Walt Mink is a band you can always count on to be completely unpredictible. Their phenomenal 1992 debut, Miss Happiness, blew critics out of their comfortable numbness, but their sophomore record, Bareback Ride was slightly limp, leaning more toward Guns 'N' Roses than the Smashing Pumpkins they're so often compared to. In the midst of a label crisis with Sony and losing their first drummer, Joey Waronker, Walt Mink disappeared for a while. Then, from out of nowhere, they came back hard with their astonishing major label debut, El Producto. However, due to all the good people at the label getting fired or quitting, El Producto was hidden away in some closet with next to no press or promotion. I heard they were dropped and the band was falling apart.

Colossus may or may not be the band's swan song. Hopefully not. Walt Mink is easily one of the most impressive rock bands of the late 20th century and are so amazing that if anyone had ever heard of them, they'd realize the band has as much credibility as the Stones and as much integrity as the Beatles. While it's not quite as good as El Producto, it's damn close. And it still tops about 95% of the releases this year so far.

John Kimbrough picks at the guitar strings with such accuracy and precision, you'd think he was Steve Vai minus the egocentric solos. And songs like "Goodnite" and "Boots" are downright amazing rock songs that are outstanding in both lyricism ("I'm down/ But what's done is done/ This is true to the picture/ I'm ashamed/ Aren't you?") and melodicism.

The album's high point comes with "Brave Beyond the Call," a standard slab of Kimbrough genius whose chorus reflects upon a worrisome mother ("Mama's secrets never leaked/ And she was Brave Beyond the Call/ Placed the welfare of her family's illusion over all... She'll prevent you from it all.")

Colossus follows the Walt Mink tradition of transcending all other current releases and is truly one of the band's finest records yet. You can probably expect the same of their next album -- if they stick around long enough to make one.

-Ryan Schreiber