The Hard Stuff

A startlingly diverse collection of high-tension, post-punk passions, spoken word atmospherics, fretboard gymnastics and stark reminiscence, all drenched in the cream of '90s hardcore ... preposterously good.

Despite his chiseled writing, Kramer speaks loudest with his Stratocaster. Riffs drop out of the mix like blockbusters; random squawks and guttural honks burp throughout his hardscrabble tales.