LYDIA LASKA

The follow up to 2006's debut release 'White Trash Attack', Lydia Laska's sophomore effort arrives in the form of another 4 track EP on Duplicate Records, 'We're Nothing Compared To Ourselves'. Citing a range of diverse influences from David Bowie, The Stooges and Velvet Underground to Kiss, Motorhead, Bathory, Slayer and Darkthrone, the Norwegian 5 piece play an interesting fusion of rock, punk and metal with a sleazy tenacity, and that should most definitely be 'Sleazy' with a capital 'S'. With a reputation for wildly unpredictable live performances including, according to the press release accompanying the CD, "cross-dressing, violence/making out, whipping and throwing pinecones at the audience and not giving a fuck", frontman Candy Whorehole also apparently "bit the guitar player's nipples off" during a gig which probably explains why band member Solan is credited on Lydia Laska's MySpace page as "guitars, backing vocals, ex-nipple"! So what of the four tracks on offer here? Opening track 'Love and Penetration' commences with some strangled, discordant trombone before the punk-rock and quasi-metal groove of the drums, bass and guitars kick in, and then Whorehole's vocals which sound coherently alcohol-fuelled through their meretriciously inconsonant delivery which suit the music perfectly. Also notable on this first track are guest contributions from Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh) on guitar/guest vocals; Maniac (Skitliv, ex-Mayhem) on 'guest penetration' (??!) and Bård Ingebrigtsen (Sirens Like Us) with 'some guest guitar' and mellotron. Tracks two and three pertain to the same rock-punk-metal fusion as the first, before the short EP concludes with an arrestingly good cover of L7's 'Fuel My Fire' that showcases a more aggressive side to Whorehole's vocals. Production-wise, 'We're Nothing Compared To Ourselves' is fitting for the music and is [I'm guessing deliberately] far from pristine, with the dirty sounding guitars and bass sitting comfortably on top of an almost 'live' drum sound in a well mixed recording. In fact, it is worth noting that the band's drummer is talented ex-Dismal Euphony sticksman Kris Vold (here under the name of Voldswagen), although musically Lydia Laska are entirely different from the dark metal output of his previous band. Overall, an excellent, solid release, and if sleazy punk-rock-metal is your thing, then this comes highly recommended.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Duplicate Records

EP

WE'RE NOTHING COMPARED TO OURSELVES

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

12:10

RELEASE DATE:

September 2007

TRACK LISTING

1) Love And Penetration
2) Mandy
3) Slut Machine
4) Fuel My Fire

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Norway

"...an interesting fusion of rock, punk and metal with a sleazy tenacity..."