Fucking Am

Echoes of "Didn’t we try this before?” float all around the release of the Fucking Am’s Gold. Trans Am and the Fucking Champs follow in the footsteps of TransChamps’ 2001 Thrill Jockey released EP, Double Exposure; this mini-album on Drag City was deemed necessary when Tim Green of the Fucking Champs wrote a song "too fruity” for his band to record alone. The result is something fans of both sides can expect: eight tracks of fist-pumpin’, sci-fi lovin’ prog-metal. Gold presents a world where Gene Roddenberry and Phil Lynott live harmoniously in a universe that is as keen on the "Frankenstein” riff as it is the creepy Dr. Who theme. Roping in Jon Theodore (the Mars Volta, Royal Trux) to take over the skins so Tim Soete could provide even more guitars, the Fucking Am is almost maxed out on axmen. It’s safe to say that the Fucking rules more of the roost over Am, as most songs feature their signature riffage that only they can provide. Only "Acoustico Gomez” is without any muscle, leaning more towards a wimpy, psychedelic opus that survives solely on noodly keyboards. When the second and third "Gomez” chapters ("Elastico” and "Electrico”) follow, the baffling absence is explained and the monster guitar solos return with vigour. Gold is a true tour de force by both teams.