Hard Volume

The second Rollins Band album is louder, meaner, and noisier than its predecessor. Henry Rollins’ vocals are still a hoarse shout, but he’s interacting with the band more rather than using them as a backing track. The opening “Hard” is an unholy rockabilly-metal roar, the sound of a band that’s been living it on the road, playing gig after gig until they’re locked in tight and communicating almost telepathically. “What Have I Got” and “I Feel Like This” are brutally aggressive showcases for virtuoso fusion-metal guitarist Chris Haskett, with bassist Andrew Weiss and drummer Sim Cain driving him hard. The album’s second half is slower and heavier than its first, ending with two long noise-metal psychodramas, “Turned Inside Out” and “Down and Away,” that show a clear debt to early Swans while still dwelling in Rollins and company’s own unique sound-world. This album forces you to meet it on its territory, but you’ll be glad you did.