Over the Top Volume One

(Violent Hippy)

Seattle-based Violent Hippy Records chronicles eardrum-popping Category 5 vortices of metallic destruction from Austin clear on out to Okinawa. A one-two local punch from the Sword (“Winter’s Wolves”) and Oh, Beast! (“Spontaneous Lee”) jump-starts the commotion and does the town proud. Ditto for Gorch Fock’s demented ass-shaker “Tap Is Crack” and Velorum’s hyper-spastic “Fug,” but give Le Force credit for painting Salt Lake City blacker than an old Iron Maiden T-shirt with their epic instrumental “A Good Day for a Hanging.”

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This article appears in November 4 • 2005.

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Greg Beets was born in Lubbock on the day Richard Nixon was elected president. He has covered music for the Chronicle since 1992, writing about everyone from Roky Erickson to Yanni. Beets has also written for Billboard,Uncut, Blurt, Elmore, and Pop Culture Press. Before his digestive tract cried uncle, he co-published Hey! Hey! Buffet!, an award-winning fanzine about all-you-can-eat buffets.