Last Scream of the Missing Neighbors in Bloomington, MN

The first of
Jello
's post-
Dead Kennedys
collaborations was a barnburner; hooking up with Canada's legendary
DOA
ensured all the punk power that fans could want would be there in a big way. Even though
Joey Keithley
and company aren't quite as agile as
's ex-bandmates -- everything here is more brutally
Motorhead
in feel than the nervous aggro and sometimes restraint of
the Kennedys
-- this album can't be faulted for sheer crunch.
himself is in fine voice throughout, tackling his favored targets with the frenetic bile that he's made his own. Some of the songs have become outdated --
"Wish I Was in El Salvador"
is very much of the '80s -- but
"Attack of the Peacekeepers,"
memorably tarring NATO's forces as "the joke brigade," has had just as much of a point after Kosovo.
"Power Is Boring"
captures
at his most hilarious, pointing out how being a dictator must really stink (the job security issue alone, for one). Not much on the first side varies from song to song musically -- pounding, chunky feedback that smashes head-on, along with good gang-shout choruses from the band more than once -- but if that's the needed fix, this album provides in spades. The wild card here is a spooky, mid-paced romp through
the Animals
'
"We Gotta Get Outta This Place,"
with
's tremulous vocals suiting the lyrics perfectly and
Keithley
's backup on chorus fitting in, in its own rough way. The concluding, side-long
"Full Metal Jacket"
takes absolutely no prisoners, elevating
Last Scream
from good to great. With
in particular turning in some great guitar work over a steady, snaky rhythm,
offers up one of the most bilious, pointed slams against Washington D.C.; this album is as "city/feds-as-corrupt-institution" as you could imagine.
Kennedys
artist
Winston Smith
offers up some great cover art to top it all off. ~ Ned Raggett