I picked to listed to Australia's Slug Guts today based almost on awesome name only. That, and I was so bored with Gaslight Anthem's last record that I didn't care about hearing their new one. And based on the opening track, "Scum", I am totally okay with my decision.
The opener is basically a simple riff plugged over a drummer who loves the trash can-sounding china cymbal. And a singer who is equal parts Alice Cooper and Al Jourgenson. Other songs up the musicality of the rest of the band to varying degrees. The garage band licks and distorted vocal over double whatever echo you're normally use to hearing in noise rock bands.
Altogether, there probably isn't enough dynamics in Slug Guts' sound to garner any attention. Here and there. There is a "Rump Shaker"-like sax solo in "Moving Heat". And while "garage" is a good sound, it can be limiting. And the title track feels a little too close to the garage classic, "Li'l Red Riding Hood".
As a word-guy, the vocals get my goat on this record more than anything. He's got the Jon Spencer hoots and hollers down. But they are so very muddled underneath everything else and an additional layer of echo distortion. I could make out "This is what you want/This is what you get" being repeated over and over in "Order Of Death"- but that was the only thing intelligible throughout.
I like their sound in general, but they're not ready for albums yet. They need to start playin' in time with a producer. (2 of 5 stars)
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