STIFF RICHARDS - "DIG" LP

ETT:

STIFF RICHARDS are 5 blokes from Melbourne playing tunes "straight from the shed straight to your head...". Those blokes are called Lochie, Mawson, Raf, Gaz and Wolfie and they're just the latest in a growing number of Aussie punk bands to feature on here. If you're a fan of balls out rock n roll then Oz is where you should cast your gaze.

Melbourne scuzzy punk rock band who have created a buzz about town with this admittedly EXCELLENT slice of raw rock & roll which doesn't let up for a second over its all-too-brief duration. Totally A-grade Aussie punk rock. There's nothing fancy going on here: just raw, savage rock n' roll that kicks you straight in the teeth and comes back for more. These gentlemen have definitely absorbed the lessons of the Detroit and Aussie rock of yore, and they manage to invigorate that sonic tradition with an energy that's off the charts.

You've got guitars firing at full fury, a punishing rhythm section, and a madman howler on lead vocals who probably literally spits fire. "Do It Right Now" may be as blatant of a Stooges homage as you'll ever hear, but it's also one of the best. Play it at max volume, and you will feel indestructible! And while Stiff Richards are especially satisfying in short, fire-hot doses ("Bad Disease", "Ostentatious"), they sound no less thumping in full-on heavy rock mode. "Dig", which delivers monster riffs and transcendent maniacal screaming from deep within Wolfy's loins, opens the album with a proverbial bang. "PEA", with its call to arms of "Power! Energy! Action!", might as well be Stiff Richards' theme song.

It's always a cliche to credit a band with capturing a "live" energy in the studio. But if Dig sounded any more live, you would be able to smell the sweat and spilled beer. These guys play every note like they're trying to blow the roof off of the joint. Something tells me they've succeeded on more than one occasion.

A ripper. Short, sharp, intense and fun this LP is in heavy rotation- like a moon around jupiter.