THE EARACHES
Fist Fights, Hot Love (Steel Cage)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Oooh, baby, I got me a big surprise when I freed this one from its shrink-wrap prison. I thought the true garage rawkers (emphasis on raw) had discovered production and moved on, but thank God I was wrong. Though they're not on Estrus Records, The Earaches fire from track to track in the nitro burn style we used to hear in the early-to-mid 90s from bands on that label. When they finally slow it down and add an effect to a guitar, it's just an eerie sounding tremolo that makes "I Used To Be A Loser" a perfect crossover between straight garage rock and psychedelia. August Henrich's voice is in perpetual overdrive, punching the last word of each line in songs like "Prednisone" and, by the force of his snarl, pushing that song through the wall of the next one, "Fire," so hard you don't even know for a while that he's done it. The rest of the band is on fire, as well. Zak Schneider (guitar/vocals), Joe Kilbourne (bass/vocals) and Alan Wright (drums/vocals) - what's the eloquent phrase I'm looking for here, the one that sums it up so you will best understand... oh yes - fucking kick ass, drag it up and kick it again. I'm sure I would have found a more dignified way of writing that if I hadn't been listening to The Earaches' "Secrets" as I was typing the words. Their fault. I claim no responsibility for my actions. When it's this raw, and I mean "knuckles after repeatedly smashing a cement wall" raw, well, to quote Billy Jack, "I just go berserk."

© 2003 - DJ Johnson