Mother Misery is a Swedish band who sound like early Soundgarden and not-so-early Monster Magnet. That’s not a dismissive statement, because it is quite difficult to sound like either of those bands. If you want to channel “Loud Love”, baby, that’s gonna take some serious sweat, blood, and beers. These miserable fellas are dedicated, talented, and hopelessly earnest in that particularly European way. The songs on this 5 track EP are all deep, rolling epics full of rock star howls, retro-riffs, and grungadelic grooves, and they get bigger and louder with every listen. With such an economical release, there’s very little room for waste, so they’ve piled on a quintet of surefire hits here, with the headbanging stoner-rolla of “Take a Good Look” and the motor-metal of the title track inching slightly ahead of the pack. Otherwise, the only complaint I have is that frontman John Hermansen sounds a little too much like Paul Stanley for my tastes. That’s not really his fault, though. That’s Sweden’s fault.  Of course, not everyone’s gonna buy into refried grunge in 2006. Personally, I’m 36 years old, so grunge is just fine with me. I mean, if my Mudhoney t-shirt from 1988 could still get me laid, I’d wear it.* But the kids, who knows? I’m not in charge of the fucking kids anyway. They’re entirely on their own. But you, I think you’re gonna dig this one.  It’s huge. __________________________________________________

-Sleazegrinder

*It has no effect on Stacey at all. She does kinda dig my Thin Lizzy shirt. A classic girl, my wife.