Basement Apes

Like their Scandinavian counterparts in Soundtrack of Our Lives and the Hellacopters, Norway's Gluecifer exists in an alternate universe where power chords grow on trees, everyone's ears are ringing, and there's a meal in every frothing can of Carling. Falling somewhere between Rocket From the Crypt and the Dandy Warhols, their particular brand of rock & roll mojo embraces convention so completely that any cynicism is silenced with a beer shower before it can say you've heard it all before. Basement Apes wisely tempers its white lightening with a few mid-tempo rockers, even if "Losing End" and "Little Man" are only mildly successful. After all, too much headbanging only leads to a neck ache. But "Brutus" and "Not Enough for You" will keep the fists in the air, and "Round and Round" works despite its weird resemblance to the Doobie Brothers' "China Grove." Forgive Gluecifer — they're from Norway.

Too often, bands that rock as hard and fast as Gluecifer do tend to flag a bit toward the end of their recordings. Therefore, the best thing about Basement Apes is its strong finish. The one-two punch of "Shotgun Seat" and "Powertools and Piss" is like hearing Nazareth's Hair of the Dog for the first time all over again.