On Excellent Italian Greyhound, the trio returns to its familiar trappings. Rhythms lurch around as unsteadily as a peg-legged pole-dancer, thick, gelatinous bass lines are as much jellified napalm as hard-rock sludge and, of course, there's that trademark Albini sarcasm that's only a little less cutting than hail-of-razors guitars he employs to do his dirty work. It's the Shellac we've all come to know -- or just maybe fear.  Full text...

Excellent Italian Greyhound is everything you’d want from a new Shellac record - terrific-sounding, expertly performed and gleefully atonal as ever, but it’s live that this legendary three-piece’s performance art really comes to life as more than the sum of its casually-displayed parts.  Full text...

Excellent Italian Greyhound is unique in being one of very few albums anticipated for seven years-- a punk-rock eternity-- that still feels rushed.  Full text...

Perhaps Excellent Italian Greyhound isn’t exactly the landmark album fans were waiting for, but the only fans who give a shit are the casual ones who looked at the rating above and moved on (thanks for sticking around, you).  Full text...