Billy

Feedtime’s return to recorded existence pretty much picked up where everything left off with Suction — then again, why mess with perfection? This time bassist Al and guitarist/vocalist Rick are joined by drummer John, who holds up his end of things as well as Tom used to. The two veterans, meanwhile, sound as thick, chunky, and pissed off as ever, making riffs and rhythms that again find ways to send roots approaches — rockabilly riffs, bluesy wails, and more — to its own particular kind of hell. Billy doesn’t waste any time, packing in its entire length in under half an hour, and while things are a bit less varied than on Suction, it’s still a cleansing, thrilling blast of noise that won’t disappoint older fans and could easily win over some new ones. Rick, as before, is barely intelligible outside of a garbled word or two, but his gruff shouts say more than any specific lyric could, while his guitar playing again boils down to “get the hell out of my way.” While just about everything makes for a great listen, the best moments are where things get tweaked a little around the edges. “Melody Line,” with a fantastic Al/John start, the former’s bass playing some of his blunt best, gets even better with Rick’s strutting lead riff, the whole once again giving the likes of the Jesus and Mary Chain an easy run for its money. The slow, steady march forward of “Vigilante Man” is another highlight, with Rick’s chugging feedback punching the true rhythm, while the Al-sung “You” makes for a nice, slightly gentle variation. As for the straight-up Feedtime fast-pace/no-time-to-talk mode, tracks like “Hero,” “Wagon,” and the title track turn the world into one huge truck barreling down an endless highway crushing everything in its path, all without a sparkle of chrome to be had. – Ned Raggett