Megaforce

“Hallelujah, rotten to the core,” Curt and Cris Kirkwood harmonize on the album’s opening title track, a rumbling country punk anthem that marks a return to the group’s classic SST days of raw angst and defiance burning in the desert sun. But there’s an important difference for the band this go-round: the addition of Curt’s son Elmo on second guitar. His presence opens the door for more sonic exploration. Heavy, dense, complex rhythms add depth to the typically tinny Meat Puppets sound, which also benefits here from blistering guitar leads, atmospheric

effects and strange proggy moments. But this isn’t a “new” Meat Puppets – the unique rhythmic shifts, structures and overall concept remain forever unchanged. Nope, this is more like a band bolstered by a HGH shot.