Greg Koch - Nation Sack (2009)

When I heard that my favorite 6-string sociopath Greg Koch had a new band called Nation Sack, I understandably thought the name was a scrotacular play on words. Silly me. The blues historian Dr. Koch informs that it is actually a line from Robert Johnson’s “Come on In My Kitchen.” The band is terrifying alliance between GK and Malford Milligan (who we remember as the soulful singer from Storyville). This CD shows Koch at his funkiest and toniest, with huge layered textures of Strats and Teles on the opener, “Clean Livin’.” He cuts loose with a couple of unhinged solos, but the coolest thing about this tune is his sense of space, with crushing drops and a deep pocket. (How deep is it, Greg?) Koch channels too many great influences to list them all, but the short list includes Page, Gatton, King, Beck, and Bob Crane. We all need to support this guy, because if he ever starts working for the forces of evil, we’re in big trouble. Pepper Cake.~Review by Matt Blackett, Guitar Player Magazine, November 1, 2009