Thursday 29 March 2012

Wadge - Tiki Gods, No Masters

Wadge
Tiki Gods, No Masters EP
Grindcore Karaoke

Anyone who either has a keen ear for diving into the weirder excesses of grindcore, or indeed anyone who was an early visitor to this site may well be aware of Canadian drum-machine surf-grinders Wadge. That description is very real. Although it turns out they've been around since 1991, it was only when they released an album on J Randall's Grindcore Karaoke label last year entitled 'Grindcore Lu'au' that they came to slightly wider attention. 'Grindcore Lu'au' indulged in all manner of Tiki, surf and general island themes with a grind ethic, as well as some pretty tinny production which grated due to the record's excessive (in grind circles, at least) length. That said, it had some memorable highlights and the ridiculousity does not let up on new release, 'Tiki Gods, No Masters'. It should have seen light a couple of years ago as part of a split, but almost got washed away with the tide when Brazilian split partners Dispepsiaa called it a day.

Where its predecessor contained thirty-three tracks, the new release is a simple five-track blast that feels just about right. Everything about this release is concerned with Tiki - if you've read into Maori mythology you'll probably find a lot to do with procreation, and not a frenzied tribe out for blood and grindcore, but Wadge clearly don't take things seriously, as this EP suggests. The middle track, the instrumental 'Voyage of the Tiki' is the only one that allows their surf leanings to fully flourish, but it doesn't half evoke an image of a grind B-52s. That comes sandwiched between four other tracks of desert island grind, with the title track seeing Wadge state where they're all about: "Tiki Gods, No Masters/the only life I lead/Surf and grind till I die/For tiki I will bleed".

The quality of the production, while still not the greatest, is an improvement on 'Grindcore Lu'au', and undoubtedly having far fewer songs on this release makes the gimmick more enjoyable and free of any threat of becoming weary. Wadge remain shrouded in mystery and perhaps that's why it's taken a good twenty years or so for their bizarre mix to come to the surface. But 'Tiki Gods, No Masters' is a definitive step in the right direction, regardless of how silly you might find it. And who cares if they find even minor acceptance? This sort of thing was designed to delight the underground and the quirk in you.

Peter Clegg


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