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Federation X
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Rally Day
Estrus Records
Release: 7/12/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Jason Warner
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Heavy sludgy guitars are the order of the day for the latest
release from Estrus Records' artists, Federation X. Like
Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu, or Acid King?
What about John Spencer, Drive Like Jehu, or Mission of
Burma? Well, if you like the flavor of music these and
similar bands are churning out you will likely find a spot in
your heart for Federation X. Their latest record, Rally
Day, is 10 tracks and 37 minutes of non-stop rock
and roll assault.
The bass and guitar are thick as peanut butter. Fuzzy, at
times out of control, and very rhythmic, they are a nice
compliment to the insistent beating of the drums. The vocals
are intense as well, and remind me of John Spencer very
much without being an imitation. Fuzz pedals are a favorite
for Federation X, and they know how to use them. The
songs on Rally Day are unconventional and
creative without being too far out to be accessible. Any fan
of post-Black Sabbath heavy rock could easily find
something to love about Federation X.
The opening track, called "Greeting," is four seconds long
and consists of one of the band members saying "Hi!" This
tells me the band is not taking themselves too seriously, and
that is a good thing because rock and roll is supposed to be
about having a good time, even if the riffs do sound like they
could tear someone's head off. "Greeting" launches directly
into my favorite track from Rally Day,
"Nightmare Nation," a 2:13 ride that gives you a general
idea of what the band has to say and does it with a great
catchy song. I love this song. Other standout tracks include
the title track, and "The Most Unlucky Sound," a track that
for me recalls Fugazi and completely rocks.
Being an Estrus recording, the sound quality has the
characteristic lo-fi grittiness to it, but for me that is never a
deterrent. This kind of music is not supposed to be shiny
and clean, and Federation X is not clean. There is enough
grit on Rally Day to fill a dump truck, and that
is a compliment. They manage to bring a heavy sound but
still infuse enough melody to make the music
interesting.
This is a good album and if you like your morning coffee
thick and hard to swallow, you should head right to your
local record store and pick it up. |
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