Beehoover – Concrete Catalyst

 

It’s testament to the chops on Beehoover that their skeletal line-up of one drummer and a bassist can produce such a deafening but pleasing racket; Concrete Catalyst is a cocky, beefy, riff-fest. With stuttering drums and a beasting three-note refrain, Oceanriver is a monstrous beginning with vocalist Ingmar Petersen’s infectious delivery sounding not unlike Mike Patton when rocking his Faith No More day-job. Five Minutes Of Resistance continues to wield this axe with further rhythmic low-end majesty, whilst Sultana is a shredder that could raise a smile on even the most star-gazed stoners phizog. Having recorded and mixed the album themselves in a rehearsal room, there’s a raw edge at work which proves to be more alluring than infuriating. However, perhaps if the producer’s chair had been filled we would have been saved the hideous acoustic strum of Rocking Chair, complete with what one assumes is Keith Emerson progging-off in the background – eyeball tickling indeed. [Alan Souter]