LEGENDS OF MOTORSPORT – YEAH UH HUH
It is important – nay, imperative – that one listens to the Legends as a stoner band. Otherwise, the joke is lost. The ridiculous lyrics will sound ridiculous; the cock rock motifs will only remind you of worse albums done better; the guitars, played with such reckless abandon and with so much distorted bottom end, you would think someone messed up. Not so, it is not so. This is heavy rock and roll, via the comedy-thrash stylings of the Melvins. The songs are about thinks like barbecues, taxis, homework, bugs. The first audible lyric is “I can’t believe I never used to like blue cheese.” But the album is book-ended by an intro and an outro, introducing the band, letting you know it’s all a silly performance. A heavy, silly performance. In fact, Yeah Uh Huh (their third full-length) has got to be one of the heaviest non-metal albums of the year, a title brought upon them by their unique combination low-strung guitars, Farfisa organ and constant drum thrashing. Where the tempo drops (not often), it drops only to the level of a noodling metal jam. It comes as little surprise that the Legends are renowned as a live band in their adopted hometown of Melbourne: Yeah Uh Huh has so much energy, your headphones might blow up. But you have to get the joke.
***1/2
