Photo by Michael Dimmit
Brooklyn, NY power duo The Triceratops’ music definitely does not resemble the lumbering, three horned dinos their moniker invokes. In fact, the tune featured in this video premiere, “Can’t Take You,” is more grunge-era than Mesozoic-era. It’s an early ’90s uppercut of punk pummel and earnest angst from the outfit’s debut full-length, Charge! The video is a whole other 2:30 burst of sci-fi/fantasy insanity that involves aliens(?), the Grim Reaper and some sort of chain-wielding biker/metalhead. We think. No performance shots of John Van Atta (vocals/guitar) and Melvin Monroe (drums/vocals), but the directed- and cut-by Daniel Hoffstrom video does feature a wacky battle for a sword stuck in a rock, which we suppose vaguely relates to the song due to the clear enmity between aliens and the “bad guys.”
Charge! was produced and mixed by Andrew Schneider (Cave In, Unsane, KEN Mode) and mastered by Carl Saff. It was released on November 1 on Learning Curve Records and can be ordered on vinyl or digitally here.
Van Atta had this to say about the song:
“We like how each verse has a completely different arrangement. Our songs are short but dense. When you have a simple hooky melody holding everything together, you can go wild in pretty much every other aspect. Our favorite music rewards relistening. We want you to hear something new the 20th time you listen.”
Regarding the video, he said this:
“Daniel Hoffstrom from Murf made a sci-fi epic, with amazing practical effects! Hits harder than $100 mil insubstantial CGI.”
