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Title: Forensic punks make good
Review: For good or ill, Barkmarket had been known and lumped in with the very loud groups of their era: Shellac, Helmet, Melvins, Jesus Lizard, Earth. Smart guys all, characterized by sophisticated guitarists taking unique and brutal approaches to "simple" three-chord music. Sardy & Co. were at once more melodic and atonal than those above, and markedly different. Along comes Gimmick, an astounding, densely layered wash of words, feedback, hammered trash cans, and guitars. It is rare indeed when a band with this many good ideas is also so well-focused. Think late '60's Magic Band, mid-'70's King Crimson, or Tom Waits's Black Rider: brilliant songcraft, large dark spaces with a million well-executed details, epic and confident. In this case, pile irony upon irony and a goodly dose of homicidal rage. In short, a power trio at the top of their game. Buy two.
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