by Jeremy Zerbe
When UK noise-rockers Part Chimp went on hiatus in 2009, it would have been easy to believe that it marked the end of the band’s best and most creative run. Over the course of six years, they’d released three LPs on Mogwai’s Rock Action Records, as well as a North American compilation CD, all chock full of fuzzed-out, bombastic riffs that called to mind everything from Harvey Milk to Pet Genius to Title Fight.
Upon their return with 2017’s IV (a fitting enough title for a fourth studio album), it became clear that they had much more to offer. They’d crystalized their sound into something more metallic, more deliberate, and impossibly, even heavier. Now, with Drool, their third release since the break, the South London band seems to make the case that their first six years were just a lead-up to the earth-shaking post-hardcore they’d produce during their second coming.
The looser, faster songs from their earlier catalog have, by Drool, all but entirely been supplanted by the thunder-heeled, mid-tempo thumpers that always were Part Chimp’s real speciality. Focusing on those big, head-banging grooves have given the band a shape and a fullness reminiscent of Torche or any number of Relapse bands, from the first drop of “Back from the Dead” to the marching beat of the title track. Even the noisy transitional tracks that dot this sixth full-length feel more controlled and complete than their squealing counterparts on the earlier run of records.
So, too, do the vocals of frontman Tim Cedar. Where he once could sound overly choked (and, often, completely buried), Drool finds Cedar at his perhaps most confident and developed. The melodic, monotone moan familiar to longtime fans can still be found on tracks like "Clever" and "Up, With Notes,” while he experiments with a Tad-like snarl on “It’s True, Man."
Ultimately, this is another in an increasingly excellent run of Part Chimp records. It’s heavy as hell and it sounds great from start to finish. If you’re looking for the scuzz of their earliest records you may find this misses the mark for you—but if you’ve loved the work they’ve been turning out since their return four years ago, Drool is yet another stellar entry in the discography of one of heavy music’s most consistent bands.