Super Heavy Goat Ass

60,000 Years (Arclight)

The latest from Austin quartet Super Heavy Goat Ass is a story of evolution. 60,000 Years pits SHGA against history; unfortunately, the era they’re most focused on is the Seventies. Black Sabbath was indeed an awesome band, forging killer riffs. Yet taking Ozzy Osbourne’s solo breakout, “Crazy Train,” and slowing it down then reversing it is like ordering a house salad at Waffle House. “Druglord” is a honky-tonking slice of blues-rock, stuffed with enough guitar soloing to make Randy Rhodes roll over in his grave. “Best Friend” is a power ballad of sorts, with lyrics “Satan is my best friend, he never asked for nothing” sprinkled over heavy riffage – some might even say super heavy riffage. “SSOB” off-roads it into Ford-truck-commercial territory, with singer Russell Abbott’s holy declaration, “Sweet home, goddamn! I’m a motherfuckin’ Texas man!” Ad execs, this is your next big thing: Huge, phallic trucks all over the Lone Star state need this album preprogrammed into the 2006 line. This isn’t exactly your soundtrack for painting watercolors on your veranda. It’s loud-ass party rock, and that’s good enough for history.

**

This article appears in April 22 • 2005.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US