At this point in their career, reviewing a Guitar Wolf album is not unlike reviewing the Ramones -- they've firmly established their sonic template, so you have a pretty good idea of what to expect going in. The question, then, is whether this will be an album like Brain Drain (a great band just... [+] Expand

At this point in their career, reviewing a Guitar Wolf album is not unlike reviewing the Ramones -- they've firmly established their sonic template, so you have a pretty good idea of what to expect going in. The question, then, is whether this will be an album like Brain Drain (a great band just walking through the paces) or more like Too Tough to Die (a great band proving it's still got the muscle). Thankfully, Rock 'n' Roll Etiquette offers 15 slices of proof that these guitar-battering lunatics from Japan aren't likely to run out of steam anytime soon. This album starts out exploding in a blast of cranked-into-the-red guitars, battered drums, and percolating bass, and pretty much doesn't stop from there on out, even for the relatively slower songs like "The Way I Walk" or "Teardrop Boy." In short, this is primal rock & roll so raw it practically drips blood, and the grainy fuzz of the lo-fi audio and the manic half-English/half-Japanese howling only add to the impact. If you want your ears kicked, Guitar Wolf is still the band to call on, and Rock 'n' Roll Etiquette is one high-quality portion of gut-level wail. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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