WE Wooferwheels (Voices of Wonder)

I admit that my first thoughts were not kindly when this fell out of the Jiffy bag from Kev. We are a quartet from Oslo, whose previous albums have included "In A Field Of Moose " (1994) and "Violently Coloured Sneakers" (1996). The press release rambles on about "a healthy dose of METADELIC rock at its finest. Like a snake with an elephant’s power caressing your ears, urging you to take a stand...wherever,but certainly in the music". Perhaps it loses something in the translation...which might also explain track titles such as "Stuks Of Khun De Prorok" and "Im Dschungel Von Kraut".

But... "Wooferwheels" is actually rather good. Not terrific, you understand, but of sufficient quality to make even a cynical old soak like meself a little ashamed about the proverbial judgement/CD/cover scenario. I reckon We sound like a strange but interesting alliance between Metallica and Mogwai, with long, frequently brutal but economical instrumental passages - no widdly-widdly histrionics here, these guys are more interested in power than dexterity. The vocalist sometimes reminds me of the younger Ozzy, except without the screaming, lyrics verge on the Vikingtastic (judging by those for the ten part, ten minute "Stuks Of Khun De Prorok", a section of which is charmingly entitled "Don Gets His Logs On", which are the only ones reprinted in the booklet). There’s the odd sample and comedy interlude between tracks that prevents proceedings from becoming predictable, and not infrequent displays of off-beat time signatures and jazz chops, such as on "Chase Vampire (Tribute)". All in all not my usual kind of brew, but good stuff all the same.