Wives - 'Erect The Youth Problem' (Sweet Nothing) Released 27/06/05

Taking the punishing template of muscular US hardcore as their blueprint, the trio pour hefty dollops of metallically discordant riffage and remorseless torrents of pulverising rhythms to the manic mixture. This frantic feast of uneasy listening is coated with an impatient compulsion to plunge head-first from one riff and time signature to the next at breakneck velocity, with the distorted din of Dean Spunt’s declamatory ranting, raving and hollering adding an unnerving twist to the proceedings. At its most abandoned, 'Erect The Youth Problem' makes even the most sneering specimens of classic punk rock resemble particularly soothing lullabies by evoking the eardrum-endangering clatter of a band racing towards the edge of a cliff at full speed with no intention of slowing down.  

Although ultimately slightly monotonous in its uncompromising, tune-dodging harshness, Wives are far more diverse in their genre-defying, dynamic approach than one-dimensional, unimaginative and ultimately headache-inducing HC noise-mongers trading in mere mindless chaos. ‘Boys Club’ excels in inciting a riot of rumbling rhythms, the instrumental ‘I’ve Got This One Partner’ slows the proceedings down to a sinister crawl, ‘Wasted Again, Again’ is skronk-infested free-jazz for a hardcore ensemble, ‘Mountainous’ KOs the listener with a fearsome barrage of noxious noise, while some of the other tracks demonstrate what might occur if the trio kept producing their brand of pandemonium whilst falling down a steep flight of stairs.

All of which is fit for reducing fans of more melodic fare to quivering wrecks, and even those with adventurous palates might find themselves surprisingly keen to get re-acquainted with the joys of tunecraft after taking in the full platter in one sitting. In moderation, however, 'Erect The Youth Problem' provides a supremely purifying earwax removal service.