Review by Chris Van Etten for Old (USA) - Lo Flux Tube (1991)

This is a hard record to review, because I feel like this is the sort of thing you compare other records to, not vice-versa. I like this a lot. This is the second LP from Bergenfield, New Jersey’s O.L.D. (a.k.a Old Lady Drivers). Their first was more straightforward grindcore (not a bad thing), and the general sound isn’t all that different, it’s just that they can DO a lot more. They replaced a real drummer with a drum machine, but it sounds like guitarist/programmer Jim Plotkin spent a lot of time with it, because the beats and rhythms are complicated enough to where I could totally believe it was a (very good) real drummer who was just mixed to sound artificial. The bass is handled by Jason Everman, who is famous for being Nirvana’s short-time second guitarist before they hit it big. He and Plotkin both rip on this record, almost every song has interesting bass and guitar parts. The easiest comparison I can make as far as the sound is concerned would be Godflesh if they were into cocaine instead of weed. Very abrasive but melodic and chiming guitar flanked by nasty, spidery bass action. Even though there’s a ton going on, the tracks are mostly very cohesive. There’s a lot of depth and no pretension. The vocals may not be incredibly dynamic, but they fill in the blanks perfectly. I feel like this could have been influential to spazzy post-hardcore bands like Melt Banana. The only thing that’s keeping me from giving this a perfect score is the noise/soundscape track “Disassemble,” which I think is pointless and boring, especially since the epic final track “Z.U.” covers the same ground and much more. Man, these guys wrote some cool riffs. Highly Recommended.