THE HANGMEN
We've Got Blood On The Toes Of Our Boots (Acetate)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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The band that seemed to get fucked over by every major label in the LA phone book came back a decade later (actually, they never went away, it's just that very few people knew they were still there) with Metallic I.O.U. on a smaller, nicer label called Acetate. And it was good. Very good. The stories of the Los Angeles cowpunk heroes' rock and roll power turned out to be true after all. Well folks, you ain't heard nothin' yet. The stories were based on their live performances, and while I.O.U. was genuinely hot, We've Got Blood On The Toes Of Our Boots is a live recording that captures the essence and the energy and demands written apologies from Capitol and Geffen execs, probably long since fired. We've been hearing/reading Eddie Spaghetti's (Supersuckers) superlatives for years, and when The Hangmen blast into "Desperation Town" we know just what he means and just where 60% of his band's inspiration came from. (I suspect The Humpers may be fans, as well.) For all the crap this band put up with and all the lean years when they refused to quit, I hope this is the beginning of the reward. If only rewards were based on merit in the music business...

© 2002 - DJ Johnson