Clouds

Not to be confused with the psychedelic British trio from the late ’60s and early ’70s, Clouds, the latest from Cave In shredder and vocalist Adam McCrath, is a nebular array of rambunctious retro rock that combines the Raw Power of the Stooges with the Texas-sized boogie of ZZ Top. With blazing riffs that streak the sky like Comets on Fire, the billow and brume of the Boston quartet’s debut, Legendary Demo, released on Aaron Turner’s Hydra Head Records, bangs the bong and gets “Thunderstruck,” resulting in self-explanatory reckless binges such as “Party Grunge” and “New Amnesia.” Had these tunes been released 30 years ago, they would, in fact, be legendary, like the MC5 kickin’ out the jams at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit. As such, Clouds remains one of the most potent blends of garage rock and rhythm and blues this century. Prosthetic Records’ the Esoteric will open with the abstruse and arcane arrangements from their latest post-hard-core enigma, The Subverter.