Monolí CD

Totimoshi's second album, Monoli, arrived in 2002, three years after their oft-forgotten debut, and finally ensured that the San Francisco trio would not be overlooked again. The formula? One part noise rock, one part ‘90s alternative rock, and one part sludge -- bringing to mind a sonic slurry concoction of the Melvins, Helmet, Sonic Youth, the Jesus Lizard, Dinosaur Jr., the Toadies, and even Nirvana. In fact, the latter is especially pronounced in bandleader Antonio "Tony" Aguilar's tormented growls, which are reminiscent of Bleach-period Kurt Cobain (although he's prone to fragile crooning as well). Meanwhile, his dominating guitar work pulls evenly from all of these influences to achieve its sullen melodies ("Light Lay Frowning," "Make Your Day"), cobwebbed staccato picking ("Vader," "Possum"), stop-start riffs ("Fancy Pants"), ultra-distorted power chords ("The Pigs Are Schemin'," "The Skies Over Monolith Mountain"), and frequent dark/light contrasts ("You Know," the brooding instrumental "The Hero Released from Fright").