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Written by David Lichius Wednesday, 06 September 2006 15:33

It has the fanatic, music geek stamp of approval.

 

Hot Snakes' 2005 release Peel Sessions was a fairly under whelming release. True, it was the final session recorded shortly before the legendary John Peel passed away, but other than its possible historical aspect, it was diehard-only release. As it went, Hot Snakes shut it down the year as well, leaving Peel Sessions apparently as its final release. Perhaps this is a tad melodramatic, but as a big-time fan, Peel Sessions wasn't indicative of just how great this band could be. It would have been quite a tepid way to go out.

Dropping out of the sky like an empty Coke bottle lands Thunder Down Under. While the existence of these recordings was known of by a number of fans, this release should come as a pleasant surprise for Hot Snakes fans. Recorded for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, this session allotted Hot Snakes enough time to record 13 tracks live in studio. While one might expect a studio to be a rather sterile environment to play live, Hot Snakes are positively on fire. With "Braintrust" setting the tone for the set, Hot Snakes have made an excellent live record sans club, smoke, and an audience. While the set is heavily composed of cuts from "Suicide Invoice" and "Audit in Progress," it also contains the previous compilation only track "US Mint" and the pointless inclusion of a rendition of "Rock n' Roll Will Never Die." Aside from that minor misstep, Thunder Down Under is the record that Hot Snakes can close their recorded input with. It has the fanatic, music geek stamp of approval.

RIYL: Drive Like Jehu, The Wipers, Rocket From the Crypt