Tuesday, April 17, 2018

LáGoon - Grim Ripper (2018)


There's a couple of dirty punks out in Portland calling themselves LáGoon that are tearing up the streets with the sound of their new album "Grim Ripper"! This is a punchy set of stoner songs (no long jams here) with plenty of streetwise grit. There's no bass on this one, which helps to keep it sharp - all the music you're getting is scuzzy guitar and loud, lively drum beats so you can get on board or get left for dead! Combine that with the deadpan vocals and the results are like an electric shock down your spine. All this fuzzy, rocking shit has a unique energy that almost feels like the inverse of what you're usually getting out of stoner rock - it's like a surge of adrenaline squeezed the soul right out of your body and left you an empty, dead-eyed husk, but you're still running like an animal. The Bandcamp page for this album says that it was heavily influenced by skateboarding which is pretty clear when you hear the lyrics, but beyond that the tunes and general attitude make it an amazing skate soundtrack. These guys definitely make me think of Fu Manchu and not just because of skateboarding associations - they've got a similar laid-back intensity and style, especially with the vocals. But overall, I think this album is best summed up with a sound clip from the first track - "if people don't like it... FUCK 'EM!" -Brandon

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