While Swervedriver never strayed far from their original paradigm, the formula clearly reached its zenith onMezcal Head, an almost unimpeachably ambitious undertaking. Mezcal Head combined the best elements of shoegazing with grunge and even American indie rock. From the moment the guitars crash through the speakers at the thirty-eight second mark, there’s nary a weak moment — particularly impressive when you consider that the album is over 60-minutes in length. Brilliance is littered all over the place, from the single “Duel” (named for the Steven Spielberg movie of the same title) to “Harry & Maggie” to the eight-minute monster, “Duress”. The true standouts, however, are the blistering “Last Train to Satansville”, which somehow manages to combine Dylan’s poetic lyricism with jagged, metallic guitars, and “Never Lose that Feeling”, (conspicuously absent on the British version) which features one of the most orgasmic guitar crescendos ever committed to tape. It’s all held together by Franklin’s living-dead vocals, buried slightly but never to the point the lyrics can’t be deciphered.

But as a said before, the true genius of Swervedriver was in the details. The subtle touches of producer Alan Moulder perfectly complement an already fantastic collection of songs. Moulder largely abandons the avant-garde inclinations of his work with MBV, taking care to leave the choruses free of meddlesome abstractions. Guitars pulse in and out without ever losing the plot; Franklin’s voice melts into the feedback but never fades away completely. Moulder’s production gives a welcome and essential post-modern spin to Franklin’s traditional sensibilities.