RTX - Western Xterminator

Label: Drag City

Year: 2007

I was not the world's biggest Royal Trux fan, but I did enjoy them, and thought that their style was at the very least intriguing. Certainly, it was executed to varying degrees of success, but the idea of celebrating rock-n-roll cliches by dragging them through the gutter was a novel idea. 

This record however, is a different from my preconceived notions of "Royal Trux mk II" because from song to song it never settles on one sound. I don't mean that within the song there's a hodgepodge of styles, I mean that each song is a different (albeit not foreign) style. You got your sleazy rock, your Hole style grrrl-core, your Bathory style proto black metal, your Whiskey A-Go-Go mid 80's cock rock, your art damaged wig outs, and your old SST version of thud rock cum nihilist attack. It's all a strange take on "rocking out" in a goofy sort if way. Goofy like the way Motley Crue is goofy, not the way Manowar is goofy. It escapes the tongue in cheek irony of say, Fucking Champs (at least to my radar anyway), but it still seems to wink and nod the way Saccharine Trust might have. Maybe the way L7 did.

The cover pretty much lets you know if you'll like this or not. If you could have drawn this in 7th grade, chances are, you'll find something redeeming about this record.

DL