200 Million Thousand NZ Drum captures Gold Class at

Drum captures Gold Class at their creative peak—raw

stands out among the many copycats in the noise rock genre

" the band combines raw power with evolving songwriting skills

balancing relentless aggression with musical depth

200 Million Thousand NZ Drum captures Gold Class atThe Black Lips' fifth studio album, 2009's 200 Million Thousand, continues with their signature ramshackle swagger and sleaze, picking clean bones of garage rock with songs like "Drugs," the Iggy Pop cover "Again & Again," and "Take My Heart." However, attempts at being spooky or serious, like "Trapped in a Basement" and "The Drop I Hold," fall flat and show that the band's strengths lie in their raw sound and catchy melodies, rather than trying to be