Mudhoney - "Under a Billion Suns"

Here's my review of Mudhoney's latest record. The review originally appeared in Philly EDGE magazine.

Before Sub Pop was peddling bans such as The Shins and The Postal Service, the once-esteemed record label actually put out loud punk rock and roll records. Bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney ruled the roster and rocked out in the extreme.

With the Seattle scene of the late '80s/early '90s now a footnote in music history, it's interesting to note that Mudhoney are still active. Their latest album, "Under a Billion Suns," is an 11-song storming session of fuzzed-out guitar leads and primitive post-punk wailing that brings back the vintage days of Sub Pop love.

Mudhoney's melodic mania is immediately recognizable on tracks such as "On the Move" and "Empty Shells," which are unapologetic three-chord anthems. The band employs a horn section on several tracks while showing a lyrical maturity on others with the recurring theme of frustration over modern politics as it does on "Hard on For War." The end result is an album that a listener can bang his or her head to, while remaining socially conscious.

MP3: Mudhoney - "Blindsopts"