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Album Details

• Artist: Crain
• Album: Speed
• Label: Automatic Records
• Year of Release: 2005/1991
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2005-05-19

Released for the first time on CD, this 1991, Steve Albini-produced gem is a welcome reminder of a great band that ought to have been heard more, but sadly, put out only this one record.
But it will do. This Louisville "artcore" band would ft into today's No-Wave or Post-Punk-whatever scene easily. But this is music from a band that did not care for categories, certainly any commercial ones. This is raging, defiant intelligent punk.
With challenging and jarring lyrics and chord progressions, Crain took more risks on their only album than some bands ever do in a career. Albini's influence is heard on such tunes as "Fuckerman" and "Kneel", but the band clearly is its own master on the wild and often frightening "Car Crash Decisions" and "Ten Miles of Fiction." "King Octane" is a classic.
Though often, when mentioned at all, compared to fellow KY-ians like Slint and Rodan, Crain's territory is staked out with singular ferocity and vision. They are almost forgotten and sorely missed at the same time, and their influence is all over today's Post-No-Math-Rock-Punk jumble.

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