I can recall only one concert that ever converted an entire roomful of disbelievers to indie missionaries. It was 1996, in a small Australian town. Roughly 100 Slayer and Metallica fans had gathered, mostly against their will, to see the Archers of Loaf. The longhairs initially responded to the set with deformed sneers and abuse. However, the gig ended amidst tears of revelation and recognition. Such was the power of the Archers of Loaf.

That year, the Archers released Vitus Tinnitus, an EP that adequately captured the coarse might of their live shows. Their recorded output had always threatened to bring them wider exposure, but after the release of their fourth LP, White Trash Heroes, lead guitarist Eric Johnson departed. By the start of the new millennium, the Archers had disbanded, leaving only Eric Bachmann's Crooked Fingers to carry on the legacy.

Seconds Before the Accident records one of the Archers' final shows in their hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the vocal crowd reflects the affection with which their fans regarded them. The liner notes explain the songs were chosen "based on listenability," and indeed, the tracks function to highlight the brighter points of the band's career. "Dead Red Eyes" opens the record, setting Eric Bachmann's dry, melodic vocal line over sedated keyboards and a punchy, distorted bass. The track segues nicely into Vee Vee's "Fabricoh," a trademark skewed, dirty rock song. The pop classic "Web in Front" is followed by Bachmann's heartfelt warning to his crowd: "If I have an aneurysm tonight, it's out of gratitude."

"Fashion Bleeds" showcases the confident interplay between Bachmann's driving rhythm and Johnson's unique atonal lead. Their energetic, distorted drone is focused throughout by Bachmann's intelligent if somewhat angry lyrical reaction to consumer society. His drawl on Icky Mettle's "You and Me" is welcomed by a cacophony of drunken voices shouting along with the first verse. Such is the fondness with which this, one of their final shows ever, was regarded.

At the close of the set, Bachmann returns to the stage unaccompanied to bid farewell with the beautiful piano ballad, "Chumming the Oceans." Even through the sterile bits of digital technology, there's an undeniable sense of sadness emanating from the crowd as one of the great Chapel Hill bands of the '90s departs for possibly the last time.

The collection of moments that comprise Seconds Before the Accident, and the live spectacle itself will elicit the same from anyone familiar with the Archers' eight-year commitment to incredible rock music. Perhaps the roughness of the live sound would rule this album out as a proper introduction to the band's work-- especially with their monumental 1993 debut, Icky Mettle, filling that niche appropriately. But to fans, this will prove a fitting swansong, and excellent documentation for an experience lost to another time.

-Pete Nicholson