BRAINBOMBS  Stinking Memory  (Anthem)  7"

We thought we had heard the last of these Swedish musical miscreants with their Stigma Of The Ripper 7" on tUMULt a while back, but according to the band, these two tracks here are actually their last will and testament, the band have finally officially called it quits, with various members continuing on in their own perverse musical pursuits.
  And a fitting way to end it. Nothing new or spectacularly different, just more of that murk, filthy, jazzy garage sludge we have come to know and love. A simple riff, doused in distortion and played through some beat up old amp, repeated over and over and over, mantra like, hypnotic and disturbing, the drums propulsive and motorik, a horn bleating and skronking within the murk and mire, while the vocals, delivered in a totally detached deadpan drawl, recount tales of fucking and sucking, rape and incest, and all manner of sexual depravity and ultra violence.
  "Stinking Memory" is perfect Brainbombs, a simple riff, ultra fucked up lyrics, some damaged jazz skronk, all wrapped in a thick production of murky muddiness, and pounded out relentlessly, a damaged demented scuzzy filthy garage rock stomp. "Insects" is even better, taking the stomp of side 1 and blowing out the guitar even more, sounding impossible catchy while getting even filthier, every spare bit of space filled up with tangled scrabbling angular guitar solos, so convoluted and dense, they seem to just add another layer of noisy buzz to the proceedings.
  God, we're gonna miss these guys...

(http://www.aquariusrecords.org/cat/b15.html)


Brainbombs Stinking Memory 45 (Anthem)
    I can’t say I wasn't sold on this before I heard it…well, actually I can. Sorry, but you are not gonna get a totally objective review of the Brainbombs out of me, at least as long as they stay away from Alec Empire. Really, by now the Brainbombs have achieved icon status, especially among those who dig the art punk and/or the sludge. Too many damn great records and a handful of undisputed classic make the very, very few substandard releases inconsequential (and to be truthful even their mediocrity is a cut above most band’s best). So good or bad, this newest 7” is eagerly anticipated. So now that you know where I am coming from, the verdict: Stinking Memory is fucking great, maybe their best record since the stuff they released on Blackjack in the early 90s. It has the grinding slow groove, the layers of loudness, and an undercurrent of smart, plus there is that fucked up saxophone. Perfect record. --SS

(The Z Gun)