Album Review: L7 – Wargasm: The Slash Years 1992-1997 (Cherry Red)

With Smashing Pumpkins, Alanis Morissette, Green Day and Foo Fighters still cranking out new albums, sometimes it feels as though the 90s never ended. So, what better time to revisit the output of one of that decade’s most underrated bands, L7.

And, yes, L7 have indeed reformed and released a new (-ish) album, 2019’s Scatter The Rats, and were scheduled to perform in New Zealand before all this Covid business kicked in (click here to check out the 13^th Floor interview with Donita Sparks).

But this new 3-CD compilation captures the band just as they had been signed to Slash Records (distributed by Warners) and, with smokin’ hot producer/engineer Butch Vig (speaking of the 90s, I believe Garbage is due for a new album), this was a band ready to strike.

And strike they did.

Their single, Pretend We’re Dead, was a hit and the sky was the limit. That track was on Bricks Are Heavy (1992), the first of three full length L7 albums featured here.

With previous records out on Epitaph and Sub Pop, this wasn’t the band’s first, although it was the first time many folks heard them thanks to wider distribution.

Listening back almost 30 years later and…frankly, they sound great.

Back then, much was made of how they were an all “girl” punk/hard rock/grunge band. Nowadays who cares? They just rock.

Bricks are Heavy was followed by Hungry For Stink (1994) and The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum (1997), all featured here with a few assorted bonus tracks and single edits.

Comparisons to Hole are tempting, but these ladies rock much harder. Producer GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine) brought out the rock on Hungry For Stink and Rob Cavallo and Joe Barresi brought out their melodic side…even bringing Lionel Richie on board for a cameo…for The Beauty Process.

For the inside story on how Lionel jammed with L7, read the booklet that comes with this package, then turn this up…LOUD.

Marty Duda