If you were hip to such solid powerhouses as Born Against, Moss Icon, the Great Unraveling and Universal Order of Armageddon, then you’d expect Tonie Joy, a former member of all of the above, to know a thing or three about (post-) hardcore. As guitarist-vocalist in The Convocation Ofย , Joy doesn’t disappoint. This tight trio smelts a sturdy alloy of sophisticated Stooges-qua-Hendrix fire and brimstone filtered through about two decades of punk thrash. Joy lays down taut, angular guitar lines that buzz without having to sacrifice any melodic pegs. In fact, it’s Joy’s stylish command of his guitar as both a reckless noise machine and the provider of power hooks that makes the Convocation’s sound so odd and inviting. With bassist Guy Blakeslee and drummer George France easing in and out of lively rhythmic hypnosis like pelicans diving for fish, it all combines for one of the more oddly refreshing and enigmatically compelling sounds in guitar-based indie rock.
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2001.