hamilcar barca | nowheres in particular | 06/13/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With this 5th release, the Archers of Loaf have strayed even further from their original punky indie-rock sound -- and I love every minute of it. Although some songs on the disc don't work perfectly (like "Assassination on X-mas Eve" and "Distance Comes in Droves"), this album is pretty consistently great. And it flows like no previous Archers release has. "Worst Defense" flows perfectly into "Attack of the Killer Bees" which flows perfectly into "Rental Sting". The real standout track on this disc, though, is the piano ballad "Chumming the Ocean." It is the most beautiful song you'll ever heard that is about a shark attacking a diver in a cage. Yet again, this is a necessity for an Archers fan, and would be a delight for anyone who is looking for something new."
The best Archers album and one of the best albums ever
Charles S. Hague | Somerville, MA | 01/09/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is without a doubt the shining hour for the Archers of Loaf. They nail a certain mood perfectly on this cd -- Eric Bachman's ruined voice lends a melancholic quality to the music, which is more varied than previous outings. Most importantly, the bands also rocks quite hard; the lack of said rocking was the problem I had with their last record, White Trash Heroes. What is great about the album is the catchy vocal lines melded to AOL's trademark two-guitar attack. I don't know how some of these songs manage to be pretty and biting at the same time; it's hard to describe until you've heard it. In particular, scenic pastures and form & file push the envelope for guitar-based rock. AOL was a highly underrated band and I wish very much that they were still around."
This is a must have album for 90's indie rock
V. Hoffman | 10/29/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album was the first that I ever heard of the Archers of Loaf. As soon as I listened to it, they hooked me with the incredible melodies, versatility, and Eric Bachmann's crooning voice. I soon bought up all of their albums - Vee Vee, The Speed of Cattle, Icky Mettle, and White Trash heroes...all of which are excellent albums and have great songwriting. I've also seen AoL a few times live and Bachmann's new project, Crooked Fingers - great live shows. I've had all of these other albums in regular rotation over the last 7 years and just last week I happened upon the first album that turned me onto them, All the Nations Airports. It was like hearing AoL for the first time, it truly is an amazing album. Highly recommended."
A concept album, of sorts
Ludwig J. Pluralist | Beacon, NY USA | 11/22/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Spin Alt.Rock guide describes the Archers as "steeped in countrified classic rock and gleeful noise, with Crazy Horse and the Grateful Dead no less equal predecessors than the Clash and the Dead Boys." The Trouser Press guide describes them as creating "a provocative guitar rock with distinctive, if collegiate, melodic dissonance." Here, after such worthy earlier recordings like "Icky Mettle" and "Vee Vee," the Archers offer something slightly different: a concept album, of sorts. Like Rush's "2112" sci-fi concept album, All the Nation's Airports is cinematic, like a suspense film about terrorists as directed by Costa-Gavras, conveying a feeling of both exhilaration and foreboding, with tuneful songs that rock and that ring in your ears for hours afterward."