[04.01.06] Holy crap! Are you kidding me? This is just too much: the name, the look, the attitude. We've got band members in matching black cowls named "Bane Ass-Pounder" playing tunes like "The Revenge of Snufalufagus." It all adds up to some meatheads playing bad Venom covers at a beer hall in Des Moines.

But wait…what's this? The black demon in the front is actually Rob Crow of Pinback fame? Hmmm…well, maybe it's just a bad joke. Rob and company got liquored up, talked about how much "Reign In Blood" rocked, and wandered into the studio, right? Maybe, but I just couldn't resist.

And I'm so glad I didn't. For anyone who enjoys beautifully distorted, downtuned (half the songs are in C, and that's one lower than D, friends) chords, this album is simply addictive. Sure, the band's approach is light, perhaps even mocking, but there's true love here: from the album's fist-pumping anthem, "Stumped," to the dark, brooding plod of "Childproof," it becomes apparent that this is a labor of love, designed and constructed by true fans of metal's sound, history and heart. Not to mention that the songcraft couldn't be stronger and that Crow's voice couldn't be more perfectly matched to these tunes. I expected a disposable, Tap-ish novelty. Nothing doin'. I've got the vinyl version and I'm beginning to worry that I'll wear out the grooves before Christmas.

If you thought that Dave Grohl's Probot effort was a little uneven (or worse), than pick this up. While this may or may not be "true" metal (Manowar would surely proclaim them "false"), this is a tribute to metal that will not disappoint.
 —Jeremy