The Striggles – Aloha LP (Noise Appeal Records)

“Aloha” is the second full-length album by The Striggles, an exceptional Austrian quartet, released by Noise Appeal Records in 2009. You already had a chance to read my article about “Expressionism,” their outstanding debut full-length album that paved the way for the band they became over the years. Soundwise, “Aloha” strikes even harder than “Expressionism,” but their improved sound also delivers more innovations in arranging, composing, songwriting, and recording. This album carries eight magnificent compositions that shine with many qualities of alternative, art rock, noise rock, grunge, indie rock, and many other different but complementary music genres. Therefore, “Aloha” exemplifies how heavy, powerful, aggressive, raw alternative rock music should sound.

The Striggles are not joking around with their music, and you’ll notice that as soon as you put this fine piece of plastic on your turntable. The guitars are heavily distorted, fuzzy, abrasive, and raw all the way from the beginning to the end, and they are solely responsible for the uncompromising sonic output of the band. The way both guitars articulate throughout the album goes beyond comprehension many times. You’ll notice how noisy leads, themes, melodies, and harmonies resonate on one side while the extremely heavy chord progressions, riffs, and other sonic delicacies burst on the other side. The band thoroughly thought about the low-end side of the spectrum, and you’ll notice even the tiniest details and nuances delivered by the skillful bass guitar player that makes this noisy voyage even heavier along the way. Of course, this material wouldn’t sound this good without dynamic, energetic, well-accentuated rhythmic structures that keep all the instrumentations in line but also dictate groove and pace that often goes from half-time to moderate tempo. It would be such a shame not to mention a skillful lead vocalist who emphasizes all these instrumentations with such a distinctive articulations. He guides listeners throughout every composition with cleverly measured cleans and shouts.

“The Striggles” were inspired by the late eighties and early nineties noise rock, grunge, alternative, and art rock, but they uplifted these music genres. You’ll instantly recognize all the freshness, uniqueness, eclectism, and versatility in their sound, thanks to the brilliant ideas and musicianship invested in these numbers. As usual, Noise Appeal made sure that “Aloha” looks divine. The yellow gatefold decorated with a bunny silhouette and photo of the fly carries a hefty black vinyl, while the inlay reveals all the info you need to know about the release, band, and record label. Everything sounds and looks top-notch as usual, so you should grab this gem as soon as possible. Head to Noise Appeal Records and purchase The Striggles vinyl bundle. Don’t miss it!