The Criminal Mind

There's a lot of continuity between the third Gone album and the first two — which might seem surprising because there was an eight-year hiatus and a change in two of the three players. The remaining member was Greg Ginn, and that's what made the difference. Ginn is the driving force behind Gone, and he knows what he likes — which in this case is hammering drums, a funky bassline, and squalling, bent guitar melodies. The repetitious rhythm tracks make the bass and guitar mayhem seem wilder and more dangerous than they would be otherwise. Bassist Steve Sharp has a precise, intricate style that is a perfect foil for Ginn's sloppy but brilliant playing. Listen to tracks like "Freeny" or "P.S. Was Wrong," which make lightning transitions between swinging metal and wild funk breaks — neither sounds like anything that anybody else has ever cut. At its best, this is intelligent headbanging music that can turn a late night dancefloor into a writhing frenzy, but that also rewards repeated listens with the headphones on and the volume turned way up.