All dressed in black and dripping with attitude, the former Black Market Babies-and let me point out what a shame it was they couldn't use the name-dish it out in pure acetylene style-raucous and raunchy, this is what Rock & Roll's always been meant to be-reeking of ill-repute and booze on the way to Hell…

Angelic upstarts these are not!

They've gone through all the usual hardships and attention-grabbing measures on their way to this second LP-first was a self-titled originally done on Sub Pop's imprint Die Young Stay Pretty Records.

After a number of 7" singles and necessary compilation tracks, it was only a matter of time before someone took notice.

"The Violent Years" represents a resurgence that continues to take residence in the underground ready to unleash a thunderous explosion set to canonize the local city sewer systems as quickly as it loosens the teeth of a dimly dated music scene that's in need of regeneration-see also Degeneration, Murder City Devils, and L.E.S.

Stitches for later comparisons before jetting back to 1974 and New York Dolls/Iggy style freak Rock!

Loose grooves and a defiant mood churn out the speakers in glorious Glam/Punk fashion in a way that hasn't been heard since The Dead Boys basically… dropped dead!

"Some Things Never Fail," "No Tomorrow Girls" and "50 Bourbon Street" are pure-bred retro-fitted trash liner treasures recalling the outrageousness of a young NYC upstart that paved the way for American Punk and fashionable vagrancy-The Black Halos strike a haunting resemblance to all things ballsy and brash with simple, tight-fisted rhythmic regurgitation -"Rock & Roll High School" revisited to be sure-anthemic quality delivered at immense volume with spirited verses and venomous intent!

Sub Pop Records 2514 Fourth Ave Seattle, WA, 98121

http://www.subpop.com/510_index.html

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]