Thunder Down Under
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''Thunder Down Under'' is a live album by the
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
Hot Snakes Hot Snakes were an American rock band led by Rick Froberg and John Reis, formed in 1999 in San Diego, California. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu, after which Reis found international succe ...
, released in 2006 by
Swami Records Swami Records is a San Diego–based independent record label specializing in punk rock and rock music. The label was founded in 2000 by John Reis, who also has his own radio show, ''Swami Sound System'', on station 94.9FM KBZT KBZT (94.9 F ...
. It was recorded during the band's Spring 2005 tour of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The entire album was recorded live on May 10, 2005 in the studios of the
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for use on the radio station
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, and features songs from all three of the band's studio albums. During this tour the band members had already decided that they would break up on their return to the
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, and made this announcement on their return the following month. ''Thunder Down Under'' was released posthumously the following year on guitarist
John Reis John Reis, also known by the pseudonyms Speedo, Slasher, and the Swami is an American musician, singer, guitarist, record label owner, and disc jockey. He is best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band Rocket from the Crypt, which ...
' Swami Records label. Singer/guitarist
Rick Froberg Eric Gerald Farr (né Froberg; January 19, 1968 – June 30, 2023) was an American musician and visual artist. In his musical career he was the singer and guitarist for the San Diego-area bands Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, and Hot Snakes, perform ...
designed the album's artwork while working as a visual artist and illustrator in
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.


Reception

The album received positive reviews from most critics. Joseph Larkin described it as "a blistering set of songs played down 'n' dirty". Jonah Byer considers it to be not "only a welcome addition to the band’s catalog, but also ..the most incendiary entry, as well. Recorded live in an Australian radio studio in 2005, the 13 discordant post-everything masterpieces on ''Thunder Down Under'' careen into one another like demolition derby participants .. Mike Diver went as far as to write that " en posthumously, Hot Snakes render The Pistols and their sound-alike spawn of today every bit as sincere and passionate as a
Louis Walsh Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan (singer), Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s an ...
-bred
boyband A boy band is a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many boy bands dance a ...
." ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' wrote that the album found the band " gning off in feverish style with guitars ablaze." "Every bit as loud, obnoxious, and great as
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or
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, but without sounding retro, Hot Snakes played fast and died young .. wrote Jimmy Newlin, "''Thunder Down Under'', a live recording for Australian radio, is an explosive self-eulogy. Blasting through fan favorites like “Braintrust” and “Suicide Invoice,” tis a perfect starting place for new fans and a much-craved new set of recordings for devotees who can’t get enough." A slightly less favorable review came from Jason Crock, who found fault with the fact that the performances did not differ much from their studio counterparts ("weren't their albums essentially live in-the-studio anyways?") and criticized the sound ("The bass is lost behind the clarity of the twin guitars, and the drums are somewhat muffled, nowhere close to the expertly-recorded rhythm section on the band's fine three-album run.") He concludes that the album "fails to capture the group's in-person prowess."
Japandroids Japandroids were a Canadian rock duo from Vancouver, British Columbia, formed in 2006. The band consisted of Brian King (guitar, vocals) and David Prowse (drums, vocals).Lindsay, Ca"No Fun City Rockers" ''Exclaim!'', May 2009 accessed November ...
picked the album as one of their favorite
garage punk A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicl ...
albums: "They’re not trying to sound like they existed in 1967, but they have that blood in their veins. They have that same sense of ferocity and wildness about them as the best 60s
garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...
records, but played three times as fast, and the singer is screaming instead of singing. .. ’s incredible. They’re so crazy tight."


Track listing

#"Braintrust" #"Hi-Lites" #"Retrofit" #"XOX" #"Think About Carbs" #"LAX" #"Plenty for All" #"Who Died" #"Suicide Invoice" #"Kreative Kontrol" #"Rock n' Roll Will Never Die" #"U.S. Mint" #"Let It Come"


Personnel


Hot Snakes

*
Rick Froberg Eric Gerald Farr (né Froberg; January 19, 1968 – June 30, 2023) was an American musician and visual artist. In his musical career he was the singer and guitarist for the San Diego-area bands Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, and Hot Snakes, perform ...
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
, lead vocals, cover design and photos *
John Reis John Reis, also known by the pseudonyms Speedo, Slasher, and the Swami is an American musician, singer, guitarist, record label owner, and disc jockey. He is best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band Rocket from the Crypt, which ...
– guitar, backing vocals *Gar Wood –
bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
*
Mario Rubalcaba Mario Rubalcaba (also known by the pseudonym Ruby Mars) is an American drummer from San Diego, notable as a member of numerous rock bands including Clikatat Ikatowi, Thingy, Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes, Earthless, the Sultans, and Off! ...
drum kit A drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set, or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and sometimes other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one p ...


Additional musicians

*Eleanor Logan –
organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...


Studio personnel

*Greg Wales – Producer and engineer


References

{{Authority control Hot Snakes albums 2006 live albums Swami Records live albums