Combining aspects of Devo, Dick Dale, and los Straitjackets, this masked, predominantly instrumental quartet charges through 15 nitro-burning punkabilly surf rockers in less than 25 minutes. With the reverb and volume cranked to maximum, the band revs up and churns out tunes that barely give you time to inhale before the next one comes barging in. Truthfully though, at a whopping 11 seconds and 46 seconds, respectively, it's a stretch to call pieces such as "Destruct" and "Mars Needs Women" songs. They are more like hyperactive power riffs in search of a larger context that the band decided wasn't worth pursuing. Occasional spoken word introductions along with song titles such as "Return of the Attack of the Curse of the Son of the Astrosquid Part XIV Chapter Six" (all 55 seconds of it) and theramin bring out the trashy, '50s/'60s sci-fi aesthetic, as do the inside graphics. But the meaty guitars and frantic rhythms combine the best of '70s punk with the reverb-drenched guitar of acts such as the Mermen, the Aqua Velvets, and the primal power of Link Wray. Quentin Tarantino would probably approve. When things finally relax for a comparatively languid "Fear the Future," the group's spaghetti Western roots get a chance to come up for air. Those moments are few and far between, though, on this frenetic disc that whips you around like a roller coaster run amuck. The album's abbreviated length only adds to the intensity. Take a deep breath, strap in, hang on, and enjoy the ride.
© Hal Horowitz /TiVo