Last time I saw xbxrx live, the show lasted about 30 seconds before a bandmember was smashed in the face with a guitar, landing him in the hospital. “Did you get your money back?” asked my mom when I recounted the incident later. “No,” I replied, “I bought a T-shirt.” Yes, xbxrx’s live show, which reportedly got them banned from Canada, is a spectacle. Depending on your perspective, it’s either the violent energy rock music has been missing all these years, or a bunch of kids acting like total assholes. Their recordings invite a similar love/hate relationship. Sixth in Sixes is an attempt to capture the frenetic energy they produce live, and for the most part, they succeed, using screamo vocals, messy guitars, and a ton of noise. If this is your thing, xbxrx is what you’ve been searching for. If your tastes tend toward the melodic, forget it. But see them live anyway it makes a good story.
