Album Details

• Artist: Religious Knives
• Album: Resin
• Label: No Fun
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2008-04-25

"Resin" collects a mighty fistful of rare and live cuts by Religious Knives, all of which explore 60's acid raga and update it with harrowing rhythms that alternate between tribal and callously cold.

There are two versions of the distort-fest "In The Back." Of the two, the live cut works best because the fuzz fades into the mix at times, revealing a much more menacing trebly center.

It is the organ that rules many of the sonic explorations here, though the drumming also pushes its way forward. "Luck," "Growth," and "The Sun" feature both, with the percussion providing a running commentary to the organ's aims for a higher plane. The overall feel is like The Doors on heroin, only the kind that would have inspired the band to kick Morrison out.

"Everything Happens Twice" and "Twelve Bottles and One White Cone" make extended use of free jazz drones, dirty but fully in control bass included.

There is a dark buzz to Religious Knives, one "Resin" revels in. Amen. Their mix of noise and the darkly trippy are like a post-show cleanup of Altamont; there was blood, murder and darkness, but man, at times wasn't it holy?

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