Thee Oh Sees - Mutilator Defeated At Last

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 19 / 6 / 2015

Thee Oh Sees - Mutilator Defeated At Last

Label: Castle Face Records
Format: CD

Fabulous combination of sleazy garage punk and pop on latest album from Californian act, Thee Oh Sees

Review

Thee Oh Sees have gone through several changes throughout the past decade, and this latest LP flirts with the likes of Ty Segall who will soon count as a follower than as an originator. Front man John Dwyer seems to have cleaned up his sleazy act in favour of melodic harmony. On this occassion, mayhem and thumping garage buzz punk are married happily together. Thee Oh Sees in their many incarnations have released their music on a fathomless series of labels, including In the Red, Narnack, Subpop and Tomlab. Most above all, and 'Mutilator Defeated At Last', which has come out on Castle Face, is a culmination of snappy surf twang and grinding quasi doowop garage punk pop. 'Withered' serves as perfect proof of where Ty Segall might have learnt his craft from. The exuberance continues relentlessly. There is immaculate picking of the snares, much in the vein of John Fahey and Leo Kottke on 'Holy Smoke' - which builds a magnificent bridge between the album's calm composure and zany wildness. The cliché stands tall and proud: never a dull moment. 'Mutilator Defeated At Last' is an album of sheer simple magic. Loud and gentle, repetitive though original, the album is not really set between extremes but nevertheless merges introspection and extravaganza. This LP is one of the most inspiring of today. Blast off!