18-Minute Freakout
doomsdayer520 | Pennsylvania | 10/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Aficionados may have noticed that the best American rock of recent times has been made in Europe. This little quickie side project is a must for diehards who are knowledgeable about the underground rock scene on the far side of the pond. Here we have a team-up of Ginger of metallic pop masters the Wildhearts, Dregen of glam punkers Backyard Babies, and Nick Royale of rootsy piledrivers the Hellacopters. (Note that singer/guitarist Nick is playing drums here, returning to the instrument that he started out on back in the day.) I'm not sure who bassist Tomas Skogsberg is, but he adds well to the freaky ensemble, while Peder Carlsson (also of Backyard Babies) contributes really wild harmonica in a few places. If you're considering this CD you are probably already aware of the bands mentioned above, so note that this project brings out the screamingest and freakiest tendencies of the star musicians, especially because back in 1999 (when the project took place) they were all a bit less refined than they are now. The biggest winner on this disc is "Fast One" which seems like a formless punk freakout but which you'll find is played with great precision and texture. Some bluesy classic rock pops up unexpectedly under the hubbub in "You Smell Canadian," while "Star War Jr." is an interesting (for collectors) early version of the track later cleaned up by Backyard Babies. Ginger, Dregen, and Nick are some of the most talented and versatile rockers in Europe, and here they let it all hang out with no apologies. [~doomsdayer520~]"
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1