Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
The O'Haras - Devil's Desertdotdotdotdot
artworkThis is one unique CD. The band is from Belgium. They are instrumental, with a heavy foundation in surf, but strained through intense distortion and reverb, salted with flamenco, and baked until it weighs a ton. Very intense, powerful, and refreshing. The few covers are so uniquely reconstituted that you may not recognized them. Excellent.
Picks: Ghosttown Exit, Hara Sutra, Definitely Dead, Face à la Bodéga, Mission: XVII, Stupid Bitch, Devil's Desert, Bad Moo, O'Hara Kiri, Charlie's Moonwalk

Track by Track Review


Ghosttown Exit dotdotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Wow, what a big intense track this is! Surf thinking, intense distortion guitar, cowboy rompin', and way cool feedback. Like Link Wray ridin' Dick Dale's guitar. The hint of "Caravan" in the middle is cool. HUGE!

Hara Sutra dotdotdotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Like a super fuzz flamenco, rhythmic and thick, with a really cool trumpet carrying most of the lead work. Super heavy guitar tone in the double picked mid section. Like a bull fight from the bull's point of view, this is just too cool! Brutal.

Definitely Dead dotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Opening with a beat like Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life," this drops into something less interesting, but quite powerful. Not really melodic, but definitely edgie.

Face à la Bodéga dotdotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Flamenco flourishes within the little silver bumps of this track, as does the same great trumpet as in "Hara Sutra." Not quite as strong as that track, but really good. More dramatic, or maybe more pompous. Thick, heavy, and rhythmic.

Mission: XVII dotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Ultra heavy sludge rendition of Lalo Schifrin's "Mission Impossible" theme, rendered almost unrecognizable in it's raw power and huge soundscape. Quite a nice treatment.

Stupid Bitch dotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Dark and damn mean, this rockabilly psychosis hollers really loud while you sit stunned and nailed to your chair. Way cool... big guitar extravaganza.

Devil's Desert dotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Slow grinding death metal desert surf, like throatcore without the throat.

Bad Moo dotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Cowpunk pick fest aimed squarely at the Herefords among you... A progression carried off with big power and intensity, and a cool sorta ska thing in the bridges. Intense.

O'Hara Kiri dotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Big surf drums, major surf guitar twang a la the Surf Trio, but more intense. Twang and fuzz and double picked drive. Swims with whammy and dark storm surf.

Charlie's Moonwalk dotdotdot
Primal Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)

Inventive reinvention of Charlie Parker's "Temptation" and Pat Ballard's "Mr. Sandman" take this in places you'd not expect. The intense middle eastern double picked lead lines and horn create a very suave though merciless vision of camels and tents and infidels about to be ambushed at the oasis, or is it merely a mirage.