The Erotics
Today the Devil, Tomorrow the World
Trash Pit Records

The Erotics have been an underground sleaze rock institution for many years now, 21st century sons-of-bitches born to destroy, rock n’ roll killing machines, cartoon characters drawn from the greasy strands of Satan’s semen, whose one constant is their gutter-bound genius, the Albany river rat himself, Mike Trash. You won’t find Trash’s name on any mainstream best-of lists, but the fact of the matter is he’s written some of the motliest riffs this side of Shout at the Devil and takes Alice Cooper’s venomous snarl to corrosive new lows. Trash also refuses to shy away from the misogynistic mind frame that ruled the hair metal days, choosing to pepper his lyrics with objective, offensive material and seething innuendo; he did it for six albums previous to this one, and he’s doing it again on Today the Devil, Tomorrow the World (dropping on Hallowe’en, natch), which also happens to showcase the appropriately evil themes of she-devils, homicidal delinquency, and suicidal tendencies. As for the music, it might just be some of the band’s best since 2003′s All That Glitters is Dead, every song here a snarky cock rock hell-raiser. The best part is that the album actually finishes stronger than it starts, flying into maximum overdrive on “Anything” before blasting into arena pleasers “Wrapped Around Your Neck”  and “Think I Wanna Die Tonight,” then closing with the AC/DC meets Slash Puppet scorcher “Hogtied & Waiting” and the loud ballad “I Feel Nothing.” Mike Trash and The Erotics do it again, but that’s really no surprise, is it?

Listen to “Hogtied & Waiting” from Today the Devil, Tomorrow the World!

The Adjusters
Reckless Relations
Zodiac Killer

Snarky, shameless, sleazy, Bator-bitin’ rock n’ roll from a bunch of finicky young upstarts that, by all accounts, oughtta be playing video games or workin’ some mindless part-time job after school, not signing themselves up for dereliction duty, cursed to mumble and stumble their way through a life of whiskey-swillin’ and ne’er-do-wellin’. The righteous punk rock that drips off of Reckless Relations, The Adjusters’ debut full-length, easily does their homeland proud (that’s England, in case you’re wondering) and will ignite in you a raging flame of hope for rock n’ roll’s oft bleak and soggy future. I mean, just dig all that twinklin’ ivory, man! And those teenage riffs with the blues-infused solos and glam pop hooks. Killer! The Adjusters hand out fistfuls of silk scarf pomp and back alley stomp in equal measures here; name your favourite old school degenerates and I guarantee they sound just like ‘em. But the kicker with these lads is that they also sound like the best part of every decade since the 50s, which includes, but is not inclusive to, Chuck Berry, The Stooges, The Joneses, and hell, even Social Distortion. I don’t think I’ve heard raw, glistening energy like this since Silver’s 2004 debut, White Diary, and that album is fucking brilliant. If they keep this up, The Adjusters are well on their way to being bloody brilliant as well.

Listen to “Kickin’ Down the Doors” from Reckless Relations!