Black Diamond Heavies

With the departure of guitarist, singer and songwriter Mark "Porkchop" Holder, the Black Diamond Heavies lost some musical heft. But judging from the recent album Every Damn Time the band's take on bass-free garage-blues may have gotten meatier — and meaner. Keyboardist John Wesley Myers takes over lead vocals with vengeance in his spit and blood in his eye, shredding his pharynx membranes like Tom Waits gargling Dickel and gasoline. Drummer Van Campbell rides the rhythms — whether gospel marches or psych-rock spaz-outs — like the funkiest punk to replace a snare every other week. What are its songs about? Who could say or care? The Black Diamond Heavies' sound obliterates all comprehension, not to mention every pre-amp in the grimy, smoky, greasy Chattanooga basement the duo calls home.