This is some killer heavy but not quite metal nor hardcore (mostly) instrumental rock action. This is much better than some of currently overhyped instro-combos out there (you know who I’m talking ‘bout!).
Jumping around from Black Sabbath, Melvins, Shellac, Hammerhead, Gore (the Dutch “instro-doom” crushers) and Unsane. Even the one-sheet on this album was amusing: “Keelhaul are largely unmarketable but luckily balanace that out with talent”. Not a bum note on the whole thing-making it an “album of the year” candidate.
((((1)))) Simple but AWESOME Dooom riffin’ pummelling your head over & over (‘ala the Dutch band) Gore. Eventually goes into this nutty boogie-prog/metal thing which is just brilliant.
(((2))) Some intense vocals on this one while the rest is instrumental. Some tricky rhythms & tempos mixing off kilter metal, King Crimson-like parts and bad-ass boogie rock!
(((((3))))) Unholy fuck! Ma-aaajorly kick-ass riffing some of the best that’s been done since the Fucking Champs jamming with “Peace Sells”-era Megadeth & C Average ? Yep, somethin’ like that. If you can’t apperciate this then you do not rock in any way, shape OR form!
((((((4)))))) The opening notes are right from The Fucking Champs’ “Never Enough Neck” but it gets into more of a repetitive motition of some excellent nasty “urrgh rock!” ‘ala Hammerhead & other Amphetamine Reptile bands of yore. Some killer vocal parts towards the mid-way point. Damn, I wish I could play a song like THIS!
((((5)))) Shellac meets Gore in Hammerhead’s basement rehearsal pad. Very aggressive vocals and amazing harmonics all over the fretboard.
(((6))) A swell ‘lil mellow, lumbering tune a bit like Shellac, Slint or Rodan.
((((7)))) Heavy indie rock, which in this band’s case ISN’T a oxymoron. Nice sustained notes (like, strangely enough Seam or Breaking Circus) and repetitive parts and quickly gets silly with some “let’s screw up the turntable” effects (why bother, it’s a CD!)
((((8)))) A less loose & noodling version of the Ruins playing with Shellac and C Average?
((((9)))) Ambient noodling, then slowly builds into a Shellac jammin’ like The Fuckin’ Champs & C Average. The 70’s AOR burnout says: “it’s tasty!”
(((10))) Screwball structures remincent of “Heart of the Sunrise” by Yes crossed with mid-70’s Rush and (again) C Average and Gore. Noisy UFO-landing ending.
(((11))) Weird phone message about “spirtual rhetoric”. Weird but amusing.
(((12))) Sonic Youth’s “Expressway to Your Skull” ending mixed with ambient glitch. How odd.