HARD-ONS – PEEL ME LIKE AN EGG

An unusual Hard-Ons album to be sure, Peel Me Like A Egg is a concise (13 tracks, 30 minutes) explosion of mega-rock riffage (Burning up on Re-entry), epic black metal (Ain’t got no Guardian Angel), moody and lush pop (Close to the Ground), new-wave pop (Clumsy Little Oaf I Am) and (perhaps the Hard-Ons’ most famous trait) volatile and catchy power-pop (Shadow Shelf). Peel Me Like A Egg is the Hard-Ons’ first album with current drummer Murray Ruse. Incredibly it also features original drummer/vocalist Keish de Silva on backing vocals. Together they contribute in turn propulsive, unhinged and exciting rhythm and lush melodic elements. Paradoxically, Peel Me Like A Egg is the Hard-Ons’ most adventurous yet accessible album to date ? precisely because of the serious lack of fluff. Every note, every roll, and every crackle is made accountable on this album, and every contribution is completely unwasted, no doubt due to the ridiculously experienced nature of Blackie’s monolithic song-writing and the band’s musicianship, as well as the explosive and dynamic production from award-winning producer Chris Townend (Silverchair, Portishead) with whom the boys have had a relationship that spans over two decades.