Extreme

I remember the first time Korey played them for me... we were in high school, and I thought he was crazy. I didn't get it.

But I've loved them ever since.

Korey's tastes have changed since then, and mine have, too, but this has been one group that I just keep going back to. Especially their first album, Pornografitti. It's a concept album about a boy who goes through varying ways of trying to find fulfillment... sex, status, power, materialism... before discovering the pitfall of sin and self-centeredness. He tries to find a way out of being who he is, to be who he knows he should be, and the story turns to redemption and love. It's quite the album.

And it hauls.

It's heavy, it's funky, the guitar-playing is beyond belief and it MUST be listened to at a pretty substantial volume. When I listen to it, I swagger like a very, very happy drunk man. This morning it took me 40 minutes to walk to work. I went once, trying (with some success) to control my desire to air-guitar - or at least make guitarist-face - at the good parts. And there are a lot of good parts. The problem is that, once I got there, there was another great song on, so I had to keep walking and air-drum my way through two more tunes. Finally, I danced my way back in time to get to my meeting.

But just barely.

Now, I got some new filters for my in-ear monitors (they collect the ear wax, which, it seems, I produce quite a bit of) and all of a sudden I can hear the sizzle of the cymbals and the crush of the bass drum again.

It's beautiful.

You really should listen to it.