Originally, the Slew came together when Montreal DJ Kid Koala and Seattle producer/guitarist Dynomite D were approached to score the soundtrack to a documentary that never ended up seeing the light of day. With the music already in place and at the urging of friends Chris Ross and Myles Heskett, former rhythm section from Australia’s Wolfmother, an album was recorded and eventually a touring act hit the road in order to showcase these rough hardened nuggets of twisted rock ‘n’ roll goodness. 100% is the name of this debut and it’s certainly a strange kind of monster.

This big lumbering beast plods around offering catchy surprises at every pass and a fresh perspective on the reaches turntable-based music can go. Consisting entirely of samples borrowed heavily from the golden age of hard rock and crisscrossing with funk, hip-hop and southern fried blues, this collection of tracks sounds like a possessed bluesman gone metal and exorcised through means of electronic manipulation. Sounding like Black Sabbath with a hip-hop tic or Public Enemy getting wasted in a seedy Australian bar with AC/DC, the album is loud, proud and full of chunky riffs throughout. Though while great on record, there’s little doubt that this music is best meant for the live setting to languish in its full effect. Tracks like “Problem Child” or “Robbing Banks (Doin’ Time)” are fun to listen to but most likely carry their true weight when backed by some live drums and guitar. Aside from that, this music rules heavy!