AMG Review of New Erections

Tammy La Gorce
All Music Guide

If you don't quite understand the madcap, noisy genius of the Locust, the title of this disc should at least tip you off to how clever the band can be: New Erections pretty much captures their knack for scissoring words into shapes you hadn't gotten around to imagining. Musically, the album attacks from all the usual angles -- smart ("Book of Bot,"), scary ("Scavenger, Invader,") ridiculous ("Hot Tubs Full of Brand New Fuel"). It's as if the Beastie Boys took a six-week intensive vocabulary course and hooked up with a hot new grindcore band. Crazy? Yes. Carved from a melee, enigmatic yet well-crafted enough to merit your attention? Most definitely.