Obnox "Murder Radio" LP
Side A: Movimiento, Woe Is Me, I Hate Everything, The Movement, Enter The Hater, Bangaar
Side B: Sun Doobie, Deep, Mogul Choke Hold, Cheers
After a mind-boggling seven LPs and nine EPs in six years, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you could safely ignore OBNOX’s newest full-length opus Murder Radio. You’d be wrong. Dead wrong.
Coming hot on the heels of 2017’s other ‘Nox platter (Niggative Approach courtesy of 12XU), Murder Radio is another deep dive into the humid underground lair that Obnox (aka Lamont ‘Bim’ Thomas) calls home. Along with the usual stacked roster of utility players, Thomas is joined on Murder Radio by steady new drummer Steve Mehlman (of Pere Ubu) and the
divebombing, corkscrewing guitar of Chuck Cieslik. Murder Radio finds Obnox pressing their foot down on the metaphorical gas pedal for another
trip around the turntable.
While kaleidoscopic cuts like “Movimiento” and “The Movement” are an attempt to combine curb-level justice with radical politics, “Woe Is Me” finds Thomas gifting doubters and naysayers a kiss-off to hum to themselves as he leaves them in the dust. Now that’s some devious shit. “I Hate Everything” is yet another stellar example of Thomas’ by-now patented soaring psych-rock gems while “Enter The Hater” focuses the fuzz into a punk attack. Side-closer “Bangaar” comes riding in on a classic hip-hop clip and sounds like a perfect combo of Eric B & Rakim, The Beastie Boys and Stereolab. You read that last name right.
It wouldn’t be an Obnox record without an ode to the Great Green God in the Ground and Murder Radio doesn’t disappoint -- Side Two opener “Sun Doobie” will stone you until you become a believer. “Deep” is exactly that, so strap on your miner’s helmet and your finest spelunking gear -- we’re drilling straight thru to the heart of the sun. We recommend saving
your shatter purchase for this section of the album. “Boy, you’re in deep…” Thomas drawls thru the smoke. Is that the bong or is the gas leaking? Whatever -- you can get high off the kind of ‘noxious fumes belched forth from sizzling stacks of Murder Radio wax. “Mogul Chokehold” comes correct with another strangely addicting brew of pummeling rhythms and endlessly phased and stacked guitar licks. If this is the new psychedelia, then maybe the streets finally have a chance. Final cut “Cheers” isn’t an ode to that place where everyone knows your name,
but it is a syrup-thick groove bomb full of weapons-grade guitar-squall perfect for smashing glasses together. Fans of Puffy Areolas (a group Thomas thumped tubs for) will rejoice. The rest of you will be happy as a pig in shit. Obnox is inclusive like that.
