*** Mainliner

MAINLINER SONIC

(Charnel Music)

The first fuzz-drenched psychedelic bands to come rolling off the assembly lines were made in the USA. That was way back in the '60s, and these days some of the most imaginative, freaked-out, dope-smoking rockers reside in Europe, Australia, even Japan. Mainliner are one of Japan's more intense exports. What separates them from their American contemporaries -- Fu Manchu and the now defunct Kyuss -- is the freedom that comes with geographical distance from the cultural history and conventions of classic American rock. On "Tsukisasaru" and "Last Day," Kawabata Makoto indulges in some over-the-top wah-wah pedaling with his motor-psycho guitar, as singer/bassist Nanjo Asahito unleashes a caterwaul of reverberated howls and squeals. Drummer Yoshida Tatsuya bolsters the debauchery with what sounds like one long Mitch Mitchell-style fill played with the physical determination of Bill Ward.

-- Justin Farrar