RECORDS / New releases: Sugar - Beaster (Creation, LP/tape/CD)

A bizarre quasi-religious offering from Bob Mould's sweet'n'sour power trio: a mini-album made at the same time as last year's upbeat debut Copper Blue, and boasting some of Mould's most vibrant guitarsince the golden era of Husker Du. The trouble starts on the lyric sheet. No one else could get away with a concept album likening his relations with his fans to Christ's with His crucifiers, so why should Mould?