If ever there were a perfect example of loud rock, it would have to be
Pleasurecrush. With its unique approach to this genre and style, the band makes it enjoyable to listen at full volume. Probably the most important factor is that
Pleasurecrush's songs have melody lines that can be easily followed. The lyrics are well thought out, as are the intricate time signatures that give the songs their dynamic groove.
Seed opens on a very cool and original note with "I'm Sorry," an old
Jimmy Wakely tune. The cut is actually taken off a scratchy 78 rpm record, with all the snaps, crackles, and pops intact. This serves as an intro to "Dear Whore," which comes out of the gate screaming and blasting. This tune has a huge amount of energy, along with great guitar work, excellent vocals, and an amazing rhythm section. The album has a powerful and aggressive formula that keeps building with each song. "Freedom" features a range of dynamics usually found on
Korn albums. The intro to "NFC" serves to show the talent and cross-genre capabilities of
Pleasurecrush, with blues guitar work that's a far cry from the usual loud rock sound. The rest of the song has some great, high-caliber fills and chordal changes, but the vocals are weak, having an '80s commercial sound that diminishes the total quality of the composition. The album's best guitar work comes on "Cry." The riffs are awesome, and the bass and drums push the song hard, giving the tune a very tight groove. The vocals (which recall
Soundgarden's
Chris Cornell) and lyrics are also very good, and wrap the song into a nice little package. This is the best hardcore loud rock to hit the airwaves in the '90s. Without a doubt,
Pleasurecrush has planted the
Seed for all heavy rockers to come. ~ Larry Belanger