Pachinko
Splendor in the Ass II: Electric Boogaloo (Alternative Tentacles)
The field of psychiatry ought to study why some angry white men shoot up the workplace, while others play music like this. If Splendor in the Ass II is any indication, society owes rock & roll a debt of gratitude for steering these Madison, Wisconsin-bred boys in the direction of loud, unforgiving six-string wank instead of firearms. This is the stereotypical dark side of Midwestern nice in action — the side that thinks it’s great fun to call some poor Astrology Hotline employee to ask if your dearly departed girlfriend has forgiven you for pushing her down the stairs (“9/13/68”). From there, Pachinko turns up and begins to bludgeon everything in its path with Unsane-like distortion tempered by the rhythms of drunken sex and impossibly quick time changes. Much like their homies in Killdozer, Pachinko’s tsunami of sludge is distinguished by a deviant sense of humor aimed at confounding people, if not pissing them off outright. The preachy “Aunt Doot” lets up long enough for vocalist/guitarist Brech to utter the memorable line, “Hail the size of children’s heads will come flying out of God’s firey ass,” while “El Paso” chronicles ugly gringo lust at a border strip club. Can you think of a better reason to trade in your Glock for a Gibson? (Saturday, Atomic Cafe, 1am)
This article appears in March 17 • 2000.
