Fuzz Club レコード& CD

Review: If you like dark, scuzzy, hypnotic, druggy rock 'n' roll with an extra helping of hallucinogenic FX then Portuguese three piece 10,000 Russos should have crossed your path by now. On the off chance that hasn't happened, let's start by you preparing to ask "where the hell have you guys been?". This is where Mark E. Smith and Neu! meet for a dance off in a pitch black room with only a strobe to guide their moves. Taking its name from "compromising material" used by the KGB for coercion and blackmail, on "Kompromat" the band have managed to genuinely distill that concept into something that's not just listenable, but repeatable. All tracks are delivered with pin-point accuracy, whether that's the hook-bass of post-punk nod "Runnin' Escapin'", spacey opener "It Grows Under", or the rough and ready squeal of distorted guitar reverberations on last hurrah "The Wheel".

Review: Hailing from Kingston-Upon-Hull, The Black Delta Movement could be the most inspired psychedelic heavy blues rock band we've encountered for some time in the UK. "The album's a love letter to the band and all the emotions that come with it," explains Matt Burr, chief creative force behind both this album, Recovery Effects, and the outfit behind it. This time recruiting celebrated guitar slinger Barrie Cadogan, also known as the frontman in Little Barrie, he joins familiar faces in bassist Lewis Wharton and Tony Coote on drums, with legendary producer Malcolm Catto (The Heliocentrics) also stepping up. The result is intoxicating, it's gritty, it's weird and at times space-y, it feels like you've stepped into a dive bar at the right time to experience something raw, deep, hypnotic, but constantly evolving and engaging. A record that does what records should.

Review: Helicon's third opus of cinematic psychedelia comes under the name of God Intentions. The Glaswegian cinematic psych sextet have enlisted a stellar cast of collaborators for this one - including Ride's Mark Gardener on mastering duties and Trembling Bells' Lavinia Blackwall on vocals - crafting a sprawling sonic journey through themes of regret, redemption and resurrection. From the cosmic sitar swirls of 'Flume' to the haunting strings of 'Last Tango In Glasgow', this is a statement of redemptive intent for the both the internal world of the listener and the external kingdom of god.

Review: 40 years after the band's formation, The Jesus & Mary Chain have delivered their eighth studio album, their first full length release of new material for seven years. Admirably, the Reid brothers have refused to rest on their laurels and offer-up something undeniably nostalgic - catnip for long term fans if you will - but instead have fused elements of their familiar sound and style with plenty of fresh ideas. There are audible nods to Suicide, Kraftwerk and the improvisational practices of jazz, but also tons of fuzz, feedback and aural chaos. It's an invigorating mixture that's best exemplified by 'Jamcod', where the pair's red-raw guitars, low-slung bass and acid-fried vocals rise above a skittish electro beat, the slipped shoegaze-goes-dreampop flex of 'Chemical Animal', and the pleasingly spiky and punchy 'Girl 71'.

Review: Dublin-based electro-rock four-piece MELTS are back with a stunning follow up to their knockout 2022 debut Malestrom. This is a band who know exactly how to draw the best out of their psych-leaning rock and fuzzy analogue electronics for a maximum energy rush, as perfectly demonstrated on the album's fiery opener 'Figment'. Recorded and produced with Gilla Band's Daniel Fox, the album explores themes of human interaction on a micro and macro level, and with a sound fit for massive festival stage grandstanding they're poised to bring together vast swathes of people for all manner of massive shared experiences.

Review: MELTS' sophomore album Field Theory is a captivating exploration of interpersonal connections set against a backdrop of turbulent electronic psych-rock. Recorded live to tape and produced by Daniel Fox, the album delves into the intricate dynamics between individuals, drawing inspiration from the scientific concept of Field Theory. Through bulldozing motorik synth lines, layered guitars, primal percussion and Eoin Kenny's cavernous vocals, the band navigates the unseen forces that bind us together. Moving away from the macroscopic scale of their debut, Maelstrom, Field Theory delves into the intimate spaces between people, capturing the gravitational pull and light waves of human interaction. It's a hypnotic sonic journey that reminds us of the profound impact we have on each other's lives, resonating with the pulsating energy of our interconnected world.

Review: The Vacant Lots is a Brooklyn based duo who drops their new album this Autumn. It was written under isolation during the Covid pandemic and is quite possibly Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen's best work yet. The eight tunes might be minimal in design but they are maximum in intent and intensity with minimalist post-punk/synth-pop sounds all coming on strong. Over the top of the sounds comes smart, pithy lyrics with plenty of guitar agues and a darkness that brings to mind New Order and Jesus And Mary Chain. Add in the ever present spirt of New York and you have a fine album.