Review Summary: Well done noise rock/sludge metal, but with missing potential.
Pen Rollings has done a number of projects over the years, with his bands other than Breadwinner not well documented. Butterglove was a noise rock band he was in right before Breadwinner, with it lasting from 1988 - 1990. They released an EP in ‘89 and had this album recorded before they broke up, but like with Breadwinner the recordings were shelved until the label released it. The Butterglove recordings were finally released in 1997, where it went completely under the radar and very little noticed. And that’s where the story ends.
Real shame too, since this is just as good as the other noise rock he’s known for.
The first thing to get into is how much Rebby Sharp is stifled in this record. Her unhinged vocal deliveries and vocalizations fit in really well with the music, but it's mixed real low most of the time she’s even on. The only times you hear her clearly is in Dirtbench and The Machine. Most of the time she’s not even there. It’s a real disappointment, but at least the record makes itself up a bit.
Instrumentally, Pen Rollings, Sean Harris, and Seth Harris absolutely slay here. Pen Rolling’s grooves (sometimes on the more atonal side) and slow, sludgy passages make this feel very engaging to keep up with.
Waiting to be Wiped and Sleep Thirsty are some of the best on the album, going from heavy grooves right into sludge metal territory. The Machine is more experimental, focusing more on Rebby’s vocals and Pen’s wild guitar improvisation, with Seth and Sean keeping the beat. The rest of the tracks have pretty fun grooves and heavy riffs, but don’t stand out too much.
While well done noise rock, it falls just short of being something special.
Recommended Tracks: Waiting to be Wiped, Dirtbench, The Machine, Lisa’s World.
