During the first minute of Fucking Wrath's (OK, if that's really what you want to call yourselves) “Ride The Lighter”, I thought the album might be a super-heavy, psychedelic blaze-a-thon. Despite any hardcore pretensions, once the “guttural onslaught” of singer Craig Kasamis comes roaring in, it’s clear these Montalvo, California dudes are metal to the core. They lay claim to Tragedy, Sabbath and Kill ‘Em All-era Metallica as primary influences. “This Bear Blows Fire” sounds more like God & Texas than Dimmu Borgir, but I also hear a lot of utilitarian metal cliches, made plain by a song like “The Womb.” “The Defeater” is a complete waste of everyone’s time. The buzzy, grinding guitar opening of “Past Your Grave” is great, and if they could do more of that Mudhoney-by-way-of-the-Kittens sound, they might have something.
