Search - Bastro :: Sing the Troubled Beast//Bastro Diablo Guapo

PRE-POST-ROCK GEM!

Monopleural | Boston, MA USA | 03/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is great that these records are available again. I was turned onto Bastro shortly after they disbanded(much to my chagrin). Back in the day they were pigeon-holed as a Big Black wannabe but I think that is solely because their 1st ep had a drum machine. With the addition of John McEntire, they became a real noise-art-rock juggernaut. Although David Grubbs and McEntire went on to start the whole "post-rock" hoo-ha with Tortoise/Gastr del Sol/etc., this is not ringing snares and sparce acoustic noodling. Bastro is pure maximalist rock that was not afraid to throw more at the listener than they could understand. There is ample noise and the drumming in thunderous but it is never done in a way that doesn't serve the song. At a time when noisy usually equalled dumb, Bastro took the tools of dischord, frantic drumming, feedback and made something that was unique, rewarding and just as original sounding today as it did when it was originally released. I can't recommend it enough."