Regurgitator Suffer From Love and Paranoia

Yet another band from Brisbane, Australia Regurgitator once made some waves here in the States way back in the late 90's and then promptly disappeared. Meanwhile, back in their native Australia the horrendously named band carried on and actually became one of the biggest bands on the continent having three records in the top ten in under ten years. With several hit albums under their belt and a body of work that speaks volumes about their talent, the band has finally made it back to these shores with their latest (and released a bit late) album Love and Paranoia.

Like their name suggests, Regurgitator, throw things back up and this band of Ozzies does this exceptionally well. In fact, Love and Paranoia sounds so much like 90's college rock I had to check to make sure I still had my diploma from U of M. "Hurricane," for example sounds something like a long lost Urge Overkill b-side run through a smidgen of post grunge angst and then shined to perfection with some pop sheen. While the idea of taking old ideas and making them new again is older than time itself (just ask Oasis), when it's done well it makes for good listening and much of Love and Paranoia is like that.

From synth pop tunes to proggy rock lost in a flannel haze and just full on old-school alternative rock, Regurgitator are like archivists digging through filing cabinets to find ideas that were used, weren't used, or weren't even thought of in an effort to create the backbone of their songs. Believe it or not, their searches turn up some fantastic tunes. From the hilariously titled, "Drinking Beer is Awesome!," to the aggro riffage of, "Destroy This Town," Love and Paranoiais packed to the gills with songs that throw you around, pick you up, and make you stage dive into a sea of dizzying rock riffing and restless jumpy tempos that sounds like your early 20's all over again.

Whether you were around in the 90's or weren't, Love and Paranoiais a spastic, momentously enjoyable record that shows that even music can be recycled efficiently and regurgitated with a high degree of quality. In a sense you could call Regurgitator among the first green bands on the planet. They're environmentally conscious in the fact that they recycle everything they've every liked in a tune, whatever it maybe, and turn it into something new and something better. That's music for the 21st century.