Aberrant Years, The

Noise rock/proto-grunge
Reissue of the first four albums (1985-1989) by this Australian rock band. Noisy, heavy, minimalist, unrelenting—in a word, awesome. There are even horns here and there. Play it all, start with 1, 2, 4, 6, 8. No FCCs.

1. *(2:30)—Fast-paced. Sounds atonal at the beginning but resolves into a very catchy, albeit heavy, song with harmonies.
2. *(2:41)—Noir vocals and a swinging rhythm. Very cool.
3. (3:07)—Distorted slide guitar comes to the forefront to accompany a post-punk beat and horns.
4. *(2:19)—Downright menacing cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire.” Growled vocals, medium-slow tempo, extremely distorted guitar and bass. And that horn! This is amazing.
5. (2:51)—One chord (which, at least on this recording, is not F#). Tense, chugging guitars and vocals more barked than sung.
6. *(2:29)—Try listening to this song without imagining a really, really awesome motorcycle ride. Fast-paced and true to its name.
7. (2:22)—Another cover. Blues run through a shredder.
8. *(4:25)—Starts like a post-punk song and then turns into a rock ‘n roll brawling ground complete with wailing saxophones. Near the end, the singer screams, “You’re gonna get half of my heart!” Wild.
9. (3:01)—A 180 degree turn, almost. It’s a hoedown with slide guitar and some occasional overdrive.
10. (3:12)—Gorgeous molasses metal guitars with ghostly vocals.