“Fun, feisty, fast and furious. Grunge with a punk-metal heart.” L7’s Bricks Are Heavy – A breath of fresh air in a scene that quickly became stale
This is an album review from Louder celebrating L7's 1992 album Bricks Are Heavy, marking its release on the Warner Bros subsidiary label Slash Records. The Los Angeles band, previously labelmates of Nirvana at Sub Pop, worked with producer Butch Vig, fresh from Nevermind, for this third record, which the review credits with injecting fresh energy into a grunge scene that was already becoming formulaic.
The review highlights tracks including Pretend We're Dead as the standout single, alongside Shitlist, Everglade and Wargasm. It touches on the band's irreverent image and reputation for on-stage antics, and includes guitarist and vocalist Donita Sparks reflecting on the band's years spent in LA's underground scene before finally breaking through. The piece appears as part of Louder's ongoing Album of the Week Club feature, which discusses and rates a chosen record each week.
- Louder reviews L7's 1992 album Bricks Are Heavy, praising its energy.
- Produced by Butch Vig; Pretend We're Dead named standout track.
- Featured in Louder's weekly Album of the Week Club series.
New here? Start with this
L7's Bricks Are Heavy came out in 1992 on Slash Records, a label under the Warner Bros umbrella. The band, from Los Angeles, had previously recorded for Sub Pop, the same Seattle label that launched Nirvana, and this third album was made with producer Butch Vig, who had just worked on Nirvana's Nevermind. By this point grunge had become one of the biggest sounds in rock, but was also starting to feel repetitive to some listeners.
L7 were known for blending grunge's heavy guitar sound with the energy and attitude of punk, and for a confrontational, irreverent stage presence. Key songs from the record include Pretend We're Dead, Shitlist, Everglade and Wargasm, with founding guitarist and vocalist Donita Sparks among those associated with the band's identity.
This piece is a retrospective review published by the music site Louder, part of its regular Album of the Week Club series, in which a chosen record from the past is revisited and discussed.