Archers of Loaf

Icky Mettle (deluxe reissue)

(Merge)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

“We don’t want to be associated with Candlebox,” Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann told Vulture recently. “I know that’s pretentious, but we’re going to own it.” Back in the post-Nirvana ‘90s, major labels were falling over themselves in a rush to sign the next big alt-thing; this led to a lot of calamities, few more scorned-in-hindsight than the multi-platinum “Far Behind” rockers (“now may-yay-yay-yay-bay… dinnit mean to treat you ohh so bad”). Obviously, hopping in bed with a major didn’t have to kill your cred – Nirvana did just fine, as did Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, The Flaming Lips, et al. But Archers of Loaf stayed indie, cultivating a nice-sized albeit ultimately niche fanbase, at least some of whom thought that Pavement fans were the mainstream. A lot of folks who associate themselves with the era would be more able to sing along to The Verve Pipe or, yes, Candlebox than Archers of Loaf. And that’s a goddamn shame. Fortunately, the champions at Merge Records are here to help, preparing to reissue all four four-lengths, starting (naturally enough) with Icky Mettle, their 1993 debut.

It shouldn’t take long for Icky Mettle to get its hooks in you. “Web in Front” serves as one of the greatest kick-off songs of the era.  “Wrong” and “Might” are giants, too – so five songs into their debut, they’d already mustered more alternate universe hits than some of their peers would ever write. Certainly they shared some traits with other beloved indie-rock bands of the era like the above-mentioned Pavement, but there was a rougher, angrier side to Archers of Loaf, too; they weren't a rock-less rock band. Who knows - maybe that's why they warded off some hipsters. Maybe that's why they wound up with Robert Christgau writing the liner notes for their reissue. In any case, time has not withered the material; Icky Mettle doesn't work as an exercise in nostalgia; it's just a flat-out great record. If it'd been released fresh in 2011, they'd probably be touring with Fucked Up or something.

The requisite bonus disc offers some gems for diehards and newbies alike. At the front end, the Vs. the Greatest of All Time EP is represented in full. Then we get into some early 7" versions, warts-and-all stabs at highlights "Wrong" and "Web in Front."