Throttlerod

Eastbound and Down (Underdogma)
by Brian Varney

Stoner rock be damned, THIS is the kinda shit I wanna hear. Don’t get me wrong, I like the stoner stuff just fine, but because of my musical background (ZZ Top’s probably my favorite band, OK?), I’d much rather hear muscle-car, whiskey-drinkin’ heavy fuggin’ rock. Which is exactly what Throttlerod plays. The kinda stuff that makes me wanna buy a shotgun and shoot it off for no reason at all. The kinda stuff that makes me wish I had a ’74 Charger with an 8-track deck in it. The kinda stuff that makes me want to go hunting in a loincloth. Well, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea, right?

Now that I’ve heard Throttlerod, I realize more than ever just how much I suck for missing the Five Horse Johnson/Throttlerod/Puny Human show a month ago. That’s probably the best bill I’ve seen since the Zen Guerrilla/New Bomb Turks/Hellacopters/Supersuckers show last year, and you suck if you missed either of ’em.

The guys in Throttlerod sound like they’ve been weaned on a steady diet of the first five ZZ albums and the singer’s raw shout sits atop the racket just perfectly. Good tunes, too. What else can I say about this? Every time I try to sit still long enough to think and write some elaborate description, I’m back on my feet, playing air guitar along with the album (which is playing loud enough that the light fixtures in my house are rattling). That right there should tell you all you need to know. Pick up this record NOW. Alcohol and firearms optional.
(PO Box 5070 Fredericksburg, VA 22403)