Atomic Bitchwax

The most recognisable moonlighter in the Atomic Bitchwax is of course, Monster Magnet's alpha-guitarist Ed Mundell. He's flanked in the power-trio by the slightly less notorious Chris Kosnik (Godspeed, Black NASA) and Keith Ackerman (the Clone Obey). So, you know what you're getting into: big, evil riffs, fuzzed-out space jams and trippy grooves. On Spit Blood, they're third release, the Atomic Bitchwax face the ultimate bane of the side project, neglect. Three years after their first disc and they have been reduced to releasing an odds and sods collection, with a couple of tracks dating as far back as 1996. The results are uneven, with a decent, if unnecessary, cover of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" (if it ain't broke...), the passable "Black Trans-Am" and some fine, fine instrumental jams. Also included is a seven-track Meteor City sampler, featuring bands like the Ribeye Brothers and Orquesta Del Desierto, and multimedia treats like Node Zine's "Fly on The Wall," with video clips and interviews. Better than the majority of so-called "stoner rock" releases, Split Blood is an expertly jammed collection of good old, far-out, psychedelic blues boogie.