Random Records with Steve O

Wenches - Effin' Gnarly

Are you ready to rock?! Well, Wenches don’t care what your answer is, so you better get ready to rock out with Effin’ Gnarly, which is, well, pretty effin’ gnarly. Straight up filthy and fuzzy rock n roll, this is what happens when you have guys with histories in metal and punk who decide they just wanna rock. 70s rock influences are filtered through that booze-blurred lens and the result absolutely rips. Full disclosure here, vocalist James is a good friend and regular contributor to this site, regularly giving you recommendations in our Monthly Metal Mixtape and guesting us a year-end best-of list.

The formula here is to play with dynamics – look at songs like “Mama, Wake Up,” “My Lady's on Fire,” or “Break Up to Make Up.” Mid-tempo fuzzed-out rockers with loud, quiet, loud passages. In each one you get some hard-driving moments that give way to more stripped-down passages that give you a breather to run to the bar to grab another drink and by the time you get back it’s time to rock the fuck out again, at which point you promptly spill your drink or wave it above your head in sheer exuberance, expelling its contents all over your fellow sweat-and-beer soaked peers who have been doing exactly the same thing. Then it’s time to repeat during the next song. Damn do you miss shows as much as me?

Elsewhere, things feel manic. “Truck Stop Tank Top” fucking rips, blasting away in under a minute. “Bad Man” is super catchy with some addicting riffs. Seriously, try to get this out of your head. Pure dirty, grimy rock n roll about rock n roll, this song is basically the essence of Effin’ Gnarly. “Break Up to Make Up” has some sick riffs and unhinged barking vocals that just kinda melt into the murkiness. The dynamics at play feel like escalating chaos before absolutely breaking down. “Slip Slidin’” has that chaotic, unrestrained feel too that just fits Wenches like a glove; they’ve got their vibe down and they hit it hard.

We get three covers here – AC/DC’s “What's Next to the Moon,” Kiss’ “100,000 Years,” (both odes to that 70s feel Wenches has throughout the record) and Bad Wizard’s “Six to Midnite Man,” the latter of which feels most to match with the frenzied atmosphere of the record. The drum solo on “100,000 Years” reminds you that they’re pretty much the underrated star of the record – they're solid and driving throughout, but it's not until here that they really shine and it hits you how fucking great the drums have been throughout the whole record.

Effin’ Gnarly shreds right through you for a half hour, a runtime that feels exactly right. Any longer would just be unnecessary. This is rock n roll. I get including three songs from the demo. The covers are a cool tip of the hat and a nice way to show off your influences. But knowing how much the new songs (“Truck Stop Tank Top,” Break Up to Make Up,” and “Slip Slidin’”) rip, damn, I would've loved to hear more of that new material. Can't wait to see these songs live though. You know it is gonna be a fucking party, especially with everyone having that pent-up quarantine-energy to expel. Until then, put it on in your bedroom, close the door, and rock out like nobody’s watching.

Give Effin’ Gnarly a listen on Bandcamp. And a reminder that Bandcamp Friday is coming up March 5th – if you feel like throwing some money their way for a copy, that’s the day to do it.