Savage times : the complete collection vol. 1-5

"In the spring of 2016, San Francisco blues-punk eccentric Hanni El Khatib issued the first of what would eventually be five EPs bearing the name Savage Times. More so than on previous releases, these EPs staunchly subscribed to an anything-goes credo that found El Khatib moving further afield from his garage stomp roots. Throughout the year the remaining four EPs were consecutively doled out by the Innovative Leisure label, each offering bite-sized glimpses into the guitarist's rapidly evolving creative process ... What it lacks in overall cohesion is made up for by a scatterbrained sprawling in numerous directions, giving this the feeling of a career-spanning collection of rarities and experiments rather than the strange fruit of a one-year period".

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"As a whole, 'Savage Times' is a chaotic, yet interesting album. Khatib cease to create a momentum due to the sheer amount of material facing the listener on this record, however, he masters the contrasts and contradictions within his tunes with an astonishing balance between the sensuous melodic and the raw ugliness. Rounding off with bonkers track `Freak Freely'. The five minutes bass-laid tune includes voice-overs as well as odd rhythm segments and imploding instrumentals, just a bold enough closer for this journey of an album".

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