Get The Gore

In case you were wondering, yes, there is still garage rock in Detroit, and while the world's music press has left town looking for the next big thing elsewhere, the Gore Gore Girls have proven that cool tunes, swaggering attitude, and worship of Gretsch guitars are still alive and very well indeed. Get the Gore is easily the Motor City combo's best album to date, an inspired marriage of big-beat fuzzy guitar thunder, gale-force vocals, and songs that split the difference between hard rock and the Brill Building with such elan that you'd think such things were easy. The Gore Gore Girls' lineup on Get the Gore is the strongest to be captured on record to date; Amy Gore and Hammer are an inspired guitar combo, bringing plenty of sweat and muscle to these tunes, while the rhythm section of Nicky Styxx on drums and Carol Anne Schumacher on bass deliver the rock with plenty of velocity and no wasted movement. With producer Jim Diamond behind the controls, the Gore Gore Girls have put these songs to tape with high energy, explosive force, and a palpable sense of fun. The group's songwriting continues to impress as well, especially the fiery "Casino," the lustful and menacing "Pleasure Unit," and the hard-charging "Voodoo Doll," while the cover of the Poppy Family's "Where Evil Grows" is thankfully kitsch-free and the Dixie Cups' "All Grown Up" gets a "turned up to 11" makeover that kicks like a mule. Best of all, Amy's vocals sound just as tough as her lyrics make her out to be, which is no small accomplishment. Put it all together and you get an album that not only matches the fire and cranked-up spirit of the Gore Gore Girls' live show, but even goes them one better; Get the Gore is killer rock & roll that belongs in every home where the positive use of estrogen is appreciated. Turn this baby up! ~ Mark Deming