THE BAGS: Mount Rockmore

The Bags

Mount Rockmore

© 2007 Heartworm Music, BMI (747728966224)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

"Come along Bjorn and Bill and Betty - we'll walk in the footsteps of the Yeti." Fasten your lederhosen, this one ROCKS.

notes

"One of The Greatest Rock Albums Ever. If you don't LOVE it, then consider yourself a (expletive deleted) idiot." -Haig Demarjian, writer/producer of DIE YOU ZOMBIE BASTARDS!


"The dubious marriage of punk and metal has produced some of the most horrid music to ever be inflicted upon human ears. But the few bands that get it right tend to really get it right. I mean, come on: fucking Turbonegro! I put The Bags in the same category. If Mount Rockmore fails to fill you with delight, if it does not quickly compel you to jack up your volume knob to neighbor-enraging decibels, I've got to wonder if you're really capable of enjoying good music.

Of course we're talking about the Boston Bags - famed for their late '80s/early '90s output and their considerable influence on Beantown punk-metal. They were broken up for a long time. Well, they're back. Mount Rockmore is their second post-reunion album, and it's just fucking great. Welding the thunder rock stylings of Sabbath, Motorhead, KISS, Dio, the Nuge, and Spinal Tap to the hard-slamming aggression of old school punk, this album has me banging my head and hoisting the horned-hand from start to finish. And while these guys have a great sense of humor and quite a flair for the comedic aspects of operatic metal, there's nothing ironic about their commitment to rocking out. They genuinely love this music and play the hell out of it! Full of bonecrushing riffs, pummeling drum work, and kick-ass guitar shredding of the first order, this is the kind of record that would have had me drooling in awe when I was 12. The trio's playing is tight and powerful; the songs are punchy and surprisingly hooky. I can just imagine Butt-Head telling Beavis, 'This is the greatest album in the history of albums.'

Humorously rehashing medieval rock themes of epic quests and fantastical adventures, Mount Rockmore suggests what Tenacious D might be if they weren't a joke band. Except The Bags are funnier. 'She Loves Cold Tongue' is about a girl whose interest in exotic foods is limited to one delicacy, while 'Banana Peel' is about the grave dangers of, uh, a banana peel. Surely The Bags are the only band I know of that are singing songs about Mongolian she-devils, killer ticks, and green maidens with sinister hypnotic powers. The title track is the sort of grand manifesto you rarely hear in today's rock:

With Sherpas for roadies/
We ascend and take the stage/
And hail the gathered multitudes below

With the strength of the Saquatch/
The widsom of the sage/
We unleash an avalanche of rock and roll!

Is there really anything more that needs to be said?" -Lord Rutledge, NOW WAVE WEB-ZINE


Recorded and mixed by Carl Plaster and Devin Charette at Mad Oak, Allston, MA, 2006-2007. Complete lyrics included.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • It Rocks
    author: George P. Lee III

    I thank the Gods of Rock for The Bags. Over the years when there's a release,(we need more), my world becomes a happy go lucky place. Makes me think of pretty flowers and butterflies. And my Mom's going to love it for Mothers Day. Thank god for The Bags!!!!!!

  • What Led Zeppelin could have been without being over indulgent
    author: Mike S

    This is another in a string of awesome CDs from the Bags. They just so get it - fast, tight songs - a sense of humor...this is exactly what the Ramones had in mind in the mid 70s when they minimalized the over produced crap of the decade. The Bags rock hard - fasten your seatbelts. It really rates more than 5 stars

  • I give it five atomic coconuts.
    author: jack

    "Playin' heavy boogie for the pioneers..." Just when I thought these guys couldn't top themselves they give us THAT lyric...brilliant! How 'bout a Swamp Oaf cd?

  • Scale the Peaks of Mount Rockmore
    author: Phil Conrad

    Once again The Bags turn out a CD that starts strong and just gets better. The production seems a little cleaner on this one than on the equally great Sharpen Your Sticks. The album pretty much rips along in the classic Bags fashion until it hits Banana Peel. Then it rocks out beyond any sane person's wildest expectations. Dark Days in the Valley Below, is at least four songs in one bundle with truly epic scope. Then the title track comes on -- a masterpiece of songwriting power and incredible musicianship. Absolutely amazing!

  • the bags rule this great spinning earth
    author: Todd schwarz

    ive been listening to you guys since 1990 everything you have done is top notch. when are you going to tour the midwest again . you have to come give us a cool drink of water.thanks TBS

  • Another crunchy rock release from The Bags!
    author: Chris H

    If you like your rock loud, crunchy, and stupid then Mount Rockmore is just the right thing for you. While it might fall a bit short of the classic Sharpen Your Sticks there is still plenty here to love. A must buy for any fan of The Bags.

  • Godly
    author: Will Roberts

    This is a godly CD, a wonderful mixed bag of short, hard hitting songs and the utterly epic last two tracks. The performances given by all 3 members are all excellent.

  • more fist raising tunes
    author: g faulkner

    The Bags return with more fist raising tunes with this new release. After only two spins, standout tracks for me include the pumping opening track Tick Panic, and the brave and crunching High and Mighty. These guys are magnificent and continue in their long-standing tradition of creating huge and powerful rock with their signature twist of often subtle ridiculous lyrics and memorable melody. Top that with the greatest musicianship in the land, and the Bags prove yet again that they are a force to be reckoned with.

email

Please log in to email this artist.