User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info

Icky Mettle [Deluxe Edition]
by
  • Record Label:
  • Release Date:
Icky Mettle [Deluxe Edition] Image
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 17 Ratings

  • Summary: The 1993 debut album for the North Carolina indie rock band, which had ended in 1998, is rereleased just as the band returns for a reunion tour.
Buy Now
Buy on

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. The Guardian
    Dec 22, 2011
    100
    Brimming with character and endlessly relistenable, Icky Mettle is something of a touchstone for one of US indie's purplest patches.
  2. Prefix Magazine
    Aug 9, 2011
    100
    When listening to Icky Mettle, you feel included, like they're the crew you've known your entire life. The fact that it's both very relevant today and a thrilling snapshot of the restlessly creative 90's underground is no small achievement.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Aug 8, 2011
    91
    The new double-disc edition of Icky Mettle explains why hopes for AoL were so high, and why those hopes may have been misplaced.
  4. Rolling Stone
    Aug 5, 2011
    90
    They perfected the genre moves: bracing attack, two-guitar blurs of dissonance and beauty, a sympathetic barker wringing emotion from lyrics about the insular rock scene and girls who stalked it.
  5. Dusted Magazine
    Aug 5, 2011
    90
    The early material is interesting, if only to hear how "Web in Front" and "Wrong" were fleshed out on Icky Mettle. But it's the album, and The Greatest of All Time, that are the real draw here.
  6. Consequence
    Aug 5, 2011
    80
    If anything, the extras better inform the choices eventually made on the band's debut, highlighting just how great a record it turned out to be (since, basically, they'd been doing it from song one). Put simply, Icky Mettle is a gem of early '90s rock worthy of a place in the indie Smithsonian.
  7. Drowned In Sound
    Dec 14, 2011
    80
    Overall it's about as perfect as introduction to the band as you're likely to get, and perhaps a timely chance to give the Archers an opportunity to climb back into the upper echelons of your record collection.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Teaspoon
    Oct 13, 2011
    10
    You can't get more raw or brash than Icky Mettle. Untrained ears may cringe at the crunchy, screeching guitars and slightly sour vocals, butYou can't get more raw or brash than Icky Mettle. Untrained ears may cringe at the crunchy, screeching guitars and slightly sour vocals, but indie rock fans will assure you that this album is perfect. It has everything you could ever want from an indie record: layered guitar sounds, crude vocals, an over-abundance of energy, and generally a lack of production or value for money. When you discover that the whole album was made over the course of about a week and - according to lead singer Eric Bachmann - only cost around $5,000 to make, you'll probably think that Icky Mettle will just be a waste of your time and cash -- that is, until you listen to it.… Expand
  2. j30
    Aug 13, 2011
    10
    Great album. I had no idea these guys existed since I read some of the reviews on this website. Early 90's Indie-rock doesn't get much betterGreat album. I had no idea these guys existed since I read some of the reviews on this website. Early 90's Indie-rock doesn't get much better than this. If you like Weezer's Blue Album and Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain you'll instantly fall in love with this album. From the opening track (Web In Front) I was surprised I had never heard them before.… Expand
  4. vbprog
    Aug 30, 2011
    10
    I came to this site recently looking for some new music to sink into. I found it here. Yes - older band but new to me. Raw, meaty music. ThisI came to this site recently looking for some new music to sink into. I found it here. Yes - older band but new to me. Raw, meaty music. This represents the Chapel Hill Inde music scene of the early to mid 90s.

    Fractured song construction, witty lyrics, clangorous guitars, lo-fi production. Everything you love about Indie bands.    … Expand
  5. Peaver
    Nov 13, 2011
    6
    Love the musicianship! This is rocking at it's best!.......There's a problem, though. I don't hate my girlfriend, or my wife for that matter.Love the musicianship! This is rocking at it's best!.......There's a problem, though. I don't hate my girlfriend, or my wife for that matter. But, I do hate whiny freaking EMO!… Collapse
  6. nick452
    Oct 27, 2011
    5
    I listened to this a few hours ago, and not one song sticks in my memory. It's a forgettable release. All the songs sound the same, for theI listened to this a few hours ago, and not one song sticks in my memory. It's a forgettable release. All the songs sound the same, for the most part.… Expand

Current Music Releases

Full List »
99 Band on the Run [50th Anniversary Edition] - Paul McCartney & Wings
95 If I don't make it, I love u - Still House Plants
95 The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow - Charles Lloyd
92 This Could Be Texas - English Teacher
92 COWBOY CARTER - Beyoncé
91 The Carnegie Hall Concert - Alice Coltrane
90 1989 (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
90 Iechyd Da - Bill Ryder-Jones
89 I Got Heaven - Mannequin Pussy
89 Black Bayou - Robert Finley
89 Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee
88 Only God Was Above Us - Vampire Weekend
88 What Now - Brittany Howard
88 Hey Panda - The High Llamas
88 Orquídeas - Kali Uchis
88 The Past Is Still Alive - Hurray for the Riff Raff
87 Filthy Underneath - Nadine Shah
87 i/o - Peter Gabriel
87 Blue Lips - ScHoolboy Q
87 Bright Future - Adrianne Lenker
All Current Music »