Six Pack Annie: Self titled ep

Sometimes the images on an album cover speak more than the album's title, whether it is the zeppelin erupting into flames on the cover of Led Zeppelin I, the various groovy covers of aliens performing sex acts on the covers of Parliament's many long-titled albums, or even the five equally shocking covers of the Roots' Things Fall Apart. With this in mind, check out the cover of Yale metal/hardcore group Six Pack Annie's self-titled demo. See the strained faces of the two boxers throwing left hooks at each other? The way that one guy on the right seems half-dead in pain, looking like Glass Joe from the old Nintendo game Punch-Out? That may be you after listening to this five-song bolo punch of a CD. And that's a good thing.

Six Pack Annie's violent, stunning, and generally awesome self-produced debut, recorded last semester at New Haven's Songlab, is the culmination of more than three years together, and the results show in the demo's polish, a 19-minute uppercut of hard rock. Though elements of their strong guitar-edged sound may sound like Rage Against the Machine, particularly on tracks like "With Eyes" and "Jimmy Blood," the comparison is more a testament to skilled guitarists Tate Gardner, SY '00, and Ryan Hickox, SY '00, than a sign of imitation. Rather, Six Pack Annie has moved past rap-rock, with the jarring voice of singer Peter Farris, SY '01, wailing both rhythmically and powerfully. Even the group's turntablist DJ Breeze is a subtle contributor to the group, adding texture rather than glitter to the tracks through sampling and scratches. And with lyrics like "God's not worthy of my love, so why should you be?" off album highlight "7/4," it's safe to say that even a few Kid Rock fans will be scared off.

Six Pack Annie might not mark the emergence of a brand new sound, but after being knocked to the floor by the execution of this CD, few metal, rock, and hardcore lovers will be asking for their $5 back. Be sure to check out Annie's last show, on the Saybrook courtyard on Sat., Apr. 22—with drummer Brendan Gibson, TC '97, already graduated, and Gardner, Hickox, and bassist Victor Kao, TC '00, graduating this year, it may be Six Pack Annie's last chance to musically shatter some Yale jaws. (contact peter.farris@yale.edu for information)

—Josh Drimmer

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