A good blueprint for the thundering chaos paired with Sonic Youth textures that would be TOD's calling card, "Richter Scale Madness"**** is the ideal introduction. Unfortunately it's followed by the first blunder, seemingly endless "Novena Without Faith", which can be summed up as one chord and a murmur which builds to a 3-chord emo stomp and slowly peters out over 8:25. The middle of the album explores various aspects of Sonic Youth, the ebb and flow on "Fake Fake Eyes", and with subdued melodies on "Gargoyle Waiting", while "Half Of What" is all about the drums that build brilliantly but suggest that there should be more than this verse/chorus. The strange melodic sense of "When We Begin To Steal" is interesting, but like "Novena" the murmured vocal delivery is tiresome and it's far too long. "Prince With A Thousand Enemies"**** is another triumph, with Sonic Youth's droning textures and dischordant chord stacking with a pounding drive that builds to a logical release. Thanks to a memorable riff "Ounce Of Prevention" is almost as good, though it hardly lets up until a clanging end that begs for a Bonham-esque flaming gong.
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