Using a blueprint based on the fuzz-tone aesthetic of North American garage psychedelic bands from the '60s, Sydney, Australia's
Lime Spiders chimed in with their own punk-informed take on the genre during the '80s heyday of new wave and hair-spray metal. Along with more high-profile garage revivalists like
the Cramps and the
Chesterfield Kings,
Lime Spiders took a natural and nostalgic trip back from punk's lo-fi ways to the music of '60s trash stars like the
Count Five and
Question Mark & the Mysterians. This kinetic EP includes some of the band's best and earliest material, including their first two singles, "Slave Girl" and "Beyond the Fringe," and a mix of other originals and classic covers. And while renditions of the
Liberty Bell's "That's How It Will Be" and the
Haunted's "1-2-5" are impressive, the tunes by
Spiders vocalist
Mick Blood ("Slave Girl," "25th Hour," and "Can't Wait Long") are the standouts. Eschewing some of the overtly psychedelic '60s touches and concocting an updated blend of crunching guitars, snarled vocals, and bottom-heavy bass and drums, the band come up with a surprisingly original sound over the EP's five songs. Along with the group's first full-length LP,
The Cave Comes Alive!,
Slave Girl is a must for fans of the garage revival genre.