Archers of Loaf: Icky Mettle: Gatefold Black Vinyl LP
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Gatefold Black Vinyl LP
In 1993, while grunge dominated the airwaves and indie rock was still finding its identity, four Chapel Hill misfits delivered one of the decade's most ferocious and uncompromising debut albums. Icky Mettle arrived like a brick through a window, all jagged guitars, sneering vocals, and a middle finger to anyone expecting polish or radio-friendly hooks. This is the sound of a band that knew exactly who they were from day one.
Eric Bachmann's caustic yelp cuts through the mix like a rusty saw, delivering cryptic lyrics about web in fronts, wrong cities, and South Carolina with equal parts venom and dark humor. The rhythm section of Matt Gentling and Mark Price provides a locked-in foundation that's deceptively tight beneath all the chaos, while Eric Johnson's guitar work trades leads with Bachmann in a tangled mess of feedback and dissonance that somehow coheres into unforgettable riffs.
From the opening salvo of "Web in Front" to the sprawling closer "Rental Sting," Icky Mettle never lets up. "Wrong" became an underground anthem with its infectious sneer and off-kilter groove, while "Plumb Line" and "Might" showcase the band's ability to channel aggression into surprisingly catchy songwriting. "Scratching the Door" and "Toast" veer into more experimental territory, proving the Archers were more than just another noisy indie band—they were genuinely unpredictable.
What separated Archers of Loaf from their '90s indie rock peers was their refusal to sound precious or overthink things. Icky Mettle is raw without being sloppy, aggressive without being metal, catchy without pandering. It's the sound of four guys in a room pushing each other to be louder, weirder, and more uncompromising, and somehow crafting anthems in the process.
Thirty years later, Icky Mettle remains a high-water mark for '90s indie rock, proof that you didn't need major label budgets or radio play to make something that mattered. This is essential listening for anyone who believes rock music should challenge, provoke, and occasionally make you want to kick a hole in the wall.
- Originally released in 1993; refreshed here with liner notes by Robert Christgau (of Village Voice)
- LP is black vinyl in gatefold jacket with foil detail + full album download & 14 digital-only bonus tracks
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Format: 12" Vinyl
Number of Discs: 1
UPC: 673855041513
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