While UFO Romantics, the Japanese trio's last record, was a little light on the distortion, Love Rock pierces your eardrums until they ooze sweet red kroovy. Beautiful bursts of squealing feedback, pulsating drums, and a bass that roars like a revved-up Kawasaki ZII 750 mesh together to create an intoxicating sonic concoction that will revitalize your faith in music. Singer-guitarist Seiji kicks out the jams hard and fast, with little regard for technical prowess, which, in this era of rock, is totally refreshing. It's a wonderful thing that Guitar Wolf couldn't care less if it's hitting the proper chord or tuning its instruments correctly, because what counts here is the pure, fiery passion and atomic explosion of rock adoration. As the band likes to say, "Stronger than ever, loud as fuck, Guitar Wolf just wanna rock." This is, hands down, the best rock 'n' roll record of 2004. -- Jason Gagnon