L7

Fun, feminism and big, fat riffs from grunge’s most fearless band.

Alternative rock enjoyed a magical year in 1992, but even amid an avalanche of classic albums L7’s Bricks Are Heavy, their third, managed to rise above the grunge noise and make its presence known in grand style. As weighty as the title suggests, clever, melodic and deeply, deeply sarcastic, L7’s best record is the peerless starting point for this beautifully presented reissue of the three albums they made for Slash Records.

was the big hit, an instant Proustian return to 90s rock-club dancefloors that was poppier and less threatening than the rest of the album, but it’s opening track a diamond-solid heavy charge that fights fire with fire, an uncompromising, adrenaline-fuelled feminine attack on masculine aggression – that sets out L7’s stall as fearless rock warriors. Holding grudges has never sounded cooler than on Shitlist, while Mr Integrity, all vintage rock’n’roll drama, is a witty knock-down of mansplaining hipster guardians of the scene. But it’s the bonus tracks that reveal some long-forgotten treats, particularly a wry cover