Chicks, greasy long hair, bongs, the entire cosmos, bright red custom cars, killer robots and the sheer awesomeness of a guitar cranked up really high through an Orange amp; this is the world you need to buy into whole-heartedly to enjoy Atomic Bitchwax II. Let’s face it, this is no chore for me – stoner rock basically being one of my favourite brands of anything, in the whole history of anythingedness and as a responsible, clean-living, suit-wearing, bald, father of two it gives me vicarious jollies all the way.
I know you can include huge tranches of everyone’s favourite bands in the stoner category but I tend to use it in respect of those 90’s and later bands that I got into because I thought Monster Magnet had cool song titles (they do), so your basic desert rockers like Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Nebula, Lowrider and the mighty Monster Magnet of course. Imagine my joy then when I discovered Monster Magnet’s guitarist Ed Mundell had a side project called Atomic Bitchwax on the go, in order to play more instrumental, groovier, less metal more rock music. I never quite got around to buying Atomic Bitchwax I, which has the totally awesome ‘Shitkicker’ on it but due to a bit of over-enthusiastic eBaying I own two copies of Atomic Bitchwax II, I’m really not proud of that one but haven’t got around to unloading the other copy yet.
Basically when you cue this LP up you’re in for some fast fret-burning groovy rock, opening instrumental ‘Ice Pick Freek’* being a great case in point. What I like about this record is that none of it is guitar wankery at all, it’s all in the service of the tune and groove and the rhythm section of Chris Kosnik and Keith Ackerman are there for far more than making up the numbers, they really drive these tracks. You have to love the heavily treated vocals on ‘Forty Five’ and groove to the Atomic Rooster cover, ‘Play The Game’.
My favourite track here is ‘Smokescreen’ which features an absolutely barn-storming guest spot from Warren Haynes (of Allman Brothers & Gov’t Mule fame) which is a wonderfully chilled out offering, with some great Billy Gbbons-style guitar slathered all over it managing to be both choppy and funky, yet simultaneously lyrical. It is a seriously excellent track and a worthy listen for any fan of stoner, or Southern rock. Elsewhere we get robot voices, swearing (always worth some 1537 bonus points) and a couple of great song titles, ‘Dishing Out a Heavy Dose of Tough Love’ and my favourite, the seriously heavy ‘Marching on The Skulls of the Dead’.
This is a definite genre album, there’s very little to attract floating voters here either you’ll have a stoner boner for it, or not. I hadn’t played more than the odd track off Atomic Bitchwax II for a couple of years and I was pleasantly surprised by it again this time around. Time to don my leather flares and fire up the Pontiac Cobra Space Cruiser.
315 Down.
*they’re spelling not miin…
Yeah, I’m intrigued too. Especially by an Atomic Rooster cover. Now that is cool. Though I do not know the song you mention; it’s not on any of the Rooster albums I have.
Atomic Bitchwax are one of my favorite “unknown” bands. I’ve grabbed their whole catalogue, buying each new album soon after its release after I was blown away by Atomic Bitchwax I. I came to them blind through some forgotten bit of gospel truth on some site somewhere that told me that if i liked Nebula, I should check out AB I. I liked Nebula so took a shot and, while I’m still a Nebula fan, the Bitchwax has moved way ahead in the rankings for me. Check out their latest, the one-song, 42-minute jam called The Local Fuzz. It’s not quite up there with either this one or I, and I’m not sure it holds together as one “song,” but it has some extremely tasty Mundell.
Happy New Year to you.
This is the only vinyl of theirs I’ve got, but I just love their track ‘Shitkicker’ – pure genius.
I heard about The Local Fuzz, it does sound good. My friend at work leant me a CD of Ed Mundell’s latest band ‘The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic’, pretty good, very spacey is my one listen verdict.
I never was a fan of Monster Magnet for some reason. I think it was because they became big when I was abstaining from illegal substances, illicit sexual perversity, and general hooliganisms while attempting to join the priesthood. Now that I drowned that dream long ago in a pool of craft beers, opiate haze, and loose women named Trixie, Brittany, and Charlene, I feel I should go back to re-listen to them. This side project sounds like something I may enjoy heavily.
To clarify, I’ve neither used opiates, attempted to join the priesthood(other than maybe the Judas Priest fan club), nor have I ever fornicated with any women other than my wife of nearly 18 years(though there was that time the Denny’s waitress flirted with me…my mom said she just thought I was cute. I was 5.) However, I have dabbled heavily in tall tales and flat out bullshittery.
Whoa – Father Hubner, we’re honoured to have you here tonight, your abstaining unworldliness.
If you can find it give it a spin, well worth a go. Now Trixie, where did I put my hookah?
It is definitely worth a blast.
A buddy of mine has this and raves about it. I’m sure I heard some songs before at parties but I can’t recall any clearly. But then again there could be other reasons for that.
Possibly excessive consumption of peanuts and other party nibbles I’m guessing. Try the track with Warren Haynes on, it really is excellent stuff.
I’m sure I’ve heard this before. Very cool.
The name alone makes this worth a listen
It is definitely worth a blast.