Mississippi Bones - Songs for the Rejects, Slackers, and Rabble-Rousers, album review

Not Duo, But Ditto

Back in 2012 I reviewed Mississippi Bones’ album Tracks here, a slightly tongue-in-cheek but appreciative commentary on the then two piece’s powerhouse heaviness, where programming brought a new attitude, technologically speaking, to some basic hardcore heavy metal.

An earlyish review in my reviewing career – hey, I’m still here – so it was pleasing that band member Dusty Donley stopped by to leave a comment, and others have followed intermittently, but he was one of the first. So Dusty, are you out there?

He is certainly still in the band with then other partner Jared Collins and their sound is essentially the same – thank friggin’ goodness! It is punchy and pounding, the rudiments of what generates such power, with staccato riffs to allow wah-wah to burst through as on The Electric Church, a place in which to continue worshipping the dark art of Rock. Love it.

The band has expanded to a 6-piece, so there are ‘real’ drums courtesy of Jason Miller [see that initial review for context], and there is additional singing in the background vocals of Heather Collins whose additional nomenclature is ‘Baby Swiss Pissing Sheets’ which has sassy assonance and we won’t ask about any literal referencing.

Some of that originally heard grunge sound is also here in the drone of If You Find Hell Lonely, and ironically the 6 makes no more noise than the original 2 but then that is really the wonderful point: this is more of the heavily noisy same.