I remember ‘My Father My King’ well enough, but Fucked Up ain’t Mogwai, and this isn’t drawn-out post-rock for weirdie-beardies pushing 40. Nah mate, it’s punk fucking rock. Sorta.
At 18-and-some minutes long (mercifully it comes with a single edit version, too), ‘Year Of The Pig’ comes on like the Canadian outfit’s tribute to Emerson, Lake & Palmer: a sprawling multi-faceted behemoth of epic intentions punctured by snarling vocals courtesy of the rotund, but surprisingly sprightly in the flesh, Pink Eyes/Mr Damian. It’s bar-room rock ‘n’ roll infected by punk spirit, not a million miles away from The Hold Steady getting their amps hijacked by Black Flag. It rambles on, and on, and on… dizzyingly.
Great? Not quite, but then again little of Fucked Up’s recorded output to date has been – it’s always served as a flyer for one of the best nights out of your life. So pick this up as a catalyst, less an end-all.
-
7Mike Diver's Score