The Dragons

Sin Salvation (Gearhead)
by Ewan Wadharmi

It takes a few rounds to sink in, but once it takes effect, you’re feeling all rambunctious and sleazy enough to risk making the move on your friend’s wife. Suddenly, you realize that if Johnny Thunders had been shooting speed, he might still be alive… or even deader still. But since The Dragons are alive, you’re going to celebrate by smashing the bottle over your own head and slashing yourself in penitence.

The religious imagery Mario Escovedo slurs about in “Chosen One” (“we took a vow of suffering/to wait for those who still believe/I will yell my battle cry/kick down the walls until they fall”) is the sort of stuff usually reserved for rockabilly, blues, and conjunto. The fervor of the sacred heart still leaves room for boozing, whoring, and St. Vitus dancing. Degradation rules the streets on numbers like “Dirty Bomb” and “Play for Keeps.” Rock’n’f’n’roll with a relentless rhythm section and slippery guitar leads. Ken Mochikoshi Horne burns up the sort of ear-splitting, melon-busting guitar work that produces the fuck-face as a byproduct. It’s more blistering than required by law, but it’s undeniably rock.
(PO Box 421219 San Francisco, CA 94142)