Archers of Loaf

Icky Mettle (Merge)

Reunited since January, Chapel Hill, N.C., quartet Archers of Loaf unleashed this first of four LPs well in stride of the band’s original tear (1990-1998). Raw as oysters on the half shell, with abrasive, transistor radio production, 1993’s Icky Mettle thumps Warp’s warpath between lo-fi sad sackery (“You and Me”) and shitstorm post-post punk (“Sick File”). The Archers of Loaf vs. The Greatest of All Time EP ignites a bonus disc as anthemic as 1977 Clash (“Bathroom”). ****

This article appears in July 29 • 2011.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.