It was 1994 when we last heard from Cherubs, with their release Heroin Man. In that time, many of their noise rock brethren such as The Jesus Lizard, Scratch Acid, early Butthole Surfers and Kyuss would either break up, go on an indefinite hiatus, or transform into more traditionally structured rock music. Cherubs would dissolve live on stage, prior to the release of Heroin Man, after an onstage fist fight. They would finally come back together to record a new album called 2 Ynfynyty in the summer of 2014.

While reunion albums appear to be the running theme of 2015, the upside is the vast majority of these albums have been successful as opposed to cash grab attempts at the expense of a bands once respectable namesake. The latest from the Cherubs is no exception. The layers of guitar feedback, droning bass lines and driving drums take you back to the '90s when alternative music actually meant something. The music, while uncompromising, doesn’t sacrifice rock sensibilities, something many bands playing in the noise rock genre often have difficulty with.

One of the more surprising aspects of this album is Kevin Whitley’s vocals. While Whitley never had the vocal abilities of Freddie Mercury, going 20 years between recording albums can change someone’s voice significantly. Whitley’s voice appears to have aged quite well and maintains the same arena rock via Johnny Rotten sound it had on previous releases.

Ultimately, this album’s downfall is also its strength. While songs such as “Sandy on the Beach,” “We Buy Gold" and “Cumulo Nimbus” are as strong as anything the band has done, they also aren’t stylistically different from the bands previous releases. The album will please longtime fans and people who want to hear music that reminds them of the alternative rock of 20 years ago; however it’s not going to make the band any new fans. While not strictly for people look to complete a discography, Heroin Man is definitely the place to start for new fans.