Search - The Atomic Bitchwax :: 3

A New Band...

Joe | Denver, CO | 11/08/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When I heard the news that Ed Mundell had been replaced by Finn Ryan I was worried that Bitchwax was all but finished. When I heard the demos for "Dark Chi" and "Going Guido", I was convinced even further. But when I bought the album and gave it an honest listen, I was relieved that the band still has some signs of life. Ed was the most talented force behind The Atomic Bitchwax, but even in his absense the band's sound is still great, even if it fails to live up to the classic Bitchwax standards. Gone are the heavy riff-driven jams, but with Finn we have a whole new band that is making some increadible rock music, even if it lacks the edge that Ed brought.



Although I do like the album, I must say I was very dissapointed. One obvious fact is the presence of only ONE instrumental track. If you're used to the long jams and instrumental interplay from albums past, forget it. With Finn on board, the songs are short and vocal-driven (Usually by Finn. Chris sings very little this time around). You won't hear the band jamming together very much either; the songs average about 3 minutes each. Finn's guitar solos and verses are the focal point of the album, Keith and Chris seem to stand aside with less presence than before, but their playing is still very strong even if it only backs the guitars. When it comes down to it, this 38 minute album is a new sound from an entirely new band.



But like I said, I do enjoy this album a great deal, just in a different way than I enjoy The old Bitchwax. And what Bitchwax album would be complete without a classic rock cover? The highlight of this album for me was their version of Deep Purple's "Maybe I'm a Leo". As far as covers go, it's no "Crazed Fandango", but it does make this album a lot more enjoyable.



One small fact that needs pointing out is the rediculous, amateur CD production from Meteor City. You will notice that several of the CDs track times are miss-matched with the music! Track 2, for instance, starts 4 seconds before "The Destroyer" is finished. If the music get's 3 stars, the actual packaging get's 1.



You can break it down any way you like. Some people are going to hate that Ed is gone (Note the blatant attack in "The Passenger"), others will be pleased with Finn's playing. Personally I think Ed was miles above Finn's playing, but the new Bitchwax has tapped into a whole new kind of energy: one that fails to rival the Bitchwax of old, but still stands above a lot of other music right now. I think Bitchwax is one of the best bands going right now, and 3 is a step in the right direction. It's no Atomic Bitchwax I or II, it's no "The Hustle is On", but it's damn good."

Riffs on parade

Flavio Ferretti | brazil | 11/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Maybe most of Bitchwax fans are Ed's dieharders, but I must say Finn has indeed more sense of song writting and constructing melodies over riffs. Ed is more like a "jam free MC5 reckless life guitar player" and a little bit of discipline does good to anyone's ears.



This album is very thrilling, starts with the blockbuster "the destroyer" and so it goes, a modern approach of good old 70's hard rock style.



Besides all that boring split talk stuff, "the passenger" is my favorite track; after all, who can resist some handclaps and a slight voice box effect over the song?



Do not expect a timeless masterpiece; instead, a nice rock record just for fun listening in your car, driving down somewhere in this planet.



4.5 stars."

One of the best power-trios in all of heavy rock

Self Induced | Drexel Hill, PA | 09/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wasn't all that familiar with Atomic Bitchwax when Ed Mundell was in the band, but I was a big fan of Finn Ryan's previous band, Core. I have to admit, I haven't even heard the entire CD (only samples of it), but I recently saw them play live the other night (and I'm pretty sure they played at least half of the songs from this CD). man, they were absolutely incredible. to say that they rocked the house would be an understatement. they have got to be truly one of the greatest power-trios in all of rock. each member is a master of their instrument, and can play the hell out of it. pure, blues/boogie, heavy, space-rock. don't call them stoner-rock. they are way beyond this label. if you are a fan of Queens Of The Stone Age, Monster Magnet, Clutch, and any of Wino's bands (Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, Hidden Hand), then you NEED this CD... bad."