It may seem hard to believe now, but in the mid-90s the Archers of Loaf were considered about as vital to the landscape of American Indie rock as Pavement, Guided by Voices, and Built to Spill. The Chapel Hill group definitely brought their own sound to the table and really reflected the times.
Considering how much heavier than their peers the band should have probably fared better in the grunge 90s, but either way those who really know their music know this album is an essential part of the era. The ironic-aggressive lyrics and sound delivered with a generours dose of fun (see "Learo, You're a Hole") could only come out of a college town in the 90s and rather than being really timeless, the album serves as a perfect time capsule, and that should be remembered when listening to it. That being said, the songwriting is very tight especially on the classic opening track "Web In Front" and "Wrong." While their certain, hardcore-like (the connection is as strong on as macho-man group Give Up the Ghost even covered this album's "You and Me") energy makes them quite distinguishable, this is a place to hear some ultimate 90s indie guitar riffs, especially on "Might" and "Plumb Line."
This, I believe, is in print, but for a long time - like when I got it for a whole lot of money on eBay six years ago, was out, or at least not being well-distributed. For uninitiated Eric Bachmann fans, it must be noted that this sounds nothing like his solo work or Crooked Fingers.
Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle (1993)
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