Big Sexy Noise is made up of Lydia Lunch, James Johnston and Ian White of Gallon Drunk fame they offer an all out brutal attack on the senses with this double album    – the band’s last studio album from 2011 and a live recording made in Italy.

The studio album “Trust the Witch” is proper rock and roll as it should be – dirty, raunchy and sleazy. The opening track “Ballin’ the Jack” has heavy guitars riffing away in the background, touches of Velvet Underground, soaring saxophone and all topped off with Lunch’s seedy vocals laid over the top – OK, I’m not sure she’s gonna win any prizes for delicacy but that’s not really the point here – she’s menacing, disturbing and absolutely perfect for the music playing in the background.

Track two is “Cross the Line” and this is in the same vein as the first number and none the worse for it.

Then up comes “Won’t Leave You Alone” which is a slow lolloping bluesy affair conjuring images of dark and dangerous venues with Lunch stalking the stage. There’s real emotion in the music and in the singing too and it’s great!

“Mahakali Calling” (Mahakali is the Hindu Goddess of time and death) is pure, full on rock with a lyric that brings to mind a decent into madness, self destruction and a life going down the pan – it’s wonderful!

“Trust the Witch” is a slower number with a Deep South feel laden with voodoo and a general air of disquiet.

“Devil Working Overtime” is the weakest offering on this album to my mind but work through it and you’re rewarded with “Where You Gonna Run” which gets back to the relentless, intense guitar riffing, soaring broken lead and brooding organ lines. It’s apocalyptic, passionate and forces the listener to question what’s going off in the world. Lydia say’s she’s “armed for mother fucking Gotterdammerung” and you can believe her!

There’s another three tracks on the album including the standout (for me) “Not Your Fault” and apart from the “Devil Working Overtime” they conclude an album that really shouldn’t appeal to my more recently “refined” tastes but it does and I’m sure it will you. It’s a passionate album filled with tales of obliteration and destruction finishing off with the heads down rock of “Forever on the Run” which is the perfect sign off to what is a very good album indeed.

The live album is often difficult for the casual listener and something that in the main should only appeal to die hard fans I always think, but with “Collision Course” you get a real feel for the energy of the band in front of a (by the sound of it) pretty small audience. Earlier I mentioned dark and dangerous venues when talking about “Won’t Leave You Alone” and this is what this recording sounds like. Lynch harangues the audience with her vocals which to me are reminiscent of Vi Subersa of Poison Girls fame and the music is fast, furious and raw. To my mind the highlight is “Your Love Don’t Pay My Rent…BITCH”!!!

Stuart

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