The Old Haunts Poisonous Times by: Liam Tracey Mon:21-Apr-08 Label: Kill Rock Stars Year: 2008 WB rating 20 out of 100

Does anyone know where you can get enough bandaids to cover an entire stereo? The Old Haunts have dropped their third LP, and yet again it’s the same old garage they were been dishing out on the last two – so much for third time lucky. Poisonous Times is enough to damage more than your ears, with the harshest of vocals, annoyingly repetitive riffs and absolutely nothing new provided since the band’s last effort.

For those new to the Washington trio, Poisonous Times has the potential to start off on a high note, at least for those who enjoy the rawest of garage punk. Clambering percussion and clangy guitars are all set to full throttle as short, bursting verses scream their way through. Unfortunately, even for these listeners the thrill will come to a very short an abrupt end as the realisation sets in around three or four tracks down – it all sounds the same. There is the odd slow moment, or quirky randomised guitar solo, but frankly there’s very little to convince your ears that you haven’t already heard track five, or six, or seven… For those familiar with 2006’s Fuel of Fire and 2005’s Fallow Field, you won’t even get the naïve pleasure of thinking the first few tracks are fresh, as there’s nothing provided here that differs from previous efforts, especially Fuel on Fire.

There are vocalisations on Poisonous Times enough to make diehard garage fans smirk with the slightest delight for this 60s, Sonics inspired take on the genre. Though more likely for most, cringing will become the most apt response as Craig Extine strains as best he can to screech out the fast succession of lyrics. Further down the track list, those who were cringing before will now be clenching their teeth so hard they break as Extine delivers his strangled attempts at sounding like Iggy Pop. The chorus of ‘Hurricane Eyes’ would be the best place to start if you were specifically looking for such effect, though the obscurity of Extine’s delivery in comparison to most rock singers around at the moment has an intrigue that just might offset the pain.

If your ears aren’t already bleeding by track ten, then beware as the trio delve into what they should never in any reality have tried to produce – ballads. Listening to an Old Haunts rendition of a garage-based ballad – the two provided on the record include ‘In Revolt’ and ‘Dressed As Thieves’ – is like recording a screaming child strangling a small animal, then playing the audio back in slow motion. Bluesy, acoustic guitar does little to aid Extine’s attempts, and the final two tracks that take the slow road end the record with a drastically poor slump – more so than it was already in.

This record is painful to listen to if you aren’t already somewhat disturbed. For those coming back for more of The Old Haunts, perhaps there’s a hint in the band’s name that suggests any fresh material isn’t going to pop up here. For everyone else, beware of potential tinnitus.