Up next on the Chopping Block is the band L7 and I feel like they’re definitely one of those bands that influenced so many others. Now I am really only familiar with a few songs so let’s take a look………..
L7- I guess if you want to come by elements of early grunge with punk then this is the album that you would get. It’s not your typical punk record, but I would say it’s a different flavor of punk. Either way it’s an interesting way to kick things off and I’ll give it 7/10.
Standouts: Metal Stampede, Snake Handler, I Drink
Smell The Magic- again much like the last album, this is a great example of punk meets grunge. I feel like this is one of those albums that had an influence on the riot grrrl movement. If I were to recommend a starting point for this band, this would be where I would start. I’ll give it 9/10
Standouts: Fast And Frightening, Broomstick, Shove
Bricks Are Heavy- this is the album that introduced me to this band and I would say this is the one that broke them. I would say the biggest single to come off of. This is the album that gave us the song “Pretend We’re Dead” which in my opinion is probably their biggest hit and if you listen to 90s radio, this song was in pretty decent rotation. The rest of the album, though definitely leans more on the punk side of things and I feel like this has had an impact on a good amount of bands, especially some of the younger bands that I’ve seen live lately. It definitely has that gritty 90’s feel and I’m gonna give this album 10/10.
Standouts: Wargasm, Slide, This Ain’t Pleasure
Hungry For Stink- whereas the last album went for more catchy songs, this one kind of went in a more heavier direction. This isn’t one of those albums that picked up where the last one left off however, it definitely feels like the perfect follow up record. I’ll give this 9.5/10. It’s definitely a classic record from this band.
Standouts: Andres, The Bomb, Fuel My Fire
The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum- so this one sort of abandoned, the kind of angry punk rock sound and goes for more hard rock. Compared to their other albums it is slower, but in a good way. I find that when bands usually slow down it can go either way, but I actually enjoyed this one more than I would’ve thought. There is an acoustic ballad as well as some choruses. Lyrically this album tackles things like heavy drinking and it’s sort of makes it kind of a personal album from the bands perspective. I’ll give this album 8/10.
Standouts: Drama, The Beauty Process, Bad Things
Slap-Happy- I would say of all of their albums, this one is probably the most experimental. It still has slower songs, but they kind of branch out into other genres like hip-hop and well that does make for an interesting direction for a band like this, in my opinion, it doesn’t work all that great. I do respect the fact that they wanted to try new things but ultimately this album was just OK. I did read somewhere that it was recorded on the low budget and it might’ve had something to do with it but again this album was just OK. It is important to note that this would be their last album before their 20 year hiatus. I’ll give it 7/10.
Standouts: Crackpot Baby, Long Green, Human
Scatter The Rats- I feel like this is one of those albums that has a little something for everyone. You can definitely tell that they are refreshed, reenergized, and they definitely pickup where they left off. Sometimes bands just need a break and this album is a perfect example of that. I don’t know if I would’ve waited 20 years to put out new music but here we are. Definitely a great comeback album and I’ll give it 8.5/10.
Standouts: Stadium West, Proto Prototype, Cool About Easy
When it comes to this band, I feel like they’re one of those bands that I’ve been around for a good while yet are still relatively underground. At the end of the day, they are just fun and I have no doubt that they put on a great live performance. I feel like when I listen to newer punk bands (especially girl punk bands) I can definitely hear their influence.
Final Grade: A
Album Rankings:
- Bricks Are Heavy
- Hungry For Stink
- Smell The Magic
- Scatter The Rats
- The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum
- L7
- Slap-Happy
Sinister Reviews 