Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

Perhaps influenced by Man or Astro-MAN?, The Irradiates music is stark futurist with surf and punkish power. Drums and bass are very strong in the mix, a trait that often kills instrumentals, but with the musical structures and guitar textures, it seems to work really well. They are not strongly surf or at all traditional, but with permission for a little adventure, you'll find some interesting stuff here.

Picks: 350¡ Fahrenheit, Biometric Data, Black Tiki Procession, Ida's Tentacles, Sun Projector, Point To Point, DK-Ultra

Surf (Instrumental)

Whirring sci-fi weirdness precedes this surf and sci-fi merger. The two guitars play off each other well while the bass throbs and the drums rock. Double picking, glissandos, and dark textures.

Surf (Instrumental)

Big drum action, dangerous guitar riffs, and ominous textures all around. "Biometric Data" is much more about intensity than melody. Its aural pressure, particularly its drums, drive hard.

Surf (Instrumental)

Intense angular guitar a la Armageddon's "Buzzard" opens, but very quickly yields to an interesting progression and aggressive delivery. "Black Tiki Procession" engages and instills fear. Perhaps a bit like The Amino Acids at times, this song has lots of drama and power.

Surf (Instrumental)

Punchy drums and bass syncopated with lead guitar to create strong pattern. Verse to verse textural variations make the simplicity work really well. Angular at times, delicate at others, and always just a tad unnerving.

Surf (Instrumental)

Slow precision drums punch through the night as the guitar warbles in demented bent notes. "Dark Clouds" is more a sonic painting than anything else. Very uneasy, yet peaceful in its own way.

Surf (Instrumental)

Thumping drone bass and robot drums with the texture and nearly the chords from the middle of Golden Earring's epic version of "Eight Miles High" launch this instrumental. It's an interesting combination that creates tension. A glissando transitions "Sun Projector" into its melody space, which is quite dangerous. I like this a lot!

Surf (Instrumental)

Heavy double picked thrashes in a thoroughly modern format. It's Agent Orange-like in intensity and gruff texture, but as if Billy Strange replaced Mike Palm. It's an interesting guitar attack, and it rides above a very strong rhythm section. Great changes, and a very strong performance. The intensity of The Detonators' "Liquid Chaos," and then some.

Surf (Instrumental)

This is a slow song with drama and and an intentional party metronomic sound, offset by some guitar lines. The contrast between precision and fluidity is interesting. The tremolo and muted notes midway through the track are scary and engaging - could have been a song on their own!