Human Eye - Dinosaur Bones

(Ypsilanti, 2007)

Despite the tra-la-la bona fides he’s built up over the years with Saturday Looks Good to Me, folks better realize that Fred Thomas puts out some doggone crazy stuff on his Ypsilanti microlabel, waxed blurts that reflect his way-back association with the Michigan noise scene of olde. Which certainly isn’t to say that Human Eye is anywhere near as harsh as a Wolf Eyes or as far-out as a Dead Machines, but these guys do at least take the classic shit-punk maneuvers (tight rhythm section, mongoloid moan-yell, buzzsaw distortion) and tweak them with liberal squirtings of synths, ugly noises and jarring mixing techniques in order to create some awright-enough product. Like the frantic “Dinosaur Bones,” absolutely the best song on here, which is crazed enough to make me curious about the full-length on In The Red… still haven’t checked it out, though, so your guess is as good as mine on that front, quality-wise. Thoughts from those out there who Know? Do inform.

And: Ever helpful, I was trying to help a young lady name her thanatology book this morning by generating a series of lousy death-related puns. Tell me now, you disinterested third party of the internet, do any of these strike YOUR fancy? “Jeepers Reapers!” “Everything Else is Just Grave-y.” “Tomb it May Concern.” “Of Corpse!” “Urn! Urn! Urn! (To Everything There is a Season.)” “Of Scythes and Men.” “That’s A-Morbid.”

I know what you’re thinking and I agree: Where’s MY genius grant??