Big Wreck 7.1 - EP

A quarter century after their formation, Big Wreck is still reinforcing the fundamentals of classic rock while blowing them wide open. The 7.1 EP is the first part of a triptych, and it’s a testament to the amazing amount of range this band can cover in a confined format. The epic opener “If All Else Fails” rides its sustained ambient intro into a monstrous Morse code groove before a soaring chorus scales the heights of the band’s late-’90s hits, while “Fields” takes a gentler, more jangly route to the same destination. But nowhere is Big Wreck’s high-wire balance of hooks and heft more impressive than on “Bombs Away,” an angelic power ballad shrouded in pulverizing nu-metal riffs.