Since 1987 Kevin Rutmanis has been involved in the production of a steady stream of records with bands such as Minneapolis Noise-Rock legends Cows, Sludge Grunge titans Melvins, supergroup Tomahawk, Hepa/Titus, and now Lord and Lady Kevin.
The latter has been in fruition since the lockdowns of 2020 and in a recent interview with Ghost Cult’s own Keefy, Rutmanis stated how beneficial he found the pandemic in terms of creativity and productivity. He wasn’t wrong, a cursory look at the aforementioned’s Lord and Lady Kevin Bandcamp page reveals a plethora of releases which includes Last Days at Hot Slit. A duo consisting primarily of Rutmanis and Gina Skwoz, the record also features the supremely talented Trevor Dunn (Fantomas, Melvins, Mr Bungle, Trio Convulsant, John Zorn) who had previously collaborated with Kevin on Crackpot Whorehead and Gene Krupa Worlds Great Drummer. Excited? You should be.
“Despair” employs both Drone and Jazz to forge something similar to a hallucinatory experience. The addition of lysergic Vocals ala Robert Plant on “No Quarter” gives the track a Psychedelic feel which helps gently ease the listener into the album. “Devil Woman” is a re-working of the Charles Mingus track of the same name and whereas the original had a sombre bluesiness attached to it, here there’s an eerier vibe what with the Ambient soundscapes and Post-Punk intonations making for an intriguing piece of work. “Hell Better” is far more chaotic with parts going into Painkiller territory which isn’t overtly surprising when you consider Dunn’s aforementioned involvement with John Zorn, or even underrated Japanese outfit Boredoms, a remarkable effort all-told. “HIQ82” is comparatively more structured and pays homage to the kind of discordant racket (in the best sense) which Kevin’s first band Cows may have produced pre-Cunning Stunts. Hence it may appeal to fans of both that band as well as any number of Am Rep contemporaries. Superb.
Business is soon resumed with “Humanity One” which is somewhat reminiscent of Petbrick’s Gabba/Noise and what sounds like a cheeky nod to Elvis Costello, meanwhile “Last Days at Hot Slit” is far moodier, almost Gothic in tone. The rumbling Basslines and detached Vocals recall early Sonic Youth, before their sound became more streamlined once they signed to Geffen Records in the late eighties and early nineties. The music until this point had been somewhat schizophrenic so it was nice to have a change in tempo. “Lazarus” initially employs some of the reverb Guitar effects of Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) though this soon evolves into the kind of wild Guitar histrionics of which Ornette Coleman sideman James Blood Ulmer would be proud. Blues appears to be a musical motif for Rutmanis et al, such as is exemplified by “Monday”, though one which feels is a great deal more authentic than the carbon copy blandness of Eric Clapton. “Shape”, is a Beefheartian gem of absurdist wordplay and experimental Avant-Rock while “Sweet Jesus” is an atmospheric piece in a similar vein to the late, great Bernard Herrmann and which sounds ideally suited for 1962’s Cape Fear. Lastly, “Indifference” the album’s longest track is laden with glorious Synths and the New Age musings of Krautrockers Popul Vuh were they to start jamming with the ghost of Ian Curtis. A beautifully meditative conclusion to the album.
This album may prove a challenging to some, even the most hardened Noise-Rock veterans. However, perseverance is the key here and should you choose to exercise patience then it’ll be the best thing you ever do.
Buy the album here:
https://lordsandladykevin.bandcamp.com/album/last-days-at-hot-slit
8 / 10
REZA MILLS
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