Dirty Ones [CD] (ONLINE ORDER ONLY)

San Francisco's Lost Goat has graduated from†Rush-like prog to pure metallic rock on the band's third album, The Dirty Ones, recorded by†the Fucking†Champs'†Tim Green. With bassist†Erica Stoltz's emotional and sometimes angry blues vocals, the band sounds reminiscent of mid-'90s acts like†L7†and†7 Year Bitch, but†Eric Peterson's intense and complex guitar playing casts the group as a younger, less heavy -- albeit more serious -- cousin to†the Fucking Champs. On "Seattle†Shakedown," Lost Goat turns†Melvins-style sludge rock into clean, surprisingly political metal. "Rat Masters of the Icky Path" could do without†the Smashing†Pumpkins' "rats in a cage" analogy, but the†Iron Maiden†guitar wizardry is pretty amazing. The most original track on the record is the instrumental desert rock†piece, "The Drifter," which is complemented curiously by instrumental covers of†Leadbelly's "Line 'Em" and†Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Cod'ine." Lost Goat still†sounds as if the band hasn't entirely figured out its own sound, but the group is definitely pointed in the right direction.

• Format Detail: CD
• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock