Amyl and the Sniffers – Truth or Consequence

The Australian pub punks of Amyl and the Sniffers have been storming global stages like a destructive whirlwind for years. With their raw, unpolished energy, the relentless riffs of guitarist Dec Martens and the signature, captivating charisma of frontman Amy Taylor, the Melbourne quartet grew into one of the most acclaimed live acts of the moment. After the success of their studio albums, the band now surprises with the live album “Truth or Consequence”, recorded during an intimate and wild performance at El Coyote in Los Angeles. Where you can normally count on a wall of rock-hard garage rock and sweaty mosh pits, the formation surprisingly hits the brakes this time. The result is a unique recording on which the familiar punk bangers are cast in a surprisingly country-influenced jacket.

The experiment pays off surprisingly well and gives the band’s repertoire a completely new dynamic. Take the highlight “Hertz”, which screams past boiling point in the original version. Here, the hurried rhythm section is swapped for a slow, smouldering groove that evokes memories of dusty desert roads, without Taylor losing her biting fierceness. “Big Dreams” is also given a beautiful acoustic foundation, allowing the melodic undercurrent and the sharp observations in the lyrics much more room to breathe.

Yet it remains a genuine recording of a hot-headed evening. The audience makes itself heard loud and clear and the band absolutely does not shy away from the raw edge. The addition of previously unreleased material such as “Caltex Cowgirl” fits seamlessly among the reworked material. However, the absolute highlight of the record is the surprising cover of the Slim Dusty classic “Lights On The Hill”. Amy Taylor sings the classic with a mixture of respect and pure, unfiltered bravado, proving that the boundary between old-fashioned outlaw country and modern punk is actually razor-thin. Towards the end of the set, during the chugging “Me & The Girls (Are Drunk at The Pig Farm)”, the chaos in the room is fully palpable once again.

“Truth or Consequence” shows that Amyl and the Sniffers have more to offer than just a steamroller of one and a half minutes per track. It is a refreshing, playful and exceptionally strong interlude that underlines the band’s versatility. A mandatory purchase for the enthusiast who wants to hear the familiar material through a different lens. (8/10) (Rough Trade)