CD review, May 09. The Cumshots - Just Quit Trying (Rodestar Records)

With possibly the worst band name ever, The Cumshots specialize in a kind of death’n’roll that so many European bands seem to enjoy thashing out. I can’t quite tell if the distortion-on-everything production enhances or detracts from the songs themselves. Like Life of Agony meets Helmet meets Entombed… I can’t quite explain it. For my money I could do without some of the more reaching attempts at melodic choruses and more focus to the rhythmic attack, though I can see these guys are trying to mix a heavy vibe and with melody, so more power to them. The guitars just sound too processed to fit the melodies and the songs sometimes feel rambling. Personally I prefer my death’n’roll with a little more speed and edge, think Sweden’s Tyrant. I have no doubt the band rock live, where these songs can breath more, plenty of stomp here but I find this too sonically overloaded to fall in love with.