PORN (Wine, Women And Song) CD
Whenever I put a new PORN album in the player I expect the unexpected. At first I was surprised when I had taken a look in the booklet and noticed that PORN mainman Tim Moss had once again gathered a so-called "all-star" line up around him. Here we have Melvins drummer Dale Crover and Billy Anderson on bass, who#s also responsible for dozens of heavy brutal productions for bands like Bottom, Melvins, Sleep etc. Of course, "Wine, Women And Song" had been also co-produced, recorded and mixed by him and, at least, Frank Kozik had done the complete layout. I'm glad that the cover artwork is a very unusual Kozik work. It looks more like a vintage Rembrandt painting and fits perfectely to the here included sound. Ok, a lot of well-known names here to find, but what at least counts is the music. In opposite to the last PORN album "Experiments In Feedback" here are no cover-versions neither any loops. But in Moss' musical pandemonium is still a big Melvins edge to find, not only because Dale Crover is here on board. It's also this same kind of twisted cynical weirdness in combination with a strange humour and the urge to leave typical song structures behind. But apart of all this extravaganza "Wine, Womem And Song" is the doomiest PORN album so far. While the debut "American Style" was more embedded in a 70's heavy rock context and "Experiments in Feedback" was (as the title says) an experimental rock album, here are a lot of gloomy doom-tinged riffs included. But it wouldn't be Tim Moss if he just came up with a lame re-hash of Sabbathian styled riffage. And the album contains some of the strangest guitar solos(?) I've heard since a long time. It sounds more as if one would squeeze a cat than anything else. As I've said it before, the here included songs are full of inspiring and hypnotic, sometimes spaced-out, surprises and especially the two longest cuts (about 11 min.+) at the end of the album are my personal faves here. But the entire album is convincing, filled with striking heaviness and the use of additional instruments like piano, organ, pedal steel or tympani f.e. are making the PORN listening experience just more exciting. And, at least, "Wine, Women And Song" kicks ass!
(KK)