Str8outtanorthcote

Blood Duster are a strange hybrid of grindcore and stoner rock from down under. "Str8 Outta Northcote" was their first full-length release after a demo and some EPs, and shows the band at almost the perfect balance between their much more grindcore-influenced younger days and their rockier side. Many songs have a definite groove like the best stoner rock, while others are short, sharp bursts of grindcore madness like the 17-second "ihategirlsandcrustypunx." Blood Duster's absolutely bizarre sense of humor is on display here, from the gross-out photos in the booklet to lyrical content than can easily be inferred from the song titles such as "Hippie Kill Team," "The Meat Song (Stiffy in McDonald's)" and "Metal as Fuck." Clearly BD ply their trade in a large variety of high-brow lyrical topics.

Jason Fuller has an amusingly deep growl which is generally indecipherable, but since the focus of the music here is on the riffs, it isn't that big of a deal. Some of these riffs remind me of Clutch at their grooviest (my knowledge of stoner rock is pitifully small, so forgive me), though played with a guitar tuned to typical death metal tunings. Drums are good if rather unspectacular, though my standards for grindcore drumming are so high he's actually probably pretty good. What makes this album stand out from the grindcore pack, aside from the stoner aspect, is how damn catchy all the songs are. You'll find yourself humming along and tapping your foot all the time. Plus, many of the samples are hilarious in an absolutely tasteless manner (of course, if you're listening to Blood Duster, you probably don't care anyway), and taken from a wide variety of movies.

As is usual for these kind of albums, this is short ("Pure Digital Silence" being just what it says), and while funny for a time, this album doesn't really have much staying power. It's fun, amusing, and rocking, but after some time the gimmick just gets old. Nevertheless, for those who have never heard Blood Duster, this is a great initiation, and for those of you who love secrets, check out the hidden 9-minute or so intro for the next album, "Cunt" for a hilarious remix of a certain song from this album.