Madden is for N00bz Review

I've heard a rough demo of "Madden is for N00bz," and...wow. The song is a step beyond "Joe Dirt" in terms of removal from their older material. "Joe Dirt," which was released in October, was the first song to feature the band's drastic stylistic evolution and to feature new vocalist Rob Delaney, as well as AJ Harvey as the now sole guitarist.

"Madden" begins with a memorable riff where the synth, which drummer Evan Sammons has referred to as a "fifth member of the band," is blaringly obvious and right in front. Harvey's guitar is barely audible and takes a backseat to the synth. The guitar was much more prominent in the song's live debut on Oct. 26, but this difference may be simply due to the raw mix, or indeed a deliberate variation between the live and recorded formats. The presence of the drums is well felt and appreciated, particularly in the outro. Delaney's vocals, as on "Joe Dirt," sound evocative of insanity; he screams, roars, and uses his sense for strange melodics throughout the song with original and off-the-wall lyrics.

The song features both hard to follow, start-stop riffs and some catchier sections, as well as an infectious chorus; "It's just the right place, wrong time" Delaney shrieks and growls. Harvey's riffs are vaguely evocative of Meshuggah, while still maintaining originality. The same can be said of the solo, which features some 15-ish seconds of seemingly random, skillful tapping and noodling around the frets.

"Madden is for N00bz" is a great tune in the same vein as "Joe Dirt" and continues to show the extent of LCTR's talent, experimentation and promise in their new direction and lineup.