Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game In Town

by Simon T Diplock

Listen at your own risk

"‘Decades’ lets rip like Mastodon in slow motion, ‘After All I've Done For You…’ is a bludgeoning instrumental as dark and disturbing as anything the Melvins have drawn up from the depths, and the churning frenzy of ‘A Maelstrom Of Bad Decisions’ feels like a migraine made into song."

Ok so Harvey Milk are named after a murdered politician, look like grizzled rednecks, talk about how they should probably be shot, and are famous for their powerful doomy dirges but if you’re still not totally ready for it then this thing will take your face off.

The Georgia quartet’s second record since splitting up and getting back together again, ‘Life… The Best Game In Town’ is more of the same tar-thick intensity, cantankerous rage, and metallic abandon that’s got them roundly ignored by all but a freaky few up to now. And if you are one of the many unfamiliar then give schizophrenic opener ‘Death Goes To The Winner’ about a minute-and-a-half and it’ll become apparent why so many have chosen to steer clear. And the almost eight-minute monster is actually one of the more sedate things here.

Deeper in and ‘Decades’ lets rip like Mastodon in slow motion, ‘After All I've Done For You…’ is a bludgeoning instrumental as dark and disturbing as anything the Melvins have drawn up from the depths, and the churning frenzy of ‘A Maelstrom Of Bad Decisions’ feels like a migraine made into song.

And though it might not read like it, all this is a kind of gristly, gruesome and ugly way of saying this record is great. Really it is. There is just no nice way to spell it out. So whether or not you knew the name before, give this Harvey Milk record the attention it deserves. Just make sure the volume knob isn’t too far away when you hit play. And make sure it’s not too late at night. And you’re not alone. And… ah, fuck it, just listen, but do it at your own risk, ok?

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