The Wipers – The Herd – Review

The Wipers

The Herd (Tim/Kerr)
by Ryk McIntyre

Once, many years ago, a very good friend of mine, Frank Coleman, turned me on to the singular sound that is The Wipers. At the time I thought only TSOL really rocked, but The Wipers blew me away. Now, just the other day, so many years later, I was thinking of Frank; how we lost touch and haven’t yet reconnected. There’s something vital in a friendship, and that something leaves a big wound when it’s gone. So, now you want to know what I think about this Wipers album? I think it rocks, and damn little these days does. It has big riffs and spicy leads. It has a bass you can feel through the floor beneath your feet, and drums that, if they were human, would sport lots of big tattoos on their beefy arms. It’s loud and sullen, and sounds better and better at higher and higher volumes. It’s an album for late drunken nights, and it sounds even better if you turn out all the lights in the room. “Psychic Vampire” has razor edges; the title track “The Herd,” gnashes its teeth; and “Stormy” is the perfect song for a late summer mix tape just for driving around. There’s nothing bad to say about this wonderful release, but it really makes me miss my friend Frank.