HAIL!HORNET

One would think that the music made by a group comprised of members of bands like WEEDEATER, ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY and SOURVEIN would speed global warming and knock the earth off its axis. That's not quite the case with HAIL!HORNET on "Disperse the Curse". The whisky pissed, burn-holed vibes of what is basically crusty sludge with convincing levels of psychosis are thousands of yards from subtle. The tunes aren't too shabby; they're just not all that memorable.

But damn, the album can still hold its liquor as one that simultaneously screams "disturbance on Cell Block C" and "the methadone clinic is now closed!" Well hell yes, "Disperse the Curse" induces exactly the kind of blurred visions and teeth-gritting that one would expect from an act that includes bassist "Dixie" Dave Collins (WEEDEATER, BUZZOV*EN, BONGZILLA),drummer Erik Larson (ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY, BIRDS OF PREY, PARASITIC),guitarist Vince Burke (BEATEN BACK TO PURE, LUNCH),and vocalist T-Roy Medlin (SOURVEIN, BUZZOV*EN). It is not so much that "Disperse the Curse" doesn't climb cactus and traipse across fire, while T-Roy does everything in his power to complete the process of larynx disintegration. After all, SOURVEIN engages in similar activities in barebones style too, but manages to leave more of a lasting impression. That's where "Disperse the Curse" falls a wee bit short of memorable. Even as "Kill the Liars" evokes unnatural urges to do harm with its riffage and seething lines from T-Roy like "Look in my yes, I'm a Fuckin' Beast" or the descending riff of "Unholy Foe" that moves into the realm of badassery, there isn't enough in the way of indefinable sludge/doom/crust power/aura to overcome the relative one-dimensionality of the album. "Blacked Out in Broad Daylight" damn near raises the score by itself though, its eight and a half minutes broadly characterized by the sound of a howling madman devoid of sunscreen floating down a river of lava in 105-degree heat; it's painful in flattering terms.

The final assessment is pretty simple. "Disperse the Curse" is certainly no stinker, packing some punch and scrambling some brains as it does. But unless you've got cash burning a hole in your pocket, then it probably won't make your final cut at check-out time. As a trigger for addiction relapse however, "Disperse the Curse" is every in-patient treatment center director's worst nightmare. That's likely reason enough for some.