With their powerhouse debut album, Hate & Love, El Pathos "may have nailed their very own Exile on Main St. on the first try," hails Rank N Review. Strong words indeed, and proven true by a listen to what plays like a definitive 2012 rock disc that stands on the shoulders of giants to cast its own long shadow. With a line-up that includes original members of The Dicks, Offenders, Sub Pop moto-rockers Catbutt and other notable underground bands of recent decades, it"s tempting to call Austin-based El Pathos a supergroup of Texas Punk royalty. But what"s truly at work here is six veterans uniting to create a group whose whole is far greater than the sum of its parts and their collective history. The result is music that is as hard edged and soulful as any rock "n" roll classic. It"s no frills stuff with gripping moments both down "n" dirty and grand "n" glorious, just as the best rock music always has and should. Expect to see this on discerning year"s best lists and endure well into the future as a timeless shot of rocking energy and passion. And play it loud, okay?