The title and opening track to Ship of Fools by American Speedway is a no-nonsense, hard-hitting Ramones-gone-metal blitzkrieg moment that blends into a two-and-a-half-minute track they call…”American Speedway.” With both the CD title and group name branding the first two solid efforts/tracks, the album continues with a consistent and relentless high energy mix of sizzling guitars and spitfire vocals. Though stylistically a light year or two away from the aforementioned Ramones, this quartet faces the same dilemma that venerable punk band experienced — as good as this material is, and it is very good, it is firmly locked into one style with little hope for a Top 40 hit and no chance of playing to anyone outside of its realm. Which isn’t a bad thing, of course, a little integrity in the music leaves them to their own devices and “One Foot In, One Foot Out” delivers the goods — slam, bang, a no-let-up assault with vocals that Lemmy from Motörhead would probably comprehend and appreciate. “Far Behind” takes the Stooges‘ “No Fun” riff and ratchets it up a few notches. This is metal/punk, make no doubt about it, and fun is the top priority in its mission statement. “Make Some Noise” is the third of four titles marked “explicit”…”T. Rex in the tape deck…no way we’re (expletive) turning down” is not Bob Dylan, but the Beastie Boys can sure agree with the sentiment. Johnny Griswold comes in with a vintage early Alice Cooper guitar solo on an anthem in need of a good dance remix à la the Rolling Stones‘ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (the 2008 version from the film 21). Something needs to break the boys out of their formula because punk and metal vets have heard these riffs a thousand times before. That’s not to say that the recycle isn’t worthwhile — it is — and their song “Don’t Tread on Me” could be the bands of yore telling them something they already know. “Drinkin’ & Drivin'” is said to be explicit but lead singer Michael Thursby‘s growl is indiscernible to the point where vulgarities fuse with the grunge. The song is pretty irresponsible, but part of the youth movement of any generation is to be as un-P.C. as humanly possible, a fact which doesn’t vindicate the lyrics from being totally irresponsible. There are some alternative live versions of the music here if you hunt around on the web, which is an element and luxury their predecessors never got to enjoy. Nothing goes over four minutes mark and the tongue-in-cheek nature of the attitude at play makes it all very clear, the tenth and closing track spelling it out and titled, appropriately enough, “Same Old, Same Old.” All the music on Ship of Fools is the same old, same old, and Lou Reed in his song “Hangin’ Round” might admonish “You’re still doing things I gave up years ago,” but American Speedway could care less and maintain that all-important element of fun. If the listener keeps that in mind, Ship of Fools works.

AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione 

On Dark Sea Dream  the group s full-length debut on Prophase Music  the sprawling epic approach of post-punk and avant-metal pioneers Savage Republic and Neurosis undoubtedly set a precedent for Dark Sea Dream’s explorations. Though recent recordings have shown the band wisely and tastefully incorporating new and unpredictable elements into their brain-rattling textures. While always extant  the shimmering  spacey melodicism of early Pink Floyd and the rambling balls-to-the-wall conviction of Neil Young and Crazy Horse has become more apparent  colliding with the frazzled psychedelic skronk of Japanese freaks like White Heaven  Mainliner and Flower Travelin Band. Throw in a healthy brown-acid dose of Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth  and you re getting close to the scalding core of this already strongly realized band.

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We hate boring albums and cds, so along with 10 great songs, you get a lot of great bonus reading/viewing material! Second release from PA hard rockers.

I Will I were a Gothic Rock/Experimental band that played live shows from 1996 to 2002. They were based out of Philadelphia and released one cassette demo (Grasping The Unculture) and one CD (The Pope’s Ring Is Made Of Stolen Gold). Other releases they are featured on include, The Unquiet Grave, The Goth Box DVD, Beneath The Tides Compilation, and The Tongue Achieves The Dialect (Rozz Williams Tribute). Bassist and vocalist John Begley was also known as Philadelphia Radio Y100’s “Goth Guy”. During the same period he played recorded with other Philadelphia based artists such as Live Not On Evil, David E Williams and Necromantik Sunshine. I Will I side projects include Vasarian’s Dream and The Stem Cells. In August 2008 I Will I filmed a video for their track “Wilted Love”. Their second CD “Resurfaced Faces” has yet to be released. The band had two female singers, Brenda Dodd and Kai Altair of Circle Of Hearts. Mike Demonte and Tito Altamar played guitar and John’s twin brother Joe played drums. The band was also joined periodically on stage by experimental painter Rain of brokenumbrella.com.

The onslaught continues. Makoto Kawabata, lead guitarist for the Japanese freakout collective Acid Mothers Temple, has issued yet another side project — it seems there is either an Acid Mothers or solo record coming out every month (maybe more than one). In any case, it hardly matters, because this is one of the strongest things ever released by Kawabata. Accompanied by bassist Tsuyama Atsushi and drummer Ichiraku Yoshimitsu, Kawabata wastes no time in taking the exploration to the stratosphere on the 27-minute opener, “Theme of Hot Rattlesnakes.” Right, it’s all jamming. And what sublime jamming it is. Kawabata and his counterparts never take the easy way out. There is no constant riffing here to get a groove and move from there, no song structures to be used as easy backdrops for liftoff points. It’s all exploration and it’s all rock. While the Acid Mothers can be extreme to the point of unlistenability at times, this music is extreme in another way, in the way Jimi Hendrix was extreme — in dynamics, sonic texture, space, and in his use of time slippage. Kawabata and his Mothers of Invasion use the studio as a mirror, and create a live performance within it. Yoshimitsu’s unreal drumming carries the weight in this ensemble, as Mitch Mitchell did with Hendrix, yet keeps both Kawabata and Atsushi moving in concentric circles ever outward, weaving the two instruments in the middle of the jam so tightly that they cease to have individual identities. On the humorously titled solo guitar piece, “Frippian Flipped Over Niffy Their King of Frippery,” a multi-note repetitive pattern (only remotely similar to something the guy whose name gets played on here would ever actually play) becomes something else almost immediately; the mirror image of tape delay becomes the bedrock for a host of lush sonics that all but swallow the guitar’s sound inside itself, becoming a blur of texture and low-end blissed-out choruses. The final track, “French Sweet Sugar House,” brings back the trio and the assault is on the unknown, on the boundaries of rock, jazz, and free improvisation, all played with such mastery and toughness that it’s almost unbearable for 15 minutes. This is acid music. This is music as acid. This is acid as music. This is music.
– AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek

The Notekillers who originally slugged it out during the punk wars of the late 1970’s continue their improbable reincarnation march with this barely-hinged celebration of rock n roll noise. Woefully under-documented back in the day their only official recording – The Zipper a self-released 7- was a favorite amongst the cognoscenti in the experimental underground and a secret influence on some of the most important avant-bands of the past 30 years. Now following an acclaimed archival release on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label the Notekillers complete their leap out of the shadows and land solidly in the present with We’re Here to Help – a brand new LP with material developed exclusively during their second life. This is the CD version which includes a bonus track not found on the vinyl. Rich with tuneful neck-snapping hooks that explode at any and all times this album will connect deeply with anyone who lives for the dizzying defibrillating power of positive audio aggression.

Spread Eagle is the first domestic release (and 5th album overall) from Dutch rockers Peter Pan Speedrock. Big heavy rock in the spirit of Motorhead, AC/DC, the MC5, Turbonegro, Nashville Pussy, Antiseen and so on. Produced by Tom Skogsberg of the Helicopters. Heavy duty kick ass rock and roll, what else could you possibly want?

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