The sophomore release from the queens of scuzz rock,
the Red Aunts, is a dirty affair, and it has every right to be. The quartet stumbles its way through 11 sludgy songs, of which the last two are worth the short wait. Using the
Black Flag and
Circle Jerks song "Wasted" as a warm-up,
the Aunts blast through "Smoke," a 20-second song of punk rock bliss. The album ends with "Monsterfucker-Mothertrucker," a breakneck-slow bobbin'-head song so guilty with simplicity that it appropriately borrows
Johnny Cash's "hello" from the
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison album. Their punk rock ethic often results in slight material (like "Batman a-Go-Go"), but this album reveals a group growing into a great, immature outfit. ~ Brian Flota