Would Knife Hits, The (defunct) Reeks and the Wrecks' debut album, still be interesting if not for the band's obscure past, homemade instruments, and recent, tragic loss of their leader, Orion Satushek? Yes, but these elements are so congruent with The Reeks' sound that you're not likely to read about this release without hearing the stories behind it.
As soon as the album opens, mid-warm-up, to a man's gruff shouting, a dog's barking, an oscillator, and that first fat, filthy, stomping bassline, it's clear that there's something strange about these people. Soon, the first crisp, metallic bursts of electric guitar are introduced, and the main theme is taken over by the bloated, bleating honk of that damn trombone. After thrashing around like this for a few bars, with drums and oscillator in full swing, they break momentarily for some more animalistic yelping and whooping, then it's right back into the persistent throb of the sloppy ensemble.
The sound of the recordings suggests single-miked, live performances, seeped in a cavernous echo, contributing to the singularity of the band, which is also aided by their sheer volume, smashing all instrumental discernabilities into one another. The songs conjure an image of some hideous beast, a Frankenstein monster fitted with rotting instruments dug up from nearby graves, clumsy, loud, rambunctious, and dangerous.
Maybe the most serious complaint you could levy against this album is that it's formulaic; it is, a bit, but what a formula. If this is your kind of thing, you'd better be in it for the long haul, because The Reeks simply do not let up. Still, "formulaic" doesn't necessitate monotony, as evidenced by some amazing standouts. "Nutsack Cadillac" is a sinister tar pit of syncopated strut, and "The Waltz"'s haunted ballroom slows things down in preparation for the final, and most unique, two tracks: "Silverthaw," 13 minutes of melancholy dreamscape, and "Stoners on Fire," a brief, gurgling, electronic death rattle.
Knife Hits will be a memorable experience for any listener, but its documentary status is apparent. What we hear is an attempt to recreate what must have been some seriously intense live performances, the dank, sweaty reality of which is palpably and painfully absent from this little plastic disc.
1. Blue Ballroom
2. Mosquito Cash Diamond Gun
3. Maui Wow Wow
4. Free Smoke
5. Nerf
6. Dunebuggy
7. Nutsack Cadillac
8. The Waltz
9. Silverthaw
10. Stoners on Fire
More about: The Reeks and the Wrecks
