Federation X

If you like your blues rock dark and sludgy, the gun-toting backwoods American garage compound dwellers of Federation X is the band for you. Served up like a cold dish of road-kill possum, songs like "The Hatchetman" and "Moose Blood" all have a distant and unhinged quality about them. These guys have an off-kilter swagger similar to Jesus Lizard mixed with a bit of the "sick hick" shtick of Killdozer. These seven dual guitar and drum blasters are each fully realised epics, all clocking in between four-and-eight minutes. They also occasionally tread on Sabbath-y sonic territory, like on the steady chugging "Children of the Grave," yet Native American tinged on "Charlie Jackie Freedom Pride." There is never any soloing though, and this keeps the music more sinister sounding and prevents it from crossing the line into metal territory. If you're thinking of starting your own country way out in the woods somewhere, this is a "must have" album to play at the flag raising party!