Crystal Fairy
Self-Titled
(Ipecac Recordings)
Crystal Fairy is the end result of a boiling point’s eruption in regards to a manifestation of three decades worth of former stigmatized music, coming together to deliver one of the best albums in 2017. In the world of punk, metal, alternative and all their subgenres, this quartet’s individual following is practically cult like and the contributions towards their world have been nothing short of innovative with each release they’ve cranked out. How else could a unit consisting of the provocative Terri Gender Bender, the sonically eccentric Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and the heavy duo of Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover be described? Please, take a shot at it! They’ve already been met with head on enthusiasm and fanfare thanks to their already sold out debut single released on AmRep Records and their tour announcement in California along with a booked appearance at 2017’s Psycho Las Vegas (sadly now cancelled). You get a better sense of appreciation for this project by dissecting the term “super group” and viewing each member’s careers and the intricacies surrounding that built them. Labeling Crystal Fairy with that term is mundane; they’re more than that. Crystal Fairy is a master’s class of bottom end sonic abuse delivered in various tempos, non-negotiable.
Now that’s been said, let’s talk about the record. It doesn’t waste a second pummeling you as soon as Crover’s count off starts with the first handful of tracks eliciting a sound that is reminiscent to Atlantic Records era Melvins. “Chiseler”’ has a melodic sludge-punk feel to it while “Drugs On The Bus” and “Under Trouble” demonstrate how Omar’s dexterous bass line and Buzz’s brooding riffs work side by side in a seemingly improvisational manner (maybe Brain Tentacles would like to work with this band sometime??). Terri doesn’t get as much credit for her vocal performance in relation to her provocative stage theatrics with Le Butcherettes I feel, this chick can sing. She demonstrates her ability to adapt her range and presence on a whim to changing tempos and arrangements throughout the eleven tracks. Highlights on her performance include her menacing delivery of testimonial – like lyrics against an ex (just a guess) on “Necklace Of Divorce” and cover version of the Tales Of Terror track “Posesión” that she and Buzz belt out together, breaking their octave barriers in the process.
This record rules, further description of this will only yield an excessive amount of unnecessary adjectives. It’s unpretentious rock for a very pretentious scene, especially in a town like Los Angeles for god’s sake. Listen to the damn thing because that’s the point of this piece, it’s a solid record and will be one of the best releases 2017 will offer up.
