CoC : The Atomic Bitchwax - Spit Blood : Review

The Atomic Bitchwax - _Spit Blood_
(Meteor City, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis (8.5 out of 10)

In short, The Atomic Bitchwax's _Spit Blood_ simply has to be the most mind-blowingly brilliant release so far this year from the genre of stoner / desert / space / whatever-you-want-to-call-it rock. TAB are a band of contradictions, as while they are influenced by and play in a style of music that is long gone, they are totally innovative. The album begins with a cover of the AC/DC classic "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", which is also the most simplistic song on the album, standing out a mile from any of their original material and making one realise the complexity and layers of their music. Nevertheless it's a credible cover and places the emphasis squarely on the fun, rocking aspect of their music. I can foresee one complaint bound to be brought up more than a few times: that there are simply too many instrumentals. With three instrumentals, this is half of the original songs. They are not fillers at all, they are fully-fledged songs, as deserving of notice as the songs with vocals. In fact, they are often considerably better than the songs with vocals. As on their previous releases, which suffered from no shortage of instrumentals, TAB demonstrate that they have sufficient talent and skill to be able to pull it off. Ever since the demise of Kyuss, the throne of stoner rock has been somewhat in dispute. With the release of _Spit Blood_, their third album, TAB are well on their way to claiming that title. And for those that possess a PC, there is an extensive behind-the-scenes documentary.

Contact: http://www.meteorcity.com

(article published 3/7/2002)

CHATS
12/9/1999	A McKay	The Atomic Bitchwax: Of Electrons and Bikini Lines

ALBUMS
8/12/1999	A Bromley	8.5	The Atomic Bitchwax - The Atomic Bitchwax