Search - Karp :: Action Chemistry

Karp hung it up in 1998, after three albums and various singles. Bassist Jared Warren now fronts the celebrated Tight Bro's from Way Back When. Action Chemistry is an action-packed compilation of their singles, covers (Black Flag's "Nothing Left Inside"), and rarities (the compilation's hair-raising centerpiece, "Gauze," was originally on the legendary 1993 Northwest compilation, Stars Kill Rock). There are good reasons why Karp were the metal band of choice for indie rockers in the late '90s, and no, it's not because the grungesters couldn't handle the "real thing." Karp delivered the real thing--brutal, bombastic, bellowing angry punkish rants and militaristic marches--without spandex, cheesy guitar solos, misogynist lyrics, or thick, tortured attitudes. Bass-heavy and hard, no chaser, but with a dash of humor: Karp took their high-decibel fun seriously and secured their rightful place in the history of massiveness and mayhem. This release proves it. It's a mix of all the right ingredients (Motörhead, Maiden, Melvins, and a requisite load of Black Sabbath) thrown into a blender without a lid and splayed onto your walls in a sonic abstract expressionist painting. Listen to Action Chemistry and there's no turning back--you will bang your head. This is a must-have for Karp and Tight Bro's fans. The uninitiated, however, may want to baptize themselves with Karp's self-titled 1997 album. --Cyndi Elliott