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Winnipeg’s finest are here. Oh, who is that? I’ll tell you who, Electro Quarterstaff, of course! This is a blazing instrumental -- emphasis on “mental” -- Heavy Metal quartet comprised of a trio of guitar wizards and a manic drummer. Yes, theirs is a recipe for an abundance of major league riffs and killer leads, but does it work? Hell to the yeah, loyal readers. Why, just 90 seconds into “Charmony” and you know these guys mean business. Harmonizing like a lost ...And Justice for All-era Metallica track, Electro Quarterstaff simply rule on this song -- and the album as a whole. Actually, the pseudo-familiar part of "Charmony" sounds like the backwards intro to “Blackened” from AJFA played forwards. Yes, that’s it. Ah, thanks for the subconscious and some 18 years of burning that album into my brain.
Anyhow, that the only words on the record are the sampled "Who the fuck are you?" and "That's who the fuck I am!" to introduce “Right to Arm Bears” is interesting in and of itself, but what is more remarkable is the level of excellence displayed -- emphasis on “played.” The nearest comparison I could make would be if Mastodon and The Fucking Champs were locked in a room with a case of whiskey and two hours to compose a concept album devoid of words and lyrics.
The technical aspect of the music and even some of the song titles invoke TFC, though this is a decidedly all Metal affair whereas TFC isn’t necessarily all Metal all the time. How fun is the title of the final track, though? Something definitely has gone awry with James Hetfield and maybe EQ are calling him out. Squawks, squeals, and the sheer heaviness of some passages recall Morbid Angel while the 3-part harmonies make you ponder why Iron Maiden’s last few efforts have sounded so flat when they, too, have three guitarists. Gretzky is highly recommended for fans of The Fucking Champs and instrumental excellence. It’s fun to think that EQ will name all their releases after men with mullets. After all, the debut was called Swayze. I love it.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Neckwrecker |
| 2. Twisted Squid |
| 3. Charmony |
| 4. Right To Arm Bears |
| 5. Get Sick |
| 6. Titanium Overlords |
| 7. Eyepatch Romance |
| 8. Something's Awry In The Hetfield Of Dreams |
: 51.25
| Buy other Electro Quarterstaff albums |
