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Clockcleaner, "Babylon Rules"
The music industry needs a new genre about as much as it needs another RIAA, but here is one of the self proclaimed torchbearers of "skull music," apparently characterized by garage rock production values and owing as much debt to sludge metal as early 1980s goth rock. So, naturally, it's going to be pretty awesome.
The eight tracks that make up this album can be classified by their length: there are the shorter, more up-tempo tracks, and the slower, more dirgy anthems. The opening "New In Town" is more of the latter: a slow, distorted rhythm not far removed from the early days of Swans with a more post-punk bent, while guitarist/vocalist John Sharkey III simultaneously channels Peter Murphy and Lux Interior with his just slightly over the top, to the point of sarcasm delivery.
The latter comes up even more on the up tempo, shorter songs, with a more punk, less country approach to rockabilly on tracks like "Caliente Queen" and "Daddy Issues," which bounce along somewhat jauntily despite the overall dark, sinister atmosphere of the album. "Vomiting Mirrors" exemplifies this dark feeling, in spite of its bouncy sound and Stooges-style backing, the unpleasant title and lyrics about a "dead doggy on the tracks" keep it firmly grounded in the dark and morose.
The longer, slower tracks focus more on the bass and distortion, capturing the dissonance and, especially in the case of "Human Pigeon," where tribal punk rhythms echo of early Killing Joke (before Jaz went to Iceland and got gothy). These also end up being more anthematic in feel, more spacious arrangements that, I'll probably burst into flames for even mentioning this, have the vestigial traces of early U2 in their vastness.
Above all, Clockcleaner aren't afraid to simply 'rock' without the need of a gimmick or to paint themselves as post-modern ironists. They play loud, sleazy garage rock and occasionally even have guitar solos. They love distortion and making a racket and it is very, very good.
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