featured releases
(Ipecac) CD
Melvins’ re-invention of sorts on 2006’s (A) Senile Animal was a welcome return to the riff-tastic prolificacy of their 90’s major label heyday. Joined again by Jared & Cody of Big Business, Nude With Boots, like (A) Senile Animal, sounds re-invigorated & shows the accessible Melvins that you don’t have to work to enjoy. The proof here is in the double drum kit-laced pudding (two drum kits people!!!); from the thick, chugging layers of “The Smiling Cobra” to the near-jovial catchiness of the title track, Buzz & Dale seem as relevant as ever… bottom line: Melvins kick major ass & don’t even care about taking numbers… the riffs are that good. I don’t even know what that means, but this album is awesome.
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7 July 2008 by Chris Long
| Metal, Pop / Rock
Nude With Boots is a crushing reminder of how amazing Melvins are. Entering their 25th year as a band, they are still indignant of anything other than their own creative pursuit.
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7 July 2008 by Chris Long
| Metal, Pop / Rock
(Southern Lord) CD, 2LP coming soon
The Japanese trio are back with another dense mash of drone, garage rock & plain old distorted rock ‘n’ roll. Opener “Flower Sun Rain” is a spacey distant hymn, with vocals that are more prominent than usual. “Buzz-In” rips, recalling Boris’ idols, the Melvins, while “Statement” is just that; a blazing testament to the power of the wah pedal with distortion, complete with “Sympathy For The Devil”-style woo-hoos. And then “My Neighbor Satan” is like all tranquil & stuff until HUGE RIFFING… there’s not much more to say here. Smile, much like Pink, is total face-melting bliss.
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29 April 2008 by Chris Long
| Metal, Pop / Rock
(Goodfellow) CD & LP
Ontario natives Cursed have trucked around Canada & overcome some potentially career-ending conditions (carpel tunnel!) to bring us III: Architects Of Troubled Sleep. Fans of Converge’s crisply redlined recording style & ability to switch gears from punk to sludge tempos with ease that haven’t yet heard Cursed (I & II are bonafied underground classics by now) should get familiar. III is a mess production-wise, but it suits Cursed, they benefit from a white-noise, red-line mix. Not for the faint of heart.
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25 March 2008 by Chris Long
| Metal
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