Seriously, Fuzz is living up to their name here: this record is balls to the wall, all the time, without a break. And man, are the guitars ever fuzzy. This record ha so much fuzz that it sounds really bad on low-quality speakers. Seriously, put on your best pair of headphones for this. I know it sounds weird, but buried in all that fuzzy distortion is some amazing tone — particularly from the bass guitar. This is a gnarly record.

The biggest issue that Fuzz has is that they simply don’t know when to stop. Most stoner rock is filled with long songs, but these guys think they’re High On Fire or something. (Yes, I know, it’s a ridiculous band name if you don’t keep up with stoner metal, look them up.) Their songs are too long, and they’re all over the place.

At the same time, for what it is — a record you’re supposed to get high to — II is pretty much perfect. But it’s not a perfect record. Some of Fuzz’s contemporaries (like High on Fire or Mastodon) perfected this genre a long time ago. With II, Fuzz prove they can compete. But I think they can ace it and define the whole genre.

Go Fuzz. Stoked to hear what’s next.

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For one, Berninger sounds like he’s actually in a good mood (most of the time). Or at least he’s not in the pit of despair. And the music reflects this. And unlike his baritone, Leonard Cohen-like voice might suggest, *this totally freaking works*. Actually, *Return to the Moon* might be the most surprisingly good record I’ve heard all year. This is some great stuff.

If it has a flaw, it’s that Berninger and Knopf let their foot off the gas a bit about midway through and Berninger sticks his head in the bin of sorrow again. Not to deride whatever he’s going through — I don’t mean it that way — but the rest of *Moon* is so delightfully subversive that sounding even a little bit like The National later on is like taking a few steps back from your own joke. No matter how funny it was, it makes it seem like an accident.

And I’m really hoping *Return to the Moon* isn’t an accident — especially not its glorious oh-my-gosh-what-wonderfulness-am-I-listening-to first half. Because I want more music like this in my world.

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If you haven’t heard it, Vheissu feels like the sort of record that comes along only once or two every genre. It’s post-punk’s Master of Puppets or Thriller, a set of tracks so monumental that it’s hard to ignore them.

Thrice basically used the record to experiment: from even the first track, you know this is going to be an unusual record. And when it’s a post punk track with a beautiful piano leading the way, or a music box taking charge, it feels entirely like a legitimate idea. There’s no sign of emo anywhere (thank God), and it’s clear that the band hasn’t lost their edge.

While there often are moments of screaming rage or intensity, Thrice benefits from introspection here. And somewhere in there, they put out a record about sacrifice and friendship that few bands have managed to beat. If you’re into punk, hardcore punk, post-punk, hard rock, or post-hardcore (which this record is usually described as, but I don’t like genres to be so specific), this record needs to be in your collection.

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Every time I listen to this album, I’m caught off guard by the track changes. It feels as if the track is changing in the middle of a thought. Tim Hecker isn’t really dealing with thoughts here, though, so much as he is in themes. And the thought that carries us from one theme to another often shares both themes in common, and it’s really the thematic shift that feels sudden.

But as a songwriter, Hecker carries it sublimely. You newer feel as f he’s out of control, and he guides you on a story that it feels like only he can tell. There are emotional swells in this that you won’t feel outside of the Inception soundtrack (if that sort of music is your thing), and it’s all written so well that you feel as if you’re in the hands of a master.

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As usual, we Canadians had a unique way of doing things: Teenage Head sound like no other punk band at the time. There’s a touch of hardcore to them, but in reality, these guys are way more Ramones than they are Misfits. Which is totally fine, by the way.

Where it gets bonkers is the way they mash that sound with the style of Chuck Berry. It took a couple seconds for me to get t, but really, it’s hard to say there’s anything more punk than that — particularly for its time. In Berry’s day, Johnny Be Goode was the most rebellious song going. And Teenage Head were… Well, they took off because of an incident involving a police riot, so they were no stranger to notoriety.

I guess my point is, combining the Ramones and Chuck Berry is actually very fitting. And I think you’ll love it.

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