Washington
Times
Contents Under Pressure
Scott Galupo
September 2, 2005
The Evil Queens, "First It Boils, Then It Spills" -- "It"
means blood, and these Queens mean business. Hailing from Columbus, Ohio,
the band plays ferociously sloppy punk in the style
of the underrated mid-'70s Cleveland scene that produced Pere Ubu and the
Dead Boys. At its hookiest ("Grand Prix," "Strong-Wristed
Women"), the band approaches better contemporaries
such as Queens of the Stone Age and Foo Fighters. At its silliest ("The
Theme from Donovan"), it'll send you to the medicine cabinet for earplugs
and Tylenol. (Addison )
The Aquarian
August 17, 2005
JJ Koczan
Whether it’s the Nirvana-informed whimper of “American Cancer,”
the punk attitude lying just beneath the surface of “Master Plan,"
or the Euro-stoner groove of “Strong-Wristed Women,” the
focus on First It Boils is on confrontation. This band is raw, aggressive
and full of drunken swagger, but somehow also catchy and tremendously likeable.
Every time I see a CD from a NYC label with “The” at the beginning
of their name, I get nervous having to listen to it. It’s generally
the same brand of apathetic, faceless indie bullshit rock that hipsters drink
Red Stripe to and tout as the next big thing for this week. Consider The Evil
Queens a pleasantly surprising needle in the haystack of the New York scene
brought to you by someone at Addison Records with good taste.
The energy is true, their music is irony-free, and the grit is authentic.
I couldn’t really ask for anything else. If you didn’t believe
real rock and roll could exist in a bar anymore, The Evil Queens will show
you how wrong you were.
In A Word: Bloody
Grade: A
High
Bias
Thursday, September 1st, 2005
Michael Toland
In the great tradition of Midwestern hard rock, the Evil Queens present their
third album First It Boils, Then It Spills. Except that the Columbus quartet
is also subtly subverting that tradition. The band
rocks out like it's playing for free booze, but doesn't take the easy way
to arena stardom. Like Clutch on a British postpunk bender, the Queens
spit riffs out at odd angles, steering the vocals from forceful swagger to
unhinged screams. Titles like "American Cancer," "And Hell"
and "Requiem For Antonio Pants" certainly won't encourage lengthening
of the beer line. Which is all fine and dandy—"The
Kink," "The Master Plan" and "New Keys" kick ass
and boggle minds quite nicely. First It Boils, Then It Spills is far
more effective than the latest album by those other rock & roll Queens.
Losing
Today
Malignant, raw and spiteful – just how pure wholesome
rock ‘n’ roll should be.
The third full length from Columbus, Ohio based quartet the Evil Queens sees
them ensconced on NY’s Addison records, a lot of blood, sweat and love
has gone into this recording – their previous albums taking less than
a week in total to nail while this baby has been nearly a year in incubation
left to fester and mature – and boy it shows. Often compared to Queens
of the Stone Age which is fair comment given this album takes its cue from
Homme and Co’s blistering ‘Rated R’ oozing as it does that
same locked down tight as a gnats arse pummelling paranoia. Yet
for all that for me personally the Evil Queens personify that spiritual hunger
and simmering raucous loose canon like edge that possessed Nirvana in that
interim between the brash raw as fuck youthful petulance of ‘Bleach’
and the refined and honed blueprint that crawled all over ‘Nevermind’.
Add into that very special chemistry elements of the stripped down three chord
throttle of early Monkeywrench with the subtle essence of Detroit’s
much underrated Big Chief’s ‘Face’ to muddy the mix and
you have yourself an uncompromising hi-fi humping hot pot of no nonsense in
your face head jarring rawk. ‘First it boils,
then it spills’ is a fast and furious cocksure street fighting wreckin
crew assembled out of 10 crunching sub three minute workouts that usher
in with an unconscionable sense of menace at their core, it’s a bludgeoning
experience that spits, scowls and shunts its way from start to finish never
letting up on its intensity until the parting desert swept summit between
the Bad Seeds and Black Heart Procession rears it’s head on ‘Requiem
for Antonio Pants’ but by that point your to sapped to put up any worthwhile
struggle. From the minute the tension brewing claustrophobic ‘Valentine’
kicks in your already under siege, this seizure inducing baby paces impatiently
like a cornered and wounded predator sizing up its escape route while ‘American
Cancer’ is a ferocious pedal to the metal affair that has all the enduring
subtly of a hammer to the head. Then there’s the fucked up charred blues
of ‘And Hell’ to contend with – think of a particularly
impish and heavy-handed Mudhoney torching the discordant ramshackle mindset
of the Birthday Party’s ‘Junkyard’. Best of the set though
the hell bound demonic scorched earth dragster mayhem of ‘the Theme
from Donovan’ comes tearing out like a rabid mutation of wired to the
eyeballs Beastie Boys and Ministry and suggests that not only should you nail
down all moveable household objects but perhaps consider moving zip code to
escape the crater sized hole that this cutie will redecorate your living space
with. So good it hurts – essential.
DETROIT
METRO TIMES
by Dustin Walsh
8/24/2005
They’re more rock than Queens of the Stone Age
and more roll than the White Stripes. So, think of Columbus, Ohio’s
the Evil Queens as a collaborative manipulation of rock ’n’ roll’s
past and near-present — but in a good way. Singer Jacob Sundermeyer
draws comparisons to a throatier, less pretentious Dave Grohl. His rumbling
voice is all swaggery cocksure on "Strong-Wristed Women," and can
make you believe lines like: "I will show you truth in a shot glass/I’ll
show you hands in the air/I’ll give you just what you wanted/I’ll
give you just what you need." Elsewhere, "And Hell" and "The
Master Plan" quake to bass lines that’d
make Les Claypool and Primus shiver, and "The Government Has Cloned
You" and "American Cancer" sport guitar
licks not been heard since the halcyon days of Helmet and the Melvins.
From start to finish, First It Boils, Then It Spills lingers just out of the
mainstream grasp — like, say, Jesus Lizard. In short, the Evil Queens
are the kind of fist-jacking rock-roll that loner — maybe stoner —
kids will love and likely no one else will give two shits about. Now that’s
a good band.
thephill(ER)
www.thephiller.com
PhiLL Ramey
There are two words capable of describing The Evil
Queens better than any other, "rock" and "roll".
A glance at the rear cover of First It Boils, Then It Spills reveals a sketch
of a hand reminiscent of the cover art that graced The Murder City Devils'
Thelema. Take into account that both bands have/had a penchant for blood and
I may have just been lucky enough to find out about the Midwestern version
of one of my favorite bands that no longer exist. The Evil Queens attack their
music with a level of ferocity rarely captures successfully on disc. Fortunately
for the Columbus, OH quartet, Jon Chinn's work recording and mastering First
It Boils, Then It Spills conveys the energy of a bloodthirsty band as good
as any other. The guitars of Mike Eckhardt and Jacob Sundermeyer maintain
a crisp overdriven sound that suggests a bit of Queens of the Stone Age as
the hooky riffs carefully balance alongside the rhythmic assault of drummer
George Hondroulis and bassist Eric Hinterscheid. Just as the references to
disembodied hands, eagles, and blood is far from original material for hard-rocking
bands, The Evil Queens don’t present anything too innovative with the
tracks on First It Boils, Then It Spills. What they
do offer, however, is something many bands attempt to accomplish but rarely
do – rock and roll for the sake of rock and roll. While many bands may
conjure bloody imagery, only those like The Evil Queens that pour their own
into the music can create something so pure.
Swizzle
Stick
April 26, 2005
Heather Dodson
Where you’re likely to hear this CD: A gritty, whiskey bar; blasting
out of a Columbus local’s car at a stop-light.
Song you should pick to play on the jukebox: “Strong-Wristed Women,”
“American Cancer,” “And Hell,” “The Government
has Cloned Us,” “The Master Plan”
Drinking Partners: Helmet, Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana, Foo Fighters,
Mudhoney
The Morning After: Hit play and pay attention.
On their third record, First it Boils, Then it Spills, The Evil Queens rip
through ten short and ferociously smart tracks in less than thirty minutes
and leave the listener craving more. The Queens of the Stone Age influence
is easy to recognize, though a deeper dig into The Evil Queens music will
reveal additional points of reference, from Primus (Eric Hinterscheid’s
opening bass riff of “And Hell”) to Helmet (drummer George Hondroulis’
staccato energy on “The Government has Cloned Us”). Guitarists
Mike Eckhardt and Jacob Sundermeyer complement each other in a back and forth
exchange of searing guitar riffs, particularly on “American Cancer”
and “Grand Prix” which will inspire heavy duty air guitar playing
(even while driving, in my case). While Sundermeyer’s wailing, screaming,
and growling vocals have earned comparisons to Dave Grohl, his blistering
intensity shares a lot more in common with Mudhoney’s Mark Arm. There’s
a strong, seductive confidence in Sundermeyer’s lyrics and delivery,
with several songs sure to raise eyebrows. The music to “Strong-Wristed
Women” begins exactly how a song so provocatively titled should with
Sundermeyer swaggering in and promising “I’ll show you truth in
a shot glass,” “I’ll get you roses,” and “I’ll
kiss you right where you want it.” If you’re not singing along
by the end, the volume isn’t up high enough. It’s my favorite
song on the record. The Queens wait until the tenth track, “Requiem
for Antonio Pants,” to allow you to catch your breath. The acoustic
track marks a major change of pace for the band, but they pull it off and
the record pleasantly smolders at the end as a result. First It Boils, Then
It Spills is a welcome rarity: intellectual, fist-in-the-air rock and roll
that pleases both sides of the brain. The Evil Queens are cleverly difficult
to categorize and make records that appeal to metalheads and indie kids alike.
Their reign beyond Columbus is inevitable.
Grafitti
West Virginia's Alternative
The Evil Queens are unleashed
I know that better men than me have said this before
but The Evil Queens should really consider changing their name to The Evil
Fucking Queens for the sake of doing their sound justice. This is some
real stompin’ music here boys and girls. I find them gleefully reminiscent
of the angular school of music heralded by the mighty Jesus Lizard that stormed
out of Chicago in the early 90’s. Much like another set of queens, The
Queens Of The Stone Age, The Evil Queens employ the tactic of mixing a smidgen
of pop sensibility in with the rough and tumble in order to circumvent the
ingrained inaccessibility that kept bands like The Jesus Lizard at arms length
from most mainstream hard rock fans. Not that the occasional snappy chorus
or catchy refrain softens their double-fisted, musical beat downs one iota.
Did I mention that this CD absolutely crushes? It’s relentless straight
from the first track, not letting you up for air until the very end. If
you’re a fan of obscenely loud rock n’ roll oozing with fuzzed-out
guitars, slamming drums, and distorted, howling vocals then get a hold of
this CD posthaste.
babysue/LMNOP
After spending a mere two days each recording their first two albums, the
guys in The Evil Queens adopted a different approach for this album...which
took about a year to record. Contrary to the images the band name might conjure
up, this is not a group of androgynous homosexuals. These
bad boys play loud, heavy, stoner rock that is reminiscent of bands like Fu
Manchu. Unlike many hard rock bands of the twenty-first century, the guys
in The Evil Queens do not play generic overblown speed/metal/noise. Despite
the fact that they play hard, their music is, first and foremost, pure rock
and roll. Explosive rhythms...killer overdriven guitars...and a supremely
macho vocalist...combine to create an upbeat and intense
wall of sound. Heavy rockers include "Valentine," "American
Cancer," "The Government Has Cloned You," and "Requiem
For Antonio Pants." (Rating: 4++++)
THE EVIL QUEENS FIRST IT BOILS, THEN IT SPILLS ADDISON RECORDS
Despite my fear that this might be one of those foreign metal bands with a
fixation for evil, death and fantasy, I listened to this CD. Boy was I pleasantly
surprise, mostly because The Evil Queens are NOTHING like the previously mentioned
bands. I mean with a name like The Evil Queens well, you know. No, they're
a band with Red Hot Chili Peppers Funk, Fu Manchu's musical mindset, mixed
with classical punk ethics and a metal heads musicianship, and a traditional
flat out rock style. And it's all very pleasant, and it's all very first-rate,
and this CD is still in my CD player, I can't bring myself to remove it. -Audiophile
Click here for the March 2nd, 2005 Feature from The Columbus Alive
The Other Paper
Karen E. Graves 3-3-05
Rock is alive and well
Blood.
That's the image that the title of the new Evil Queens record First it Boils,
Then it Spills brings to mind. While the quartet doesn't seem particularly
violent or partial to death metal gore, the album is sure to get hearts pounding
as listeners jump for joy at the news that rock 'n' roll is alive and well.
The group's earlier records were good, but First it Boils is fantastic. The
Evil Queens have perfected the fierce racket that established them as a solid
live outfit and one of last year's Comfest stand-outs. With this sort of heavy
riff-rock, it would be easy for the dynamics of the songs to vanish in muddy
mixes or dull guitar tones. Fortunately, the record succeeds in capturing
the group's punchy live sound as accurately and flatteringly as possible.
One of the things that sets the band apart from the average hard-rock fiasco
is that it doesn't confuse being sloppy or noisy with being heavy. With the
tag-team guitar onslaught of Mike Eckhardt and Jacob Sundermeyer, and lyrics
that are as smart as they are piercing, there's no reason to hide behind sloppy
noise. The record touches grungy Seattle rock with Sundermeyer yowling like
a wounded Dave Grohl. It's nice to hear a singer who isn't afraid of the sound
of his own voice. The group often calls to mind the ominous riff-rock of Columbus's
late, great Means–although the Evil Queens sound slightly less foreboding
than that group was. Comparisons to similarly royal outfits such as Queens
of the Stone Age may seem too convenient, but that's what they sound like
on sludgy stoner-rock moments such as "Valentine" and "The
Government Has Cloned You."
The Evil Queens do an excellent job of balancing heavy music with strong hooks.
The albumis intense enough for devil-horned rockers but catchy enough for
fans of all sorts of loud music. This is a delicate balance for such burly
music. Columbus crowds are generally too cool to jump around like excited
idiots at shows. With this album, you can freak out in the comfort of your
own home.
The Other Paper
Brian O'Neill 2-3-05
The Evil Queens have a reputation. A bad reputation. But as is the case when
female rockers in tight leather pants sing about it, a bad reputation is actually
a good thing. And, if Saturday's show at the Ravari Room is any indication,
they're worth every word of praise they've received. Like many bands before
them, the Evil Queens take really loud rock and make
it interesting by throwing in rhythmic double entendres and other more subtle
nuances that let you know they're not dumb.
The Other Paper
John Petric 7-1-04
The Evil Queens hands down, turned in the set of sets at the Off Ramp Stage
on Saturday. Burst after burst of skull-bustin' punk-metal
with as much character as Tom Waits' hobo hat poured forth from the
quartet. ...the band returned to pulverizing the audience with some of the
finest banzai music in the city. Good, good, good.
The Columbus Alive
Stephen Slaybaugh 10-23-03
With their second release in a year (the band’s self-titled debut came
out in September 2002), the appropriately titled Dos , locals the Evil Queens
continue to nail down their hammering sound with increasingly good results.
Recorded by Jon Chinn at Workbook Studio, the album, the release of which
this show celebrates, is comprised of 10 blasts of punk-scraped hard rock
backdraft.
The Queens—guitarists Mike Eckhardt and Jacob Sundermeyer, bassist Eric
Hinterscheid and drummer George Hondroulis—connect the dots between
points of reference like In Utero -era Nirvana (see “Braille”
especially) and stoner rockers like Queens of the Stone Age, as well as local
peers like Grafton and the Means. With the lines filled in, it all amounts
to a record of feral sounds especially unique to the band, and songs that
channel angst and anger into three-minute calls-to-catharsis.
The Columbus Alive
Steven Slaybaugh 12-4-03
Monsters of Columbus
With a stellar line-up of some of Columbus' best purveyors of sonic overdrive,
Saturday's show at Little Brother's is a virtual local Monsters of Rock showcase.
But instead of the spandex and melodrama of that famous 1987 tour, this show
presents a no-frills onslaught of abrasive rock 'n' roll.
Leading off the night is the big sound of Big Meat, followed by the louder-is-better
noise of the Evil Queens.
Not that there's a sound here that you'll want to miss, but due to the sheer
volume this show promises you're best off to pack some ear plugs. Unless,
of course, you enjoy having your head ring for days.
The Other Paper
Rick Allen 5-29-03
For a town full of rock bands, it's hard to find a band that's just a rock
band. Thankfully, the Evil Queens fill that void. While most bands are working
hard to ape Jack White or prove their emo-cum-hessian roots, the Evil Queens
avoid the junior high trendiness and just get the job done, as they've done
individually in previous bands for the past decade or so. While their songs
are occasionally evocative of everything from British post-punk to Kiss to
Archers of Loaf, they mostly just get out there and rock. Thank God someone's
willing to do it.
The Other Paper
Rick Allen 6-5-03
The Evil Queens opened the show in fine form with "Can't Help It,"
a ballsy, no bullshit burst of raw, no-trend rock. The band, consisting of
refugees from the late Our Flesh Party, has stripped down the excesses of
their previoud band to loud, meaty, sweat-drenched riffs. Since their debut
last year, they've only gotten heavier, easily able to compete with the more
bottom-heavy stylings of the other bands on the bill.
Their stage presence was as stripped down and unpretentious as their sound.
Sometimes the most Zen-like path to showmanship Nirvana comes not from trying
to put on a "show," instead letting the music do the talking. With
no piercings or high profile tattoos, the Evil Queens look like they maintain
respectable employment when not on stage."
Donewaiting.com
Robert Duffy
... it was time to turn the amps to 11 last night at Ruby Tuesday's where
Boxcar Satan and Evil Queens reminded me that nasty filthy rock and roll can
be just as beautiful as Icelandic rock bands singing in fake languages.
... Evil Queens can hold there own against other hard rock band out there
today, sitting comfortably somewhere between Fu Manchu and Queens of the Stone
Age. These Columbus boys put on a great set
Robert Duffy
Evil Queens played next and delivered the rock. Fist pumping, head banging
devil horn throwing rock. Fuck their broken amps and strings and sraps. Fuck
the huge fight that broke out during their set. That stuff didn't matter.
The music is the message and they're telling me to turn the volume up.
Cringe.com
Joel Treadway
One of the Top Locals Of 2002
* The Evil Queens - The Evil Queens
