The Mings: Don’t Make Sense (Trash Wax Records)
Ltd LP | DL
Available now
The Mings, the 3-piece black suited international garage trash rockers with a penchant for riding a few waves are back with their third album, Don’t Make Sense, in line with their appearance the band members hide behind mysterious pseudonyms; Wild Ming (aka Marky Wildstone from 69 Charger) punches out the primitive beats, Dead Ming (aka Dead Elvis: You would be wise to check him out) wrangles the guitar, bass and shredded vocals with King Ming hammering away on the organ, a splash of guitar and vocal yelps, the resulting distorted mayhem is a joy to behold.
A squall of guitar feedback accompanies the pummelling drums on opener Cryin Shame, which leans on the Tommy Boyce & Bart Hart composition (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone popularised by both The Monkees and the Sex Pistols – certainly within the gnarly vocal refrain, its got a real churning power rhythm and some neat piercing guitar that undoubtedly took things well into the red during the recording. Timebomb hits the ground at pace, a full-on roustabout workout built around a classic blues R’n’B groove, once again the guitar dominates, similarly with the Just Like Your Love which has some frenetic drumming nestling up to some great harmonies. The instrumental Slip & Fall with its fuzz drenched guitar closes side one after an extended fade out.
The aptly aggressive Lies kicks off the flip side, lifting the Howard Beale – Mad Prophet of the Airwaves speech from the 76’ film Network… “You dress like the tube, You eat like the tube, You raise your children like the tube, You even think like the tube” ahead of a clattering attack on the senses, the pace of the rhythm only matched by a siren ripping stabbed guitar lick. I Don’t Matter To You harks right back to the Sonics, the vocals to the fore, as a punished organ surrenders itself to some Beatles inspired vocal harmonies. Vegaza Oscura sees the boys ditch the suits and head to the beach, that said it must resemble the beach in Apocalypse Now where Kilgore infamously barks “If I say it’s safe to surf this beach, Captain, then it’s safe to surf this beach!”
Album closer Nothing On You is an absolute trash classic, hard driven organ, and rumbling bass propel this one forward, throttles open and nitro burning.
Across just ten tracks The Mings have demonstrated their dynamic range – from howling, fuzzed-out trash rock nuggets to a blackened surf masterpiece, each track has raw energy, melody and desperate vocals yet they manage to ram all that into the obligatory three minute burst!
Track list:
1. Crying Shame
2. Timebomb
3. Just Like Your Love
4. Stop Playing With Me
5. Slip and Fall
6. Lies
7. I Don’t Matter To You
8. Venganza Oscura
9. Guy Like Me
10. Nothing On You
The Mings online:
The Mings: Don’t Make Sense – album review
The Mings: Don’t Make Sense – album review
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