Degreaser - Sweaty Hands LP

This is another from the pile of records that I’d meant to give some attention to before the end of last year when I was stricken with a nasty flu. So yeah, still a little behind around here. Sweaty Hands is the second record from scuzz slingers Degreaser. I had the chance to hear their debut Bottom Feeder when it came out and it was an intriguing piece of ultimate sleaze and toiling misery. It would be fair to say that Sweaty Hands continues this theme through and through. Not letting an ounce of sunshine beam in, Degreaser are prepared to take the listener for a ride again through their screeching disgusting swirl of ultra down tuned bass and howling feedback. From the first track, which despite there not being a track list anywhere on this record it does have a name apparently, “Lizard” it is complete death march to the end as the band trudges forth through muddy sludgy bass rumbles while the singer Tim Scott lets loose with slurred shouts that often sound as if it will be the last one you hear before total inebriation sets in and unconsciousness takes over.

It may surprise some to find that Degreaser are apparently from NYC, despite this one being handled by the remarkable Negative Guest List label. They do share a common grimy aesthetic to many bands that call the city their home, however Degreaser resemble much of the rich Aussie noise-rock/post-punk that has come out over the years. There is a distinct bluesy vibe through most of Sweaty Hands that makes this connection easier and one that gets the Birthday Party comps a flyin’. It makes sense though, just Degreaser emphasizes the ugly abrasive stomp a bit more than most, in that primitive careless nature of Drunks With Guns or the like. If anything, the crudely doodled cover art is quite indicative of the sounds to be found within and I do enjoy crude.

Degreaser – Eyes Without a Face (stream)

I think, or at least it would appear so, that Sweaty Hands is still available through Negative Guest List. However, if your residence doesn’t happen to be in Australia, then I think this is still floating around in some distros. It looks as if Goner might still be selling it. Definitely worth grabbing if you can.