media, pandemics, and the dumpster fires that surround us in 2023.
Check out more at internationalfurlough.com.
