THE WHITE MICE - ASSPHIXXXEATEASHUN (LOAD 066)

IF THIS BAND DOESN'T INVOLVE DAN ST. JACQUES IN SOME WAY I WILL EAT MY HAT. THAT CRUNCHY BASS IS HERE AT FRONT AND CENTRE. WE DON'T *KNOW* IT IS HIM OFFICIALLY BECAUSE THE WHITE MICE ARE ANONYMOUS AND PSEUDONYMOUS BUT THEY'RE A LOCAL SUPERGROUP OF LOAD ALUMNI AND PROVIDENCE-BASED MAVERICKS. I'D PUT MONEY ON IT.

GENRE-WISE WHITE MICE ARE ALL OVER THE MAP. THERE'S SOME OF THE DISTORTO ATONAL MAYHEM THAT LOAD RECORDS TRADE IN. BUT THERE'S INDUSTRIAL, A BLEAK VERSION OF PSYCH, STONER WORK. IT'S ON THE EXPERIMENTAL AND FRINGE SIDE OF THE IDENTIFIABLY "ROCK" MUSIC WORLD.

THEY'RE NOT SONGS AND MORE EDITED JAMS IN A CERTAIN MOOD OF PLAYFUL FILTH AND DESTRUCTION. IT ISN'T SUBTLE AND ISN'T TRYING TO BE CAN OR SOMETHING: IT'S MORE A SOUNDTRACK FOR A DESTRUCTION DERBY HAPPENING IN A JODOROWSKY FILM OR SOMETHING.

THIS RECORD IS DECENT ACTUALLY. I DIDN'T HAVE A PARTICULARLY HIGH BAR (I GUESS I HAVE DIMINISHING RETURNS ON SOME OF THE FRINGIER PROVIDENCE BANDS FOR WHATEVER REASONS. I RESPECT THE COLLECTIVE MAYHEM AND THE REJECTION OF MORE PATHETIC FORMS OF MEANING BUT I'M STRUGGLING TO CONNECT. HERE THEY THROW OUT SOME GOOD JAMS WITH IMPROVVED F/X VOCALS AND THEY MOSTLY LAND.