Hot Snakes - Audit In Progress

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 26 / 2 / 2005

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Review

John Reis and Rick Froberg have been partners in crime for some time now. Their arty precision-punk band Drive Like Jehu attained indie immortality in the 1990's. They made an almighty racket, in the best possible sense. A temporary parting of ways occurred when Reis sought to build on the success of his other band Rocket From The Crypt, but, come the new millenium, tears had had time to dry and new band Hot Snakes saw the pair re-united. 'Audit In Progress' is the third album made since then. It has to be noted that this album sees very little change. Perhaps the only really significant development is the replacement of drummer Jason Kourkounis with Rocket From the Crypt /Black Heart Progression sticksman Mario Rubalcaba. Unfortunately, it seems the band have lost some of their blistering power in the changeover, and this album is not quite the equal of 2002’s incredible 'Suicide Invoice'. The only other difference I can spot is that the songs seem slightly shorter and clipped back a tiny bit. But, the classic Hot Snakes sound remains essentially untampered with. No doubt, the uninitiated and the long term fan alike will not be too disappointed. Hot Snakes can really fucking play. Shellac would be proud to death of the rumbling bass sound Gar Wood plays, and the endlessly inventive fretwork results in a series of exciting riffs and guitar lines. Though some songs stand out, notably the incessant ‘Kreative Kontrol’ and the melodic album closer ‘Plenty For All’, the pleasure to be gained from 'Audit In Progress' is found in admiring the band’s unrestrained joy in playing rock ‘n’ roll.

Track Listing:-

1 Braintrust
2 Hi-Lites
3 Retrofit
4 Kreative Kontrol
5 Think About Carbs
6 Audit in Progress
7 Hatchet Job
8 This Mystic Decade
9 Lovebirds
10 Reflex
11 Hair and DNA
12 Plenty for All

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