This is the 26th Anniversary re-issue of the San Francisco Heavy rock legends hard to find third album III that was originally released as a double album on Frenetic Records under the band's original name C4AM95 so they wouldn't be confused with The Champs, they have since chosen to expand the name to The Fucking Champs to avoid any confusion.
The album opens with Andres Segovia Interests Me that sounds nothing like Segovia's playing, this is more of a heavy bass riff with crushing drums with Thin Lizzy style guitars adding musical punctuation.
Valkyrie Is Dying hones the monstrous bass to a tight taut punch in the guts, as the Metallic guitars spark against the sharp-edged drumming.
Don The Atmosphere is a short baroque synth interlude before the helicopter starts to fly overhead at the start of Heart To Heart as the squelchy bass line comes in and they suddenly sound all Kraut prog with a funky edge.
The Trees takes them back to the hard riffing low slung instrumental rock sort of Kyuss meets Slayer. Silent Night, Friendly Night isn't the Xmas carol, but a swirly synth synapse stirrer.
Some Swords has meshing guitars fighting against the stop start brutality of the riffs, as they buckle down, avoiding too much swash, as the first vocals of the album arrive almost buried in the mix, seemingly afraid of the widdly guitar flights.
Lee Tom is doom- laden crushed riffs, thrash intent as the floor tom gets destroyed. Now Is the Winter Of Our Discotheque is a brilliant title, as the dancefloor beats get wobbly against the clap track, with the odd widdly guitar runs making this like Hans Lundin trying to boogie on down with Harold Faltermayer.
Your Feelings about dueling metallic guitars might be to ask what classical pieces they have transmuted into this brief adagio.
Dale Bozzio is not a missing persons alert, although it might rock its way through several destinations on the way to them telling us some unknown things about Dale Bozzio.
Sad Segovia has pulsed synths playing like harps calling up Segovia's ghost for one last magical recital, as the Italo-disco beat comes in, suddenly we are all shimmying around dreaming of Segovia.
Amanda apparently really loves twin widdly guitars, like she spends all weekend head banging, as they all drool at the way her hair flies around, whipping them in the face if they get too close. Drums hinting at the dark secrets Amanda keeps from them.
'84 sounds like they had a vastly different '84 to the one I had, as that would have been full of Velvets influences not this calm little tune.
Flawless Victory has a slow hushed intro as this 7 minute plus epic tune slowly gets under way, with the odd drum interjection, it's like they actually did what they were told when the neighbors told them to turn it down, after a couple of minutes they think better of that, turn it all back up to 10 and start to go for it, the riff builds the drums crash through the walls, as they shift into four or five different songs in the space of a few short minutes that are stitched together to make one huge monolith.
The Golden Pipes Trilogy 1. The Golden Pipes feels like they are playing scales to prepare to bring down the walls of Jericho once more. As they slow down and re-work some Beethoven figures. The Golden Pipes Trilogy 2. On Seas Of Sorrow Sails Death's Ships is more ambient synth weirdness as if they are stuck sailing through the doldrums, just about within range of the Manowar that wants to send them to the briny depths. The Golden Pipes Trilogy 3. Starlight On Barrow Downs feels like somehow, they survived, making landfall as the Pipers pipe them ashore once more, they make glorious supplications to the wonders of dry land.
Some Swords Reprise is played on a grand Piano as if they are at a classical recital, that's about to be interrupted by a sword fight. ROM is slow strummed distorted guitars that attempt to coalesce slowly building to an apex of mystery.
Atop The Pyramid Is You is a slinky synth led tune of amorous intent. Guns In Our Schools is as heavy as the subject matter, sadly still an issue in the USA no amount of heavy riffing can make it right.
Tonight, We Ride not on a steel horse that's for sure, this is more of a Hog heading down Mission on its way towards the dirtiest bar they can find.
The Tennis Book is short, as I hate tennis and all the petty one up man ship that came with the game when I was growing up, they don't discuss the segregated tennis clubs, but try to blow them away with harsh riffs, better than any Johnny motormouth McEnroe came up with.
The double album closes with You've Got A Thirst, Portland is drowning in artisanal beer brewed in the most organic Portland way imaginable as the riffs build slowly towards the end of this album.
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