Labels: Katorga Works
Review by: Alex Deller
I have been mulling this one over for a while now. It’s a pretty great record and I’ve listened to it dozens of times, but I haven’t been able to get either my thoughts or my words about it in the right order. I still don’t think I have, to be honest, but what the hey, here’s a go: ‘Bock Rock Parade’ is a short-ish, beastly thing that sits some way between Black Flag and Pissed Jeans and maybe has a bit of a Laughing Hyenas thing going on as well. It’s neither straight-up hardcore nor straight-up noise-rock but instead occupies its own antagonistic middle-ground, stomping its foot, spraying spit and shoulder-barging anyone foolish or clumsy enough to stumble into its path. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature is the spidering guitarwork that creeps n’ crawls through just about everything, jagging, wheedling and making that wurdle-wurdle-wurdle noise you get when you’re really mangling the whammy bar. This, when matched to the hoarse, throaty, Spencer Moody-ish yell of the singer works absolute wonders, particularly on creepy, worn-down album closer ‘If Only You Could Hear Me Now’ which is perhaps the album’s finest moment despite also being its quietest.