Review : LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR – “Evil Power”

Lair of the Minotaur have always been a band I’ve been fond of. In fact, they’re one of my favorites on the Southern Lord (my personal favorite label) roster. Well, they were. Steve Rathbone (guitar, vocals) and Chris Wozniak (drums), in conjunction with Josh Diebel (Alleysweeper Records), chose to take matters into their own hands and start their own label, now known as The Grind-House. Though distribution is still handled by Southern Lord, they’re pretty much an independent band now. This is likely what accounts for the slight change of sound on the new album.

Evil Power sees a shift in several aspects of the band. Most obvious would be the song lengths. Whereas the band has formerly dabbled with long songs reaching up to 9 minutes in length and generally staying around an average of 4 minutes, they are now consistently staying around the 2 1/2-minute mark. This change is further reflected in the newly expanded hardcore influence. Yes, there has always been a bit of it here and there, but it has mostly manifested itself in the form of thrash. This album, on the other hand, is much more in the vein of what GWAR and Suicidal Tendencies have done in the past. No, it’s not crossover, but the references are certainly there.

Also new are the distorted vocals. Rathbone’s signature barks have been amplified to 11, with a fuzzy, overdriven tone that really bring his style to life. My only qualm would be that they are a bit too loud at times and can drown out the other instruments. Aside from that, it sounds great. Strangely enough, it’s actually easier to understand the lyrics, as well. “Let’s Kill These Motherfuckers” features some of the most angry poetry I’ve ever heard come out of anyone’s mouth, which begs the question about whether or not it’s directed at any particular people.

When you boil down their sound and ethics, Lair of the Minotaur are really just a kickass band with a fun, tongue-in-cheek attitude. They aren’t meant to be taken entirely seriously, but at the same time they don’t joke around like Spinal Tap. Sure, it’s not the most technical, complex music, and it certainly doesn’t always keep you guessing, but this album is pretty tough not to enjoy, at the very least for a few spins.