Britain's 50 Tons of Black Terror, known as
Penthouse everywhere but in the United States, takes blues, garage, and something truly wicked and pours it all into one unearthly concoction of unstoppable rock. Don't let anyone tell you this band is goth -- 50 Tons is far too unique to be pinned down by genre labels. And though they have a thing for B-horror movie moods, they escape goth's camp and over-the-top seriousness.
UNT, the group's absolutely brilliant third album, plays like
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion covering
the Birthday Party,
the Stooges, and
the Jesus Lizard. 50 Tons absolutely destroys, whether they're ripping through "New Black Nativity," moaning the sex-obsessed "Posthumous Climax," or soaring with
Nick Cave's underworld glamour on "Angry Goats." "Creatures Vs. People" sludges through monster-ridden swamps like
Jon Spencer's "Killer Wolf" and easily rocks as hard in the process.
UNT is a dark-horse contender for one of the best albums of 2002, proving 50 Tons as one of the most powerful, engaging, and inflammatory bands on the planet. ~ Charles Spano