ANTiSEEN--Badwill Ambassadors
TKO 2004
It has been far too long since ANTiSEEN's last studio album The Boys From Brutalsville was released. At long last, that drought has ended with their new offering Badwill Ambassadors. As with their last few releases, the guys continue a trend of streamlining the best parts of their 20 plus year journey into a focused assault. The result is a listen that's arguably the best they've dished out to date.
A quick glance at Badwill Ambassadors' tracklisting will immediately clue diehards in on the fact that this record is designed to flow much the same way ANTiSEEN's Here To Ruin Your Groove album did. Spoken bits from Thee Cosmic Commander Of Wrestling and the Dean of Sods help control traffic from track to track. Actually listening to this record reveals even more parallels to that earlier classic--from the implementation of instrumentation one might find unique within the confines of destructo rock to a clear and powerful production. Still, Badwill Ambassadors feels a bit more incendiary musically than Here To Ruin Your Groove, striking a perfect balance between the band's most refined moments and their penchant for sheer unrelenting brutality. There's something for everyone here--unless you're a politically correct kneejerker in which case you're out of luck, as always.
Obviously, the aforementioned use of traditionally un-punk sounds helps a few of these songs stand out. Featuring some complimentary acoustic guitar, "Q-pid" is without question the best shot ANTiSEEN have had in ages to break through to wider appeal. The slide and harmonica infused "10lbs. Of Shit In A 5lb. Bag" sees the band boogied out like a hate filled ZZ Top, while the organ accentuated "The Devil & The Longhaired Weirdo" has some Tom Waits overtones, sounding like a spiritual sung by a chaingang in hell. Then, there are examples of subtle interweaving of influences. The album opening "Alpha Male" boasts some high pitched background screams that are total NWOBHM. One of Badwill Ambassadors' best, "F.T.K." plays like ANTiSEEN's interpretation of classic KISS--perhaps the closest they've ever come to an arena rocker. Still, when ANTiSEEN starts sounding unbearably massive is when Badwill Ambassadors shines brightest. The best examples of this include the soulfully furious "Weight Of The World," the sinisterly midtempoed "No Apologies," as well as the ominous feedback drenched "Pledge Allegiance To The Bomb."
ANTiSEEN have released many remarkable albums in their time but Badwill Ambassadors may be the top-to-bottom most complete of all. Well produced without being castrated, memorable songs that remain punishing--this one has it all. To be this far down the line and cranking out such a solid work speaks volumes about ANTiSEEN's importance in the grand scheme of music history. As Jeff Clayton himself would bellow, if they don't like it or get it, "fuck the kids."
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