Hospitals

Massacring rock’n’roll as we know it with their violent 2003 self-titled debut album, these San Franciscans have invited a second guitarist to help with another onslaught of extreme trash rock. With the addition of Rob Enbom, the Hospitals have not only gotten noisier, but they’ve also expanded their sound beyond the simple rock structures they previously followed. Now, instead of Ned Meiners’ straightforward hissing guitars complementing Adam Stonehouse’s reckless drums and scary screaming, the trio have turned to deconstructing music with high-pitched frequencies, infiltrating reverb and little to no structure whatsoever. You get the sense that their move from garage rock haven In the Red Records to the much noisier and anarchic Load Records had a strong influence as Jocks and Jazz fits nicely alongside noiseniks like Sightings and Lightning Bolt. Those who loved the Hospitals’ debut for its rockin’ rawness could find this to be a bit disappointing, but proficient noise rock fans should get a lot out of this conversion.