This Is The Sweetest Kind Of Lie… (S6 Records)

When we caught up with former NOTHINGFACE bassist Bill Gaal last fall, he was putting the finishing touches on his second album for his IN FIOR THE KILL project. Operating less like a full time band, Gaal brought in his former NOTHINGFACE cohort Chris Houk to play drums and revolving door of other talented musicians to complete the work. The full title of the album is actually This Is The Sweetest Kind Of Lie…You Are The Deadliest Surprise and released on his own label, S6Records. This arrangement, being in control suits Gaal well. We’re pleased to report the album is killer and was more than worth the wait.

Full of jammy 1970′s rock anthems and feel good, fuzzed out upbeat songs, there is not a remotely weak song on the record. Lead off cut “The Gold and Gun” could have come out in 1975 and you wouldn’t know the difference. Great waves of thickly compress bass guitar introduce the main riff while beats thunder and guitars crackle. Gaal’s phased in and harmonized lead vocals are eerily reminiscent of JOSH HOMME. As the song transforms from a careening rocker to a grooving jam Gaal’s voice becomes more true and gritty, yet still clean sounding. This is music that could please the metal dudes, but also has a deft pop sensibility most bands lack. Still, it’s not hard to imagine them out playing with the psychedelic stoner bands like RED FANG, KYNG, THE SWORD, TOTIMOSHI, MONSTRO and other desert rock influenced upstarts. “Blood For Love” is a little shorter and a little sweeter than the first track. Neat, crunchy guitars hide under a heavy beat. I really loved the winding lick that cuts in and out around the catchy chorus. The third track is the title song. It has a cool CARS/DEVO -style alienation to the delivery of the lines with the repeated refrain “automatic”. It’s a true rocker with some slick guitar antics too. “Off My Shoulders” rocks like middle era DEEP PURPLE until a groove/swing part comes in to drive the song even further into your mind. There is a little cool psychedelic part in the middle eight that builds a lot of drama and some dynamic vocal range from Gaal. “If Darkness Could Kill” starts out mellow with some gentle guitars, but swells with drama later. On the way up to a froth, the some builds with some earthly bass and beats and very cool organ accents. “King Of All The Pretty Ones” brings back the full fledged rock sound that has been missing for a long time. A lot of bands try to copy the style, but few can pull it off naturally. I doubt I will be able to get this song out of my head for days. A track with a serious funky style to it is “Against The Girl”. With some guitars added by Mike Longworth and Gaal, the occasional lead guitar work has a really JOE WALSH feel to it in spots. Great lyrics on this song as well. “Betrayed By The Sign of The Sun” is a bit quirky, but cool while “We Put You In The Ground” rocks out. Closing track “I Know Rain” has the raw power of later day NINE INCH NAILS or A PERFECT CIRCLE. I’d like to see this band on the road at some point, but only time will tell if it will happen. Get the album from the S6 Records website.

GRADE: A

by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes