That would be laughable if the music didn’t live up to it, but the good news is that Ty Segall’s newest project is one of his punkiest, noisiest records yet. It’s fuzzier than Fuzz and certainly more in-your-face than his other bands, although prior to GØGGS I didn’t know that was possible. It’s Segall at his most absurd, and maybe his most fun.

When I first heard the opening track, “Falling In,” I was instantly reminded of Savages’ Adore Life (still one of my favourite records this year). But the tone changed very quickly. I was worried for a moment that this would be a slow, calculating Segall record. But GØGGS is a raw, energetic record from one of rock’s most raw and energetic leading men.

It’s worth noting that Segall isn’t the only talent on the record: Fuzz drummer Charles Moothart and Ex-Cult’s vocalist Chris Shaw are both on board too. Chris Shaw’s vocals are a great complement to Segall’s fuzzy tone. The great bass lines throughout help too. Seriously, if you play bass guitar, this is going to be one of your favourite records of the year. The bass work is fantastic and it’s audible.

As much as this feels like a Segall record, at this point, it’s also starting to feel like he’s parodying himself. It’s yet another project from him (how many bands does he have now?) with fuzzy production and a clear anti-modern aesthetic. Even guitar solos, like the ones on Shotgun Shooter, are kept short and sweet — and as distorted as possible. It’s Segall playing Segall. I don’t know why it couldn’t have been released under any other one of his monikers.

But it’s also got some hardcore punk influence, too. Dead Kennedys are undoubtedly an influence here, but so is Minor Threat. Sometimes, the band sounds intentionally nightmarish, projecting punk-influenced drone metal on the title track. (It’s weird, but it’s also pretty cool.)

I love “Assassinate the Doctor,” which feels like everything I loved about hardcore punk in the first place. It’s twisted, it’s ruthless, it’s violent. It’s also a ton of fun.

GØGGS doesn’t overstay their welcome: the ten tracks fly by, and the record isn’t padded out with any signs of weakness either. The final track, “Glendale Junkyard,” is as much of a ripper as “She Got Harder,” the album’s third track. It’s a testament to Segall and crew that, even if you can’t tell Ty’s bands apart any more, they’re still ripping from one album to the next with nary a stop for a breath.

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So while Melted’s album art is a little hard to decipher, and makes the album look a lot more intense than it is, it owes as much to the Beatles as it does to The White Stripes. The album feels as diverse and eclectic as Ty Segall’s taste. From one track to the next, Melted rarely disappoints.

On Sad Fuzz, Ty Segall practically channels The Beatles in the chorus. Only a couple tracks later, he borrows from vintage punk for Imaginary Person. It’s as if he can’t decide what he wants to be as a solo artist, so he just throws a giant heaping of rock spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks — and this is one of those rare times that strategy actually works.

We could argue for days about what Ty’s best record is, particularly for his more hardcore fans, but I’m not sure that there are many better starting spots than Melted: it’s as good an introduction to the weird and wild world of Ty Segall as any.

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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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