Superhighway Carfire

Among all of Philadelphia's troupes hawking their obnoxiously loud wares, Superhighway Carfire are among the most inventive, weaving together disparate elements of punk/hardcore, sludge, experimental and grind. "Drink Me Away" and "Grey City" sound like Himsa slowed down to 33 rpm with plenty of crumbling walls of guitar torture. Starting with those jazzy noodlings found in early Soilent Green epics, "Grace" quickly pounds out Eyehategod-sized grooves alongside vocalist Scrappy's apocalyptic screams. The sample collage of "Tuning In" (with choice lines from Pinhead, of the Hellraiser movies) segues into "Second Skin," a syrupy bash-fest of discordance and chaos. "A Tear For Every Moment Lost" unites Neurosis and Tool in a rhythmically throbbing brood, while "Game Pieces" could be a more extreme, Bleach-era Nirvana outtake in a different dimension. "Alcoholica" is another intro with odes to drinking from Gilbert Gottfried, Bob and Doug McKenzie, and Homer Simpson - the perfect prelude to the band's twisted cover of the traditional "Roll Out The Barrel." With noisecore leanings from the Witching Hour Records stall mixed with swampy chords from New Orleans, Superhighway Carfire are sure to set your ears ablaze.