$9.00
Our friends at Twin Earth Records hit the mark yet again and deliver the goods without question as I sit here listening to Fox 45‘s “Ashes Of Man” album for the umpteenth time, a process needed to properly review a record thoroughly in my humble opinion. In a related note, let me say that the increasing presence of Sisters in Metal and Heavy Music is a beautiful thing! I don’t necessarily mean actual siblings either, I mean the presence of our metallic sistren as females are becoming such a prevalent force to be reckoned (and rocked) with in a scene that was traditionally a male-dominated one in its earlier origins. That said, let’s get down to business, shall we?
That “business” here is Doom-y rockin’ and let me tell you, brothers..and sisters, business is all good with Fox 45 and that’s no bullshit. These musicians, Pauline Coles, Amanda Rampe, Vicky Tee, and Casey Learch wear their influences on their sweat-drenched sleeves like high-end fashion as nuances of Witchfinder General, Black Sabbath, L7, and much more come testifying through Fox 45‘s music like a confidential informant at a Mafioso’s trial. Low to the ground earthy rumblings in their hugely doomed riffs, direction-guided, driving rhythms and some atmospherically floating vocals, along with the occasional nods to oldschool Punk Rock ethos keep things interesting at each minute of this record. Those minutes encapsulate themselves into one fluid, immensely vintage-yet-oh-so varied effort on this 9-song (10 with the CD/Digital-only track “Urinal Acid“) album that’s simultaneously hazy as it is halcyon-like. Some of the stand-out selections are the Pop-ish hook-fueled “Doominati“, the Deepest Purple fueled “Coup d’etwat“, and then songs “White Lightning“, and “Narcissister“. Then there is the re-fried Blues of a cut like “Necromancing The Stone” or the purest radio sensibility of a song like “Murdercycle” as just one killer track follows another on Fox 45‘s “Ashes Of Man“. -- Metal Nexus