Whores.

On their first release (the ferocious, feral Ruiner), Atlanta, GA-based Whores. turned their brutally critical eye outward, inciting hatred towards the evils of the tortured, fetid world around them. On Clean, that same merciless gaze has been turned inwards, creating a more personal, but no less brutal offering. "I Am Not A Goal-Oriented Person" is as whip-smart as it is pitiless, willing to tear itself apart in the process of eviscerating the listener. "Cougars, Not Kittens" is at once repulsive and pleading, trying to reject and flay in the same breath while it conveys a desperate, soul-deep need. Their wily, wretched noise rock and liquid asphalt guitar tone are in fine form, refined and clearly appreciated by producer Ryan Boesch (Melvins, Helmet, Tomahawk). The songs are appallingly catchy and "Blue Blood," in particular, drives its hooks in as deeps as barbed porcupine quills, refusing to be dislodged. Rarely has an act of musical self-immolation been so enjoyable.