Awake

With an inhuman capacity for the old Mary Jane and an approach to playing live which one might modestly describe as ‘full on’, California’s Trash Talk are a band whose reputation precedes them. Still, it was last year’s superb ‘Eyes & Nines’ that really started to turn heads, evidencing a taut precision and dynamic thrust which ‘Awake’ expands upon to thrilling effect. Honed to perfection by a touring schedule that would make Black Flag weep, the entire band’s performances here are exemplary, and from the furious slash and burn of ‘Slander’ to the merciless, lurching grind of ‘Gimme Shelter’, this is eight and half minutes of pure hardcore heaven.