First It Boils, Then It Spills

They’re more rock than Queens of the Stone Age and more roll than the White Stripes. So, think of Columbus, Ohio’s the Evil Queens as a collaborative manipulation of rock ’n’ roll’s past and near-present — but in a good way. Singer Jacob Sundermeyer draws comparisons to a throatier, less pretentious Dave Grohl. His rumbling voice is all swaggery cocksure on "Strong-Wristed Women," and can make you believe lines like: "I will show you truth in a shot glass/I’ll show you hands in the air/I’ll give you just what you wanted/I’ll give you just what you need."

Elsewhere, "And Hell" and "The Master Plan" quake to bass lines that’d make Les Claypool and Primus shiver, and "The Government Has Cloned You" and "American Cancer" sport guitar licks not been heard since the halcyon days of Helmet and the Melvins. From start to finish, First It Boils, Then It Spills lingers just out of the mainstream grasp — like, say, Jesus Lizard. In short, the Evil Queens are the kind of fist-jacking rock-roll that loner — maybe stoner — kids will love and likely no one else will give two shits about. Now that’s a good band.

Dustin Walsh writes about music for Metro Times. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com.