Released

It’s impossible to imagine the Jesus Lizard’s music without Steve Albini’s engineering; he was the band’s de facto fifth member, and on this, their second album, he takes their already powerful songs and turns them into paradigmatic Midwestern noise-rock. Duane Denison’s twangy, bent guitar riffs are supported by David Wm. Sims’ loud, rumbling bass and Mac McNeilly’s subtle but whomping drums, and honestly, that would be plenty satisfying enough, but add David Yow’s howling, fever-dream vocals to the mix and you’ve really got something. Albini’s contribution is to mix all four elements more or less equally; Yow is never shoved into the spotlight, indeed he’s often drowned out by Denison, making him sound even more like a crazy guy ranting from the corner.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
Galore cover

Galore

The Primitives
House Tornado cover

House Tornado

Throwing Muses
Green Mind cover

Green Mind

Dinosaur Jr.
The Glow, Pt. 2 cover

The Glow, Pt. 2

The Microphones
Slip cover

Slip

Quicksand
Lived to Tell cover

Lived to Tell

Eleventh Dream Day
Sink cover

Sink

Foetus
Funeral at the Movies cover

Funeral at the Movies

Shudder to Think
Entropy cover

Entropy

Arcwelder