Short and sweet...
Let’s just cut the shit and get to the bare bones. Mos Generator destroys planets. At least they are doing their best on this one. My proof is in their latest offering on the brand spanking new label Lay Bare Recordings started by the lovely Désirée Hanssen. Mos Generator’s “In Concert” was captured at the
peak of their tour opening for the legendary Saint Vitus on their last European tour and damn, they sound great. From the pentatonic warm up licks on the opening track Lumbo Rock to the crushing heavy stoner riffing of This Is The Gift of Nature, In Concert is the first live record that I have listened to that I have gotten excited about in quite awhile.
The show, and subsequent record are relentless. Tony Reed and the gang blast through their 7 song set with the ever so admirable “More Rock, Less Talk” mentality. Every song has some intro banter, but they quickly launch into the sonic destruction without so much as a stutter. The band sounds on fire. Shawn Johnson and Scooter Haslip provide a rumbling, crushing rhythm section that is magnificently in sync with Tony Reed’s forcefully melodic guitar acrobatics. They are well rehearsed and off the cuff all at once. Maybe the most impressive thing about In Concert is Tony’s singing voice. Even on their studio records, there is a certain fragile quality to them...like an amplifier that is about to blow up...but the crack never comes. It’s a powerful voice that never seems to be overblown (overblown vocals are my biggest pet peeve these days), even when he gives them a little extra gas to get to the note. I’m telling you, this is a brilliant performance. I wish I could have seen some of the shows from the tour in person. I’m horrible at making musical predictions, but I’ll say this, Tony Reed and Mos Generator are making quite the name for themselves and this disc is an undeniable example of why that is. I’d get a copy of the album now before it goes for hundreds of dollars on Ebay.
In Concert is a vinyl release and is available now through the aforementioned Lay Bare Recordings.
http://burningworldrecords.com/artist/mos-generator#sthash.Jva7i0We.dpuf
http://burningworldrecords.com/artist/mos-generator#sthash.Jva7i0We.dpufAnd you can still find Mos Generator's latest album, Nomads and the 10th Anniversary Reissue of their long-out of print debut (LP, CD with bonus track set) at the Ripple Music Store.
http://burningworldrecords.com/artist/mos-generator#sthash.Jva7i0We.dpuf
http://burningworldrecords.com/artist/mos-generator#sthash.Jva7i0We.dpuf
--The Grime
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