Last of the Juanitas
In the Dirt
Wantage USA
“Bastard Melvins’ progeny” is probably a sufficient three-word encapsulation of Last of the Juanitas’ turgid, lumbering pace, if the opener is any indication. That the trio follows up this five-minute metal trudge with fiery angular bursts of post-punk and heavy psychedelic onslaughts betray the breadth of their record collections. Eclecticism on its own doesn’t imply innovation or even necessarily generate interest, but these folks have that covered. The rhythm section of Lana Rebel and John Schier reach nearly Albini-level ferociousness throughout the band’s tour of rock extremes, which helps bind everything together into a pummelled mass for Maurice Byran Giles’ nervy guitar to thread through. More often than not, vocals are left off tracks, letting the psychosis of haphazard time signature changes and atonal riffage to speak for itself. The result is an unkillable monster whose lifespan is a perfectly short half-hour. Let’s send these guys to go kill Nickelback, please.
Wantage USA: http://www.wantageusa.com
