Black Time
Blackout

The Black Time, with "BlackOut", have delivered a great album that reeks to the core of those noble molds that only certain seasoned yet always current sounds can give you!

The album is self-produced on vinyl in 2005 and is then remastered by In The Red (the label of Pussy Galore and Blues Explosion, you know) in 2006.

The aforementioned precious molds have been directly taken and well assimilated from bands like Monks (as their name suggests), MC5, Cramps, Blues Explosion, Pussy Galore, Stooges, Germs, Sonic Youth, Pavement, and more generally from all the grunge produced by Garage, Punk, Noise, Wave, and Rock'n'Roll!

Lemmy Caution (vocals and guitar) plays with limited technical ability and sings as if he's about to spit out his tonsils at any moment (assuming he still has them), Mr. Stix pounds the drums with the force that usually belongs to a gorilla who has had his family jewels squeezed (so watch out!) and Janie to Bad strums the bass with the sweetness of a sadomasochistic mistress!

"First Strike" is one of those tracks that immediately makes an impact, somewhere between Dead Boys and Guitar Wolf, while "Catholic Discipline" winks at certain MC5-like riffs, then continues on parallel courses to those of the mythic Pussy Galore, "This is a Course" is a slow, spasmodic, and heavily distorted Blues, "Young Professional" is minimal and tribal, played with a perfect troglodyte flair, the uncompromising "Ambulance" shows all the influence that Black Flag had on the band, "Back Door Man" (yes, that one) is twisted and distorted with devoted indifference, "Mass Production of Corpses" is a ride into the deepest circle of hell, "White Heat Returned" an homage to the sonic synthesis of Suicide, the psychedelic journeys of Manzarek, and the velvety sonic dystrophy, "Safe in Heaven Dead" winks at the whitest, rough, and jagged noise of Sonic Youth.

Black Out is steeped in a deep existential darkness, yet it doesn't ignore some artistic ambitions and shows the group's most intimate and carnal love for the Underground rock culture.

The recording is filthy and tremendously lo-fi, but it fits the work perfectly. The album is to be enjoyed, unless there are unruly neighbors around, at full volume!

For genre enthusiasts, the feeling will likely be instant, nothing new here, no hidden stylistic innovations, but the Punk attitude that emerges, understood in the purest sense of the term, is delightfully intoxicating.

Fragrant trash to listen to!