On Push, Gruntruck’s second album, the band discards some of its excessive Soundgarden influences and finds its own musical identity. Because of their vicious, sometimes atonal guitar riffage and sparing use of melody, the album only starts sinking in after numerous plays, but as is often the case in such situations, the listeners are ultimately rewarded for their patience. The excellent “Machine Action,” “Body Farm,” and “Racked” provide the best examples of the band’s complex aural blend, and despite a more conventional metal attack, “Tribe” and “Break” also feature surprisingly memorable hooks. On numbers such as “Above Me” and “Slow Scorch” the band reverts to some of its Soundgarden clichés, but this is still a consistent and interesting album. – Eduardo Rivadavia
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