Without question, 'Beaster' is Bob Mould's masterpiece. In fact, it stands as one of the - if not THE - masterpieces of "post-punk", or whatever you'd call this sort of music.

This album detonates through your speakers at incredible intensity - yet with remarkably controlled passion - from the get-go, and builds layers of resonating sound and repeated motifs (lyrical and musical) on each subsequent track, reaching a cathartic crescendo perfectly on Judas Cradle/JC Auto, right in the middle of the album, before subsiding in waves of crashing, imploding dimunition. That it is there and gone in just over 30 minutes is all the more impressive for its distillation of raw passion into aural magnificence. Quite simply, it obliterates, as elegantly as a mushroom cloud, all the "ear cheese" that's been clogging up your airwaves, leaving a stark, yet refreshingly pristine landscape in its wake. Awesome, in the most old testament meaning that I can impart to the word.

Mould's music is not every listener's cup of tea, but he made some of the seminal music of the mid- to late 1980s, and deserves a spot in every serious listener's library, not only for this album, but also for his work on Husker Du's 'Flip Your Wig', and his two outstanding solo albums, 'Workbook' and 'Black Sheets of Rain'. 'Beaster' far outstrips anything else by Sugar, and much of Husker Du's catalogue as well. One of the great albums of the last 20 years.

Following the superb "Copper Blue," with its crunching guitars and pop sensibilities, Bob Mould probably wanted to return to his more Husker Du-like experimental roots with "Beaster," which was labeled as an E.P. because it's only 6 songs and 30 minutes long. Apart from the music itself, check out the artwork, which is striking. On the back, you see a cross tied around with a thin nylon rope. On the back of the inset, the rope becomes unraveled, with some blood covering the rope and cross. Finally, the album cover depicts just the rope, unravelled on a plain grey floor, seeped in blood. Obviously Mould had alot on his mind, including Christianity and violence.

I just don't think the songs are as good as most of "Copper Blue," or, for that matter, "File Under Easy Listening." "Come Around" reminds me of "Panama City Motel" from F.U.E.L., though not nearly as compelling. "Tilted" doesn't really stand out in any way. The best song on the album is probably "Judas Cradle," (doesn't it sound a little like "Blue" by the Verve?) which showcases Mould's talent of hiding a pretty melody inside a rough jarring song. Why it has to be six minutes long though is anybody's guess. "J.C. Auto" also has that distinctive split personality that Bob Mould does so well: post punk with melodic pop (listen to the tune accompanying the word "holiday"). But someone please explain to me why this fine song has to pointlessly devolve into nonsense with four consecutive discordant lines mentioning "Jesus Christ" (where one line would have been more than enough). It's also too long. I like "Feeling Better," which reminds me of The Inspiral Carpets' "Smoking Her Clothes" from "Revenge of the Goldfish." This is probably the song that would have fit most comfortably on one of the other two albums, if it were two minutes shorter. To me "Walking Away," is just a plain waste of time, a poor imitation of My Bloody Valentine using an organ.

"Beaster" was an interesting side project, but unless you're a devoted Sugar fan who must have everything the band ever released, you can skip it, and be satisfied owning "Copper Blue," and "File Under Easy Listening."

This is a rare treat. The 'copper blue' sugar debut everyone champions is not a patch on this in my opinion, as it suffers, at times, from the wimpiness and plain weakness (lyric wise) of just about all bob moulds post sst husker du work.
It is indeed (as one good person said) an album rather than an ep.
The sequel to old husker du, and the only one availible.
I would highly recommend you trip out to this minor masterpiece of melodic rock.
Not unlike the foo fighters sound (dave growl clearly influenced by mould and husker du bandmember hart) this is how you want it to sound.
Utterly Incredible.
I recommend the very cd you are looking at (a great cd for a change, no need to pick up the vinyl)

Beaster is the darker, angrier little brother to Sugar's brilliant debut album, Copper Blue. As filled with vitriol as anything Bob Mould has done since Zen Arcade-era Husker Du, Beaster is an altogether more complex can of worms. At first glance it seems to be concerned with religious anger (a not-uncommon theme for dark, angry albums) but the reality is that this cleaves close to the Mould songbook: it's about relationships. It uses religious imagery to cast roles within relationships in clearer light (ever felt betrayed by a kiss?).

It starts with the droning hypnotic "Come Around" and ends similarly with "Walking Away", but these are there more as endcaps to the four song centerpiece. Coming on the heels of "Come Around" "Tilted" is a barreling, pummeling brute of a song, arriving at high velocity and maintaining speed to its squalling, feedback-drenched conclusion. The noise turns to sludge as "Judas Cradle" lurches forth, with Mould screaming to open and bellowing throughout. Malcom Travis' pounding drumbeat announces the more-propulsive-but-still-thick "JC Auto". Mould's vocals continue to outstrip all-comers in the intensity department & the chords are thick. "Feeling Better" does indeed feel better, almost strutting with a loose confidence, maybe not joyous but certainly filled with exuberance.

Few bands or songwriters could say as much with the (seemingly obligatory) seventy minutes possible on a cd. This is all of 32 minutes. And, might I add, the tour supporting it was the most ungodly loud thing I've EVER heard. My ears rang for two weeks. I was still grinning when they stopped.

Loud, angry, articulate, sharp. Leaves his solo work sounding too introspective and reflective, his other work with Sugar sounding too lightweight and poppy, and his contributions to Husker Du sounding inchoate and less seismic by comparison. This is the Bob Mould I would like to always hear.