Search - Fireballs of Freedom :: Total Fucking Blowout

Musically, the Pacific Northwest is known for the rowdy ne'er-do-wells that crank the amps and give audiences a taste of tendonitis. The Fireballs of Freedom, a Portland, Oregon-based quartet, continue that tradition well, perhaps a little too well. It's obvious that these boys have spent a lot of time with their MC5 and Stooges records meditating on the physics of rock & roll. The band's enthusiasm is on great display--a bold leap would set them farther apart from their contemporaries. It could happen; a couple of tracks show more promise than the rehashed material. "Rise of the New South" is a shaggy Southern-bluesy instrumental that constantly teeters on the edge of implosion, tightly wound and unsound. "Sweat Vest" also gives hope with its ultratrashy street-corner demeanor and relentless cowbell clatter. Alas, Total Fucking Blowout recaptures garage politics so well that it seems redundant. --Jason Josephes