Rack (album)

''Rack'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band the Jesus Lizard, which was released on September 13, 2024, on Ipecac Recordings. It is the first studio release by the band in 26 years since ''Blue'' (1998). The record was praised by music critics upon release.

Background

Following the release of the band's sixth studio album ''Blue'', the band broke up in June 1998. They would briefly reunite in 2009 for a tour, but would soon dissolve again. It wouldn't be till September 2017 that the band would re-unite permanently. While the rest of the band wanted to, lead vocalist David Yow was not committed to making another record, but upon hearing the demos the rest of the band sent to him, he was impressed and began to workshop vocals in 2019.

The album was announced on June 5, 2024, along with the release of the lead single and music video for "Hide & Seek" and tour dates spanning from June 2024 to May 2025. Yow would describe "Hide & Seek" as a "a perky ditty about a witch who can't behave, and it's got nearly as many hooks as a Mike Tyson fight." The second single "Alexis Feels Sick" and third single "Moto(R)" would be released on July 7, 2024, and August 14, 2024, respectively alongside music videos.

Recording

In an interview the band did for '' The New York Times'', the band began working on the record in 2019 at Audio Eagle in Nashville, Tennessee with local producer and session guitarist Paul Allen. According to bassist David Wm. Sims, they chose to write a new record because "we thought it would be fun".

The only track on the record to have its origins in the nineties is "Lord Godiva", with everything else written within the past five years.

In a statement by guitarist Duane Denison on the musical direction of the record, "there are definitely some references to the past, but it's more as a point of departure: We don't stay there," Drummer Mac McNeilly also noted in a statement that "we are bonded by the music we make, and also by the respect we have for each other.", when talking about the making of the record.

Reception

According to music aggregation site Metacritic, the average rating is an 84/100 from 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Brian Stout of '' PopMatters'' believed that despite the long hiatus, the members "haven’t lost a step", specifically highlighting Yow's vocals and lyrics, describing them as "man possessed, howling his trademark demented but poetic tales", Sim's "rumbling" bass, and Denison's "inventive riffs". They also praised Allen's production work, stating that it "fits snugly between the raw, brute force of their work with Steve Albini and the punched-up sound of the group’s major label debut ''Shot''". Overall, they stated that "''Rack'' is another thrilling chapter of one of the most significant noise bands ever to do it. For the uninitiated, it will be instantly apparent why so many groups claim them as an influence."

''Classic Rock'''s Emma Johnston also praised the record, giving it a rating of 4.5/5. They described it as a "fine balancing act of controlled noise and vocal bedlam", specific highlights were "Lord Godiva" and "Is That Your Hand?". In conclusion, Johnston states that 26 years later, "still no one can hold a candle to the Jesus Lizard". ''The Quietus'' also praised it, giving it album of the week. Concluding the review for AllMusic, Mark Deming called the album, "living, breathing, sweaty proof the Jesus Lizard can write songs and give them shape in the studio just as well as they ever did, and it honestly stands beside the best of their Touch & Go catalog in both spirit and execution. And they still hit like a crescent wrench to the face. Which is a compliment."

Track listing

Personnel

The Jesus Lizard
* Duane Denison – guitar, production
* Mac McNeilly – drums, production
* David Wm. Sims – bass guitar, production
* David Yow – vocals, production

Technical
* Paul Allen – production, engineering, assistant mixing engineer
* Mark Lonsway – mixing engineer, assistant engineer
* Howie Weinberg – mastering
* Morgan Stratton – assistant engineer
* Alex Altman – studio assistant

Visuals
* Malcolm Bucknall – front cover painting (''The Witch and Her Apprentice''), back cover painting (''The Girl Next Door'')

Charts

References

{{Authority control

2024 albums
Ipecac Recordings albums
The Jesus Lizard albums