Icky Mettle

Archers of Loaf | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 10, 1993)
• Original Release Date: September 7, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Alias Records
• ASIN: B000001HV4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,976 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: ARCHERS OF LOAF
Title: ICKY METTLE
Street Release Date: 05/25/2004
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All you had to do was listen to it and you instantly understood the full glory of indie rock, September 4, 2006

By 

Aquarius Records (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Icky Mettle (Audio CD)

Must be something about summertime and the feeling of nostalgia and memories of my younger days that has had me going crazy over some of my favorite '90s indie rock records as of late. Recent reviews prove this, as reissues of Sebadoh and Spoon classics received my record of the week honors. Truth be told Icky Mettle is just as qualified for that honor as well. There was a period during the '90s when I used to joke that if you looked up "indie rock" in the dictionary you would find a picture of Archers of Loaf's Icky Mettle. But really, I sort of wasn't joking. All you had to do was listen to it and you instantly understood the full glory of indie rock and how totally heavy and wild and kick a-- and catchy indie rock could be. Guitars are crunchy and jagged, ringing loud and true, vocals soaring, melodies you can't EVER get out of your head, and a passionate urgency that makes your heart race and your soul shiver. It's pretty serendipitous that this record just got reissued as it's been playing around here quite a bit, Irwin rediscovered it earlier this summer, it's been rocking Andee's iPod quite a bit lately, and it gets played in the store NON-STOP!!

There is not a dud on this album... it's almost like Archers of Loaf made us the most perfect indie rock mix tape ever, except it's their entire album! The track "Web In Front" might just be THE GREATEST INDIE ROCK SONG EVER. If it's not, it's definitely top five. It jangles, it totally rocks, the vocasl are super intense but completely melodic, the arrangement is bizarre and the parts unlikely, but that only serves to make it that much more unique and unforgettable.

I can't count the times in the past that I've put songs from this record on mixes I've made for friends, crushes, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. It's got it all: the angst, the heartbreak, the longing, the anger, the catchy hooks, even the quintessential anthem about indie rockers. What a debut full length from a band adrift in a veritable sea of indie rock revolution, the next Seattle, Chapel Hill, NC. Helping to raise the bar for all their peers and proteges (Superchunk, Polvo, Pavement, etc.). This is not just some indie rock nostalgia trip, a longing for some unattainable indie rock heyday, this record has totally stood the test of time and still pretty much blows away any pop, rock or indie rock record you care to stack up against it. So utterly and completely and impossibly essential!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All you "Indie Rock" Fans.... THIS IS THE ROOTS OF GREATNESS, March 14, 2003

By 

Mitchell Manzella "mcmanzi" (Edison, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Icky Mettle (Audio CD)

Song after song the Archers of Loaf show perfect execution of what Indie Rock is all about. Dirty yet smooth, hard yet clear... this band really has great skill with NYC style execution. Big Thanks to Kevin Smith for putting WEB IN FRONT in Mall Rats. Web In Front is probably the best song under 2 mins ever made in the genre. Overall the entire album is full of what will be classics once you hear them. Enjoy. Personal note: Archers of Loaf & Pavement found me when I was 16 years old... and I thank them for all the positive infulence they have had on my life.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overlooked gem, January 18, 2001

By 

"ceguru" (Grand Haven, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Icky Mettle (Audio CD)

Icky Mettle is a strong contender in the "Best Album You Probably Haven't Heard" sweepstakes. Released at the peak of the indie-rock invasion of the early to mid-90's it inexplicably never managed to gain more than a limited cult following. That's hard to understand because its a near perfect alterna-guitar fest.

It only takes a listen or two to understand what sets the Archers apart from most bands of their ilk. First off are the guitars, never less than three. One is usually playing crunching rythym riffs while another cranks out wild leads as a third (and occasionally, by the sounds of things , a fourth and fifth etc) careens off everything in sight, alternating between dissonant shards of noise and catchy countermelodies. The result is a sound that is by turns abrasive and incredibly melodic, often at the same time.

Secondly are the songs which are instantly memorable from the first listen and gain in stature with repeatedly plays. Foremost is the lead track "Web In Front" which is loud, catchy as heck, and filled with strange, but occasionally catchy lyrics ("you're not the one who let me down/but thanks for offering). Other songs echo this more or less melodic vein, although even the catchiest numbers are usually punctuated with squeals, squawks, and shards of white noise.

Not the least of the records strengths is the pacing which is perfect. Everytime things threaten to get too pretty, the Archers throw a curve ball with a dark, flat out bitter song or two and when that mode threatens to get old its back to something in a more listener-friendly mode. Rather than producing a schizophrenic feel, this keeps the record fresh throughout. Its an amazingly consistent work which requires no editing or reprogramming.

The Archers went on to make a handful of other records which were perhaps more sophisticated. All though the band's entire output is recommended for challenging yet enjoyable listens, they never quite recaptured the sheer sonic rush of this one.