I have called Bodyfather a lot of things over the years, but the epithet I like best, the description I find most apt, is “rhythm assassins.” The Atlanta hardcore punks play with a manic intensity and jaw-dropping precision that yanks you by the collar and sets your pulse racing. Their songs are fast, angular fits of fevered urgency and nervy upheaval that threaten to tear everything apart at the seams. So it should surprise no one that a band capable of unleashing such a pugilistic racket would require the service of an expert drummer to reign in the chaos and keep all those propulsive rhythms and serrated riffs in check.

For nearly 10 years, Alan Hamilton played that role in various projects alongside guitarist/vocalist Marc Hitchcock, bassist Zac Hobbs, and guitarist Nathan Streeper, providing a steady hand for their wiry eruptions and curbing their excesses when necessary. He was the glue, to use a tired cliché; the hard-hitting, math calculating adhesive that kept their tightly coiled attack from unraveling. So when Hamilton decided to stop playing music last August it seemed much more than a major setback — it was a devastating blow that threatened the existence of the group. “We were pretty lost as to what to do without him playing with us,” Hobbs confides. “Being that comfortable with someone is incredibly awesome. It got to the point to where I didn’t even have to try to write bass lines that locked in with him.”

For months, the remaining members contemplated various replacements, but nothing stuck. Although they knew many capable drummers in the city, no one jumped out as a suitable fit. Eventually, panic began to eat away at hope. The longer the group remained in stasis, the more it seemed like Bodyfather was slipping away.

But then, seemingly out of the blue, Cason Kelly contacted the band asking for a tryout. The Lilburn native had recently moved back to Atlanta and happened to hear the group was without a drummer. A few days later they all met at Bodyfather’s rehearsal space and started playing songs. The connection was immediate. “I think I knew about halfway through our first run-through of ‘Tongue Flux’ that this was going to work out just fine,” says Hobbs.

The addition of Kelly to the group was like a rejuvenating shot in the arm. Although the loss of Hamilton was a heavy one, it had become clear to everyone by the end that he had lost his enthusiasm for practicing and playing shows. Not only did Kelly introduce a new set of influences, but his eagerness to have his voice heard in the songwriting process sparked a number of innovations in the way the band approached their music.

However, fans hoping to hear how the band has evolved with Kelly will have to wait. The group’s new EP, which can be streamed in its entirety at the bottom of this post, was written and recorded while Hamilton was still in the band. At just three songs, the record comes and goes in flash of lightning, but the group was so thrilled with the way it turned out, they decided not to mess with it. Eventually, they settled on the title Heavy Rest to reflect the circumstances the transpired after the EP was completed. “We chose Heavy Rest because our situation was just that,” says Hitchcock. “We kind of had to step back and reevaluate the whole situation which meant taking a hard break with the band.”

Honestly, the only reason this band exists is because we all like to write music together. There is no endgame or anything with us here.

For all the trials and deliberations that Bodyfather have undergone since completing the record, Heavy Rest sounds raw and immediate. The guitars sound cleaner and crisper, but also sharper and more jagged. The pacing is frantic, but never sloppy. Each serpentine groove slithers and strikes with calculated purpose. Meanwhile, Hitchcock’s distressed yell remains as caustic and tuneful as ever, sealing the edges of each song with gnarled hooks. It’s the closest the group have come to capturing the feral potency of their live shows, which, of course, was the aim all along. “We really wanted the experience of listening to this record to mimic what it’s like to see us play live as much as possible,” says Hobbs. “We actually tracked everything but the vocal live in the same room to capture as much of that vibe as we could.” As a document of a band in transition, it is fierce and emphatic. As a parting shot from drummer Hamilton, it is simply brilliant.

Whether or not this is the record that breaks Bodyfather remains to be seen, but I’m doubtful. The group has always maintained an odd relationship with the Atlanta scene in that they’ve been championed by many of the city’s best and most well-known acts, but have yet to break through to a wider audience. You can blame some of that on the fickleness of local music fans, but much of that elusive acclaim has to do with the way the band has approached their own marketing, which, frankly, is something they don’t even bother with. “Honestly, the only reason this band exists is because we all like to write music together,” Hobbs admits. “There is no endgame or anything with us here.” It may seem like an apathetic sentiment, but it’s one that’s shared by all the members and helps inform the identity of the group. “Writing and constructing songs together is really the only thing that all of us thoroughly enjoy doing,” says Hitchcock. “Playing shows, recording, and all the rest is just kind of a bonus. Being an Atlanta band is also so much fun in general. We get to share the scene with some insanely good bands and good people and sometimes, at least for me, that’s more interesting than promoting and touring.”

At times it feels frustrating to know that one of Atlanta’s most dynamic and ferocious bands is also one of it’s least ambitious, at least from the standpoint of developing a fan base. Bodyfather have no interest in going on long tours or shopping the EP to labels, which severely limits their level of exposure. However, if there is something definitive that listeners can take solace in, it’s the fact the band remains ever fascinated by the songwriting process and continues to move forward and test their limits. “Right now we’re just trying to get Cason caught up with the old material while we write these new jams,” Hitchcock reveals of their plans for 2016. “So far we’re pumped with the progress and can’t wait to get our new stuff out at some shows.”

Heavy Rest is out today and available as a name your price download via Bandcamp.

Bodyfather will celebrate the release of Heavy Rest on Saturday, February 27 at 529. Supporting them will be MTN ISL, Paralyzer, and DiCaprio. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $5.

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