EL GIGANTE
The Official Guide To Loss (Tiberius Records)
Reviewed by Jason Thornberry

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The down-tuned, murky and grief-stricken paranoia that has made the best guitarock bands (think Nirvana, Quicksand, Melvins) so memorable gives El Gigante an edge that continues throughout their handbook to failure. That is, until the melodies spring from guitar to voice fifty-five seconds into the first track and it gets even better than originally thought possible. In the end words like 'disappoint' or 'fail' are the farthest thing from your mind, and you're left reeling -- needing to hear songs like "Star Pupil" or "Albatross" again. This official guide, with so much depth and feeling, seems to try not to be as catchy as the common cold, but their success is something the band will just have to live with.

10/10

© 2004 - Jason Thornberry