Sun God Replica
Primitive Clockwork
10 Track, LP (2011, Spooky Records)
Related: The Bakelite Age, The Meanies, Sun God Replica.
In Prisoners of the Sun, Herge’s cartoon hero dupes his Inca captors into believing the Inca’s sun god has commanded the release of Tintin and his companions. It’s possible to interpret the event as allegory for society’s predilection for being hoodwinked by various faux spiritual spectacles. With his latest outfit, Sun God Replica, Link McLennan offers more of his punk rock observations on the dysfunctional cosmologies that permeate the world around him. The band’s sonic style takes up where McLennan’s previous outfit, The Bakelite Age, left off.
‘Vivisection’ blends Emerson, Lake and Palmer fanfare with a classic garage riff reminiscent of Them’s ‘I Can Only Give You Everything’, ‘Pavlov’s Dog’ and ‘Old Man Bile’ are steeped in the Sabbath stoner rock’n’roll tradition and ‘I Want You’ finds yet more depth in the same primitive three-chord structure that has given the world ‘Wild Thing’ and a host of variants.
But it’s McLennan’s wry social commentary that makes the heaviest mark: the ironic celebration of ‘In Love With the World’, the superficiality of modern society’s obsessions in ‘Toon Town’ and even a hint of self-deprecating reflection in ‘Old Man Bile’. Link McLennan doesn’t have all the answers, but he’s still got plenty to say.
by Patrick Emery
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Dynamite album.
Love it. Great show at the Old Bar on Saturday night too.
loving this album. fuzzy syd barrett.