With the gritty
abandon of Mudhoney and The Jesus Lizard, the hard
rocking duo takes no prisoners on the grungy Fight or Die
EP. A solemn guitar intro doesn't prepare the listener for the
visceral mayhem that lies deeper within; armed only with guitars,
drums, and rough vocals, these folks channel the spirit of decades
worth of tinny basement bands, hopelessly rough around the edges but
thriving on energy alone. I dig the passion and the tenacity, but
the gravelly nature of this release doesn't make it the easiest
record to listen to. "I Am" is pretty bad-ass, as is vitriolic
"Enough Said," but aside from those moments when you desperately
need to purge your anger, neither is the type of tune you'll find
yourself casually craving. The best track is the unequivocally fiery
"Doomed Behind the Lie," whose jagged torrent of guitars propels it
to chaotic heights. Meanwhile, for those seeking something a tad more
quaint, the EP's campfire closer, "Torso," is the sort of vaguely
bluesy acoustic ballad that might pop up on a Soundgarden
album. Fight Or Die is pretty gnarly stuff, but its
durability is the principal question mark.
