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DIE HUNNS
Long Legs (Disaster)
Reviewed by Alan Wright


Duane Peters, former champion skateboarder, led U.S. Bombs through eight albums between 1996 and 2003. In 2000 he formed a side-band originally dubbed Duane Peters and the Huns and put out three albums. Sometime last year, in between the dissolution of U.S. Bombs and a new beginning for the Hunns, he hooked up with former Nashville Pussy bassist Corey Parks and a revitalized Hunns hit the road. The new version of the band features Corey on co-lead vocals, which are surprisingly melodic for such a raucous, fire-breathing Amazonian and fine compliment to Duane Peter's Joe Strummer/Johnny Rotten style rasp. Long Legs kicks off with three covers: the Chamber Brothers' "Time Has Come Today," The Undertones' "You've Got My Number" - which becomes "I've Got Your Number" with radically reworked lyrics making it a song about phone sex - and the Wipers' "Tragedies," all of which are played with a lot of bravado and little subtlty. The first original on the CD, "Animals," is an acoustic-guitar driven song, and somewhat of a departure for this band. For the rest of the CD, we're treated to crunching guitars, lots of great dual vocals from Peters and Parks, infectious melodies and driving beats that make this the strongest Hunns album yet. "Wild" has uncredited organ playing to flesh it out and great gang-style backing vocals shouting "fast, baby, fast!" Surf music gets mixed with speedy punk on "Zuri Sacrifice." Other great songs include "Burn In Hell" - which references both the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" and the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner" - an update of their third LPs' "War Of The World" and their cover of the Sex Pistols' "Did You Know Wrong." They also redid their first LPs' "The Wrench" with great results. Really, though, there's not a bad tune here, it's all really rocking stuff. Collector's note: the LP version of this has three songs not on the CD (and the CD has three not on the LP): a new version of "Hunns Anthem" first featured on their second album, "Skate Away," and the excellent "The Truth."

© 2004 - Alan Wright