Patagonian Rats (Bonus Track Version)

Patagonian Rats (Bonus Track Version)

Like their peers Hella and Maps & Atlases, this Sacramento combo fuses prog-rock with hardcore punk to create a nerve-frying meld both cerebral and giddy. The tracks skitter between manic thrash outbursts and extended faux-serene passages; catchy melodies emerge from churning jams only to be flayed and strangled. The band favors a reverb-bathed production strategy on most tunes, adding to the mostly opaque nature of their lyrics. What matters most, though, is the sheer hyperactive audacity of Nick Reinhart’s frenetic guitar thrusts, Nate Latona’s agile, jazz-rooted bass work and Vince Rogers’ pummeling drum attack. The trio rips through intricate numbers like “Aped,” “In Citrus Heights” and “Party With Gina” fearlessly, calling up echoes of Captain Beefheart and the Minutemen in their glory days. From the gargling funk of “Trident Tail” to the bouncy, falsetto-accented “The Skin Surf” and the spongy, slinky groove of “Frozen Zoo,” Tera Melos prod and poke at the extremes of their sound. Frequently amazing and occasionally brilliant.

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