the Jesus Lizard - Monkey Trick (from Goat)

Hungover from a party at work which finished in the pub. Just me and a colleague who is into heavy metal. He always tries to convince me (or maybe himself?) how technically proficient musicians playing in metal bands are. How close metal is to classical music. But he knows that it is totally useless. As I cannot overcome my gut feeling that metal is dumb as it all sounds the same to me. And I have the feeling there is no point yet in trying to open him up for different styles of music. We have been exchanging a fair amount of CDs, the only one of his I kind of liked was by Kyuss, a stoner rock band from California. I recently gave him Goat and he told me that the first couple of songs were ok but then it got dull and uninspired. And that they are not very good at their instruments. I felt a little offended though he is probably right. He has been playing guitar for twenty years and should know. But to be honest I have never cared for virtuosity.

It was interesting what he told me after. Up till now he hadn't given me any of his most beloved CDs as he was afraid I would say that I didn't like them and that they were nothing special. To be honest I didn't give him the music I love most neither. He always tried to give me stuff he thought I could like, stuff not too far from rock and I did the same by trying to find the albums which seemed closest to metal in my collection.

Anyways the song I uploaded tonight is not metal at all. It is visceral, intense and very powerful. The lizard who walks the water made music which could be called psychcore. David Yow, the singer who allegorically true to the band name used to surf the crowds during concerts without stopping singing, lets loose a screech after one minute into the song which is like a cry releasing the bad spirits slumbering in his soul. I love that outburst of energy. During most of the song there is a slow heavy bass riff which is then counterpointed by the slightly warped and fuzzed-out guitar. It's all pretty oppressive but addictive as well. Steve Albini produced this dark raw gem in 1991 and I could imagine it being played by the devil in a hell which would be a cage in a cave.

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