Review / 200 Words Or Less
Pestilent Endeavors
Adult Onset Death

Backwoods Butcher (2015) Nathan G. O'Brien

Pestilent Endeavors – Adult Onset Death cover artwork
Pestilent Endeavors – Adult Onset Death — Backwoods Butcher, 2015

This is a cool tape sent in by Mr. Food Fortunata, the fine gentleman behind the always enjoyable and reliable Saginaw, MI-based publication Ear of Corn fanzine. A lot of these tracks—and there are a whopping 21 of them, although mostly very short—remind me of early Mudhoney, something for which I am never disappointed. Some of the odder-sounding stuff on Flipper's Sex Bomb Baby! compilation comes to mind as well. There’s a fair amount of humor going on here. Take for example these lyrics from “A Cure For Everything”: “Alcohol is the cure for depression/Depression is the cure for herpes/Herpes cures nasal congestion/And congestion cures alcoholism.” There’s something really, ah, historical that resonates from this. Like it was made in the ‘80s. That, or by 40 year-old guys that decided to bang out the same kind of skuzzy punk that they listened to in junior high. That is not a rip, rather a compliment! A little-known band like Frantix is another good frame of reference I suppose. I’m not sure but Food might actually be in this band even though the players are identified as Patient Zero and Doctor X. (I lost the note the came with it.) I can tell you though with 100% certainty that he did the artwork, which is excellent and creepily engaging as always. The overall packaging is really nice. It’s a pro-printed 3x fold-out J-card that recalls the days when cassettes were the only medium (as opposed to the on-trend one they are now) so your stuff had to be on point visually if it was going to attract any attention.

Pestilent Endeavors – Adult Onset Death cover artwork
Pestilent Endeavors – Adult Onset Death — Backwoods Butcher, 2015

Recently-posted album reviews

Joyce Manor

I Used To Go To This Bar
Epitaph (2026)

Surely by now, you’ve heard their name. Joyce Manor have been writing soundtracks for heartbreaks and hangovers for nearly two decades now. They create short songs with their hearts on their sleeves, while sticking to that distinct Southern California mix of self-deprecation and sincerity. From the lo-fi charm of their 2011 debut to Never Hungover Again’s cult-classic status and the … Read more

La Luz

Extra! Extra!
Sub Pop (2026)

Formed in 2012, La Luz built their reputation on hypnotic surf-noir, eerie harmonies, and a uniquely supernatural warmth that made them one of Sub Pop’s most consistently compelling bands. Their 2024 full-length News of the Universe marked a major artistic shift. The sound became lush, cosmic, dust-covered, and produced by Maryam Qudus, whose work helped push the band into its … Read more

Dead Boys

Night Of The Living Dead Dolls
Cleopatra (2025)

Dead Boys, or should I say Dead Dolls (no, not those creepy little Dolls that were mass produced for wannabe Wednesdays). Johnny Blitz had just been stabbed on the streets of New York. A benefit was created to raise funds to help the fallen comrade, known as the Blitz benefit. Look it up, plebeians. Anyways cue in snot, attitude and … Read more