Oxbow - An Evil Heat

Since there isn’t much in new music hitting right now, I will just stick with a past favorite for the time being. I was putting together a mix a couple weeks ago in which I wanted the first disc to be sort of menacing in a way. Although it didn’t take me long to compile enough songs for that disc, one band that immediately jumped into my head was San Francisco’s very own, Oxbow. Really, they were almost perfect. When it comes to all things deranged and possibly borderline insane, they are pretty much one of my top choices. The toughest part was choosing a song from them. I mean, I could have pretty much closed my eyes and pointed and whatever it was would have worked. However, I went with the song “Sorry” off of their magnificent release on Neurot titled An Evil Heat.

I hold it in such high regard when compared to the rest of the bands catalog because it was recorded five years after their last album. With such a layoff, one might have expected a bit of rust. However, to even once think that or doubt them was a mistake in the first place. An Evil Heat ended up becoming my favorite album of theirs, as they pretty much came back and blew me away. Although Eugene Robinson’s maniacal tirades and fairly disturbing lyrical content might be a bit much for some, I’ve always personally found it to be quite compelling and if anything, brutally honest. You can’t ask for anything more than that from music.

An Evil Heat is probably the most in your face album of theirs. Although quite simplistic, it manages the mood and balance of psychological prodding that it performs on the listener better than any record I’ve heard from them. Its effectiveness is undeniable in that area. Even to this day I honestly don’t see Oxbow mentioned enough, but having the ability to make a casual music listener highly uncomfortable has its price and that’s probably one of them. However, those that find some sort of solace and understanding within their music absolutely love it.

Oxbow – S Bar X [MP3]
Oxbow – Sorry [MP3]

I am thinking that the majority of Oxbow’s earlier material is out of print, however you can still pick up An Evil Heat and the great compilation that just came out this year Love That Lasts on Amazon. Enjoy!