Hot Snakes

One of the mightiest live punk bands ever offers up a posthumous collection of songs recorded live at an Australian radio station. Hot Snakes surprised fans when they announced that their 2005 tour would be their last. Similarly, Thunder Down Under has come out of nowhere, and spans their three-album catalogue (plus the improvised oddity "Rock n’ Roll Will Never Die”). Given that the band’s records each possess a live-off-the-floor feel, it’s no surprise that these renditions of songs like "Retrofit,” "LAX,” "U.S. Mint” and "Let it Come” all charge out of the gates at a furious gallop. There’s a certain charm in hearing the "more rock, less talk” dynamic of the band succumb to brief discussions about song selections and inside jokes and Thunder Down Under is a must-have for every Hot Snakes fan.