The sneeringly-titled 'Big Deal. What's He Done Lately?' is Brimstone Howl's fourth full-length album, and promises the listener 'some truly fantastic fuzzed-out, manic rock n roll.' Recorded in authentic garage punk style, in the words of front man John Ziegler, 'Analog from start to finish. Recorded to tape. Mixed to tape,' this set doesn't so much kick off as EXPLODE with 'Last Time.' It's played, recorded and mastered with all levels teetering into the red, bordering on the brink of distortion. It doesn't just sound analogue, it feels it.
This is the album garage revivalists The Hives et al wished they could have made, a non-stop balls-out raucous racket of overdriven guitars and primal drumming played fast and furious and LOUD. It's frantic, it's fizzy and generous on the treble and... well, it's a no-nonsense, no pretence ruckus, and it's cracking.
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There's a hint of classic Stones about 'Suicide Blues,' although it's (over)driven to the next level by the low-budget production values and screaming guitar breaks that blast through the relentless percussion. 'Iota Man' is old-school R'n'B scuzzed out to the max. It's refreshing in its honesty.
Sure, it's all been done before, but as The Stooges' back catalogue is rather short and that so much music being released now is overproduced, trend-influenced and vapid, there's definitely a gap in the market for a band like Brimstone Howl.
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