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Reviews

ASG WIN US OVER WITH WIN US OVER

 Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 at 4:04pm by

ASG - Win Us OverAmplification of Self-Gratification (ASG) combine a number of ’90s alt-metal influences with their own songwriting style to create an album with Win Us Over (Volcom) that stands out from today’s chug-dominated metal scene. Tool-style riffing lays the foundation for a more straight-up, driving rock attack that rarely relents throughout the entirety of the disc. Win Us Over ends up being like a trip through ’90s alt-metal history with a dose of modern Sabbath-revival stonerism thrown in for good measure (though the music certainly isn’t as stoney as the awesome, super-trippy cover art by Malleus might suggest).

Guitars are the focus of ASG, with Jonah Citty and guitarist/singer Jason Shi’s giant-sized rhythm tracks always mixed to the forefront. Even on Win Us Over‘s slower numbers, wall-of-sound guitars are the name of the game, not that this is a bad thing. Shi’s vocals remind me of a cross between Maynard’s non-Tool efforts and Ian Blurton of obscure Canadian ’90s alternative band Change of Heart. In fact ASG are like the latter in more than just that way; their use of different textures and occasional progressive tendencies remind me a lot of Tummysuckle, COH’s crowning accomplishment. And since most of the people reading this will have no clue what the fuck I mean by that, let me make it clear: I mean this as a huge compliment. Despite the big production, ASG still come off like like an honest dude-bro working man’s band; like, “Let’s just get together and rock the fuck out and have a good time!”

Stand out tracks for me are the heavy, driving “Gallop Song” and “Low End Insight.” “Palm Springs” kicks things up a notch or two, while perhaps my favorite track, the aptly-titled moody “Coffee Despression Sunshine,” slows things way down, calling to mind King’s X’s more pensive, quiter tunes like “Flies & Blue Skies.” Definitely check this record out if you like your metal big and juicy.

-VN

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(three and a half out of five horns)

ASG are touring the U.S. with Fu Manchu in March. Check their MySpace and Website for info.

[ASG on MySpace]
[Official ASG Website]

“Gallop Song” live in Wilmington, NC, August, 2007:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0q8-YZPsJc" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

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  • Sammy

    I’m not really hearing a ’90s alt-metal influence with these guys. More of a Sabbath by way of early Metallica by way of latter day COC with a dash of ’80s metal thrown in…sort of. But not really.

  • hegster90

    the triumphant return of the garage band!

  • vitruvianApe

    sometimes listening to these guys, i can’t help but think about the very first silverchair album, with israels son n shit. Back in the early mid 90′s that was a killer album, followed by a new corporate suck-erchair.
    I dig the fuck out of the DIY garage band style of ASG, check the vid for horsewhipper on their myspace, that song rips face.

  • vitruvianApe

    actually i must thank you guys for posting this when you did, for had you not, I would not have by chance gone to their myspace page and seen that they were playing at the viper room in hollywood, and i would not have rushed my ass off to get down there just in time for them to go on and play a killer albeit short set. Kudos.

  • M. Meyer

    This band is fucking great. I just saw them last night in Portland, and I can’t recommend them enough. HUGE riffs — the loudest set I’ve heard in a while. But the best part (especially on the new CD): a concentrated emphasis on vocal melody. I felt like singing along.

    Oh, and that Tool reference up there — while I understand what you mean, Vince, it’s important to remember that this music isn’t dark. Like you write.. fun, honest, working-man stuff.

    Much-needed!