Primal Scream's XTRMNTR is a wild burst of raging, full-on, glorious noise, as funky beats meet distorted rock guitars head-on, united by the inimitable, agitated vocals of front man Bobby Gillespie. This album is all the Primals' previous incarnations thrown into a blender and mixed with a splash of free jazz, with production credits from the Chemical Brothers and David Holmes. The follow up to 1997's VANISHING POINT, XTRMNTR is a far more aggressive album. It ranges from the cynicism of the opening track "Kill All Hippies" ("You got the money, I got the soul"), to the intense ranting of "Pills" and "Swastika Eyes" ("all jails are concentration camps, all judges are bought"). But despite the evident aggression, XTRMNTR isn't lacking in color. "Blood Money" features some wonderfully jazzy brass over the top of a driven bass line, while "Keep Your Dreams" is laid back, dreamy and reflective. XTRMNTR is a blazing, top-notch album, both terrifying and magnificent. Format: Vinyl Genre: Pop
