Album Notes

Slacks returns with another whopping collection of guitar rock and alt-country tunes to soothe your frazzled nerves and lift your darkened hearts.

SLACKS was created by lifelong friends Mick Mullin and Randy Garvine. The two friends, along with drummer Dan Ballinger, began recording their own brand of alt-country spazz jams in the mid 90`s as a side project to their noise-core/metal band, Superhighway Carfire. Some of these songs can be heard on the extremely limited self-titled 1997 Infernal Racket Records cassette-only release.

With Superhighway Carfire on hiatus due to an untimely back injury Dan had suffered, Mick and Randy took a closer look at what they had compiled over the years as their alter ego SLACKS. Satisfied with the results the band collected these songs, along with a few newly recorded tracks, and in 2003 released the eclectic self titled full-length debut, SLACKS! (Translation Loss/Infernal Racket) to critical acclaim.

After Dan's recovery the band decided they no longer wanted SLACKS to be strictly a studio project and added longtime friend, Ed Ballinger, into the fold to fill in the bass spot. The band played shows for a year as an instrumental quartet and began writing songs for the follow-up to their debut release. After the record was written and recorded drummer, Dan Ballinger, left the band for family reasons. Mike Prout, of the band Quips has since filled the vacancy. Additionally another old friend and collaborator, Christian, was asked to handle the vocals duties.

In the fall of 2005 SLACKS released their second effort, Terrestrial on Translation Loss Records. Terrestrial finds the band evolving into stronger performers and more focused songwriters, giving the new record a more cohesive and balanced sound. SLACKS continues to write and perform further honing their craft and thrilling audiences wherever they go.


Music critics show Slacks the love.

Slacks - Terrestrial
Review from digitalmetal.com

Growing up, my father hated the music I liked and I hated what he liked. We attribute that now to our misconceptions about what the other listened to, as he only remembers me listening to 'hip hop shit' and I only remember him listening to country. Years passed and revealed our musical interests were in fact much more extensive, as he started listening to modern rock and I found an appreciation for country music. Good country should connect with the common person. My father and I are both common men. Slacks are a band that I feel I can sit down with my father and we will both like. It connects with normal people; the “salt of the earth.”

Terrestrial is the second record for the alt-country flavored guitar rock of Slacks (it’s without a “the”). It’s a short little EP recorded mostly before they decided to add full time singer Christian (who sings on one song here and one song from their previous album) and new drummer Mike Prout. With songwriting already began on their next album one might wonder does this EP deserve your attention? The answer is yes…such great songs should not be passed up.

The two songs with vocals are “On The Kennebec” and “The Man That Couldn’t Rage.” Christian’s enigmatic personality and voice come across much better live. While not bad “On The Kennebec” is nowhere near as captivating here.
Guest vocalist Bile Green’s nasal voice gives him a Bob Dylan-esque sound(though he will probably begrudge me saying that.) It’s not bad (and I’m not a Bob Dylan fan) as Bile, like Dylan, is an earnest songwriter and lyricist. “Another day of nothing/for the man that couldn’t rage/he was filled with self denial/he was empty as a page.” I’ve known that person that hides their anger and holds it down…it consumes them. “Lightning fury in his chest/only sounding like a sigh.”

The five instrumental jams are just what is expected of Slacks; Randy Garvine’s signature electric lead commanding your attention while acoustic rhythm guitarist Mick Mullin and bassist Ed Ballinger excellently fill in the lines. Be them instrumental or not, it’s a combination of connection and familiarity that makes Slacks music so good. There’s comfort in those lead guitar lines like they are classics you forgot about. And kick yourself for. Slacks make classic rock, now. Terrestrial is as beautiful and well played a guitar rock record as any Cream album…and once the test of time has been withstood that fact will be more universally known. I asked my father the other day and even he agrees. For once WE agree, and that alone should stand as testament to their ageless songwriting.

Thomas D. Williams
digitalmetal.com
http://www.digitalmetal.com/reviews.asp?cid=7198