Royal Trux (3rd LP)

NME - (7) - "...[ROYAL TRUX] is less frantic and feverishly experimental....In just 30 minutes, Royal Trux packs in enough energy, ideas, and commitment to fill a box set..." Melody Maker - "...The Rolling Stones' bluest period in [Royal Trux]' druggy, distracted, fogged haze...[ROYAL TRUX] is an astonishing record..." Spin - Highly Recommended - "...Royal Trux transforms the putrefying haze of its earlier work into passionate rock & roll...cooks down early '70s Stones into its dark and sticky essence..." Q - 3 stars out of 5 - "Buried in a low mono growl, the thrill...of these sketchy basement recordings is in the sheer maverick spirit and menace..." Alternative Press - "...though clear sounding, [the] rhythm and melody are scattered....just don't let eight months go by without listening to it once or twice..." Uncut - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] introduced primitive structures, revealing the band as compelling chroniclers of the deadbeat experience."

With their untitled 1992 album, Royal Trux tentatively abandoned the noise aesthetic of their first two albums and began writing real songs. Surprisingly, they were strong songs, bristling with the group's love of rock sleaze and junkie culture, as well as riffs that are captivatingly tough and sloppy. And Jennifer Herrema has never sounded as scarily sexy as she does throughout the album, slurring and snarling her bleak, disease-ridden lyrics with a compelling insolence. Royal Trux are still hampered by some meandering noise, but the emergence of real songs make them a primitive indie rock band worth investigating. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine|