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Jan 05, 2010 Web Exclusive By John Everhart

With their third album in their Mach 2 incarnation, swapping out tape manipulator and producer Martin Swope for Shellac’s Bob Weston, Mission of Burma have rather implausibly eclipsed their original lineup’s quantity of recorded output. And the quality, while not quite up to snuff with classics like “Trem Two” and “Academy Fight Song,” is nonetheless superb.

From the mesmeric low end rumble of “Forget Yourself,” to the surging discordance of “SSL 83,” which comes on abruptly and violently like a switch-blade’s been pulled on you, The Sound finds Burma at a new peak of sorts. But this one not only packs a visceral instrumental punch, but also engenders a sense of danger sorely lacking in today’s largely fangless garage punk scene. Burma’s volatile alchemy ceaselessly endures and astounds nearly three decades after their initial inception. (www.missionofburma.com)

Author rating: 8/10