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Rating:
LA RECENSIONE
Cover (or rather, what could be on the cover): a child of color. Naked. With a satisfied and relaxed face. He holds a meat skewer in his hand. In the background, a white child. Dressed in Western attire. Sad. Thoughtful. He doesn’t understand the moment of ecstasy of the first child. He’d probably be happy with a nice, expensive, yet useless toy. Naive... Stupid, little naive...
"Orphan's Tragedy" is the skewer. It’s the hunger that goes away, after a fast that lasted too long. Too long.
The Cows are a legendary band, the offspring of a wild and incredibly loud punk-rock, whose albums wouldn’t look out of place alongside those of Jesus Lizard and Fugazi. After the first excellent "eardrum-disintegrating" works, the 4 cows from Minneapolis recorded what is, in my opinion, the most mature and heterogeneous work of their admirable discography (Amphetamine Reptile, 1994).
There's not even time to light a cigarette before a psychotic voice breaks the silence. A "slid" guitar starts like a crazy bullet. Naturally, towards your helpless throat. It’s "Cow Island," a devastating start. The title track is the feast of frenzied bending supported by a caterpillar bass. Noise. Noise like molten gold. In all different forms. "Allergic To Myself" even has a melody, damn if it’s spot-on! It stays inside you, like a drill in the brain. The album flows furiously and you're there expecting it... you know, sooner or later the singer Shannon Selberg will spit a rotten lung on your face... it’s just a matter of minutes. "I'm Both" is a deviant swing to dance with your trusted drug-addicted whore (I hope you have one...). The bass of "My Bob" creates a staircase that leads to the thousandth floor of a dilapidated skyscraper and when the chorus explodes, there’s nothing left but to jump into the void, with a silly grin plastered on the butt. And the dive won’t hurt. It will be a liberation. Just like the last song: a sort of jazz nightmare, with a muted trumpet, that will smear the remaining crumbs of your mind.
A powerful and unruly album, disgustingly visceral, in which each of the 14 tracks could be the soundtrack of a world that will never exist.
Back cover: a deformed little girl clutches a frightened kitten in her hands.
Malformed music... to hide and guard... like a small defenseless animal.Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
Orphan's Tragedy by Cows is a powerful and unruly punk rock album, blending noise and melody with psychotic vocals and distinctive instrumentation. The review highlights its raw energy, musical maturity, and standout tracks that evoke intense emotions. It paints the album as a visceral and complex work within the band's discography. The cover's symbolism and the album's themes underscore its deep and unique artistic expression.Tracklist Videos
Cows
Cows were an American noise rock band from Minneapolis active from 1986 to 1998, closely associated with Amphetamine Reptile Records. Known for chaotic shows, detuned guitar and bass assaults, and Shannon Selberg’s vocals and trumpet, their lineup included Selberg, Thor Eisentrager, Kevin Rutmanis, and drummers such as Norm Rogers.06 Reviews
