Labels: Whoa! Boat
Review by: Alex Deller
Bit of a “hrm” band here out of Portland. The Ax are a two-piece playing chunky, vaguely dissonant stuff with fuggy echo chamber vocals and an emphasis on big ol’ Neanderthal riffing. On paper, you can’t much sniff at the (lack of) idea behind ’em, and they go about their business with gracelessly hard-hitting gusto in a way that touches base with scummy grunge rock, noisy Karpish rumbles and low-end stoner drawlings without ever putting its eggs all in one grubby basket. Problem is, the production lacks punch and the songwriting just ain’t there yet, meaning on clunkier or more humdrum tracks gaps appear in the band’s minimalistic set-up and more leaks are sprung than mere meaty riffs alone can ever hope to plug.