Archers of Loaf

Vitus Tinnitus was the Archers' first officially released live recording -- a short, simple EP released as a limited-edition 10". Recorded at the Middle East club in Cambridge, MA, on an October night in 1996, the six songs selected from their set are a grab bag of hits from Vee Vee, plus a song apiece from the All the Nation's Airports LP and Vs. the Greatest of all Time EP. Brian Paulson's mix is relatively hot and it brings out the Loaf's raw live energy, a harsh juxtaposition of their studio albums, which aren't exactly studio-polished. Eric Bachmann's voice is gnarly and worn, and while it suits the jagged edges of the band's guitar sound, it lands this record firmly in the "for fans only" department. The EP ends with a mystery of the modern music business: the indie rock remix. Two tracks from All the Nation's Airports are subjected to John Agnello's (Cyndi Lauper, Appleseed Cast, Aerosmith, Murder City Devils) competent studio tomfoolery. So competent is Agnello, in fact, that the songs sound remarkably the same as they did in their original incarnations, and as such are perfect exemplars of the strange sameness that befalls most remixes of their ilk. Vitus Tinnitus is great fun for the Archers of Loaf fan. ~ Bryan Carroll, All Music Guide