Through making some of the best and most innovative and challenging alternative rock music on this planet during the last three decades, Sonic Youth have now become a band one dares not criticize….ever! Fortunately, unlike the clichéd-fartbores from U2 (who enjoy the same “untouchables” status) the Youth DO actually keep producing fantastic music that merits the constant and increasing applause. Many years ago it wasn’t that easy to meet a person who was closely acquainted with the Sonic Youth adventure…nowadays it’s quite hard to meet anyone who doesn’t revere them, regardless of whether said person has actually ever heard a note played by Thurston, Kim et al. It’s the hype, you see… Well, forget all that bollocks. Cast your mind back to the time when Sonic Youth last made a crap album…go on…try hard…try really hard, for the sake of it! Wow! What about that then, eh? Bet you got NOWHERE with that project! Could it be because this fantastic band has never ever produced a dud? Oh, quite possibly, old bean, quite possibly. Well now, this time round, the Sonics took their time in between albums, an entire three years in fact, between 'RATHER RIPPED' (which some cretins deemed “too commercial”, wtf?) and 'THE ETERNAL', but boy was it worth it! Note – for imbeciles who criticize the Youth for sometimes being too “radio friendly and melodic” – what fucking planet are you living on? Sonic Youth have always been MELODIC. Or did you think they were just white noise misers? You MUST have noticed that the tsunami guitar noise erupts in a most powerful soundwave with a foamy crest all melodic and wonderfully sinister! 'THE ETERNAL' is the band’s 16th studio album and they’ve yet to disappoint. This one is truly a brilliant effort from a sharply focused band, who have somehow conjured up a magic formula that never gets boring and never fails to captivate or entice. It’s safe to say that, whatever Sonic Youth do, they will always sound totally COOL. Just like The Cramps. We may have lost Lux Interior, but thank God we still have Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley! And long may it last!