Review
Twenty Inch Burial
How Long Will We Laugh and Smile?

Immigrant Sun (2005) Kevin Fitzpatrick

Twenty Inch Burial – How Long Will We Laugh and Smile? cover artwork
Twenty Inch Burial – How Long Will We Laugh and Smile? — Immigrant Sun, 2005

Like all of you, when i think of Portugal, I think of three things: the architect Miguel von Hafe P'rez, tungsten mines, and metal. I know what you're thinking - I'm biased. Sure, we're all familiar with bands like Holocausto Canibal, Acromaniacos and Bizarra Locomotiva - all of which are named after famous Portuguese papal candidates. But no, be strong! Just because they're Portuguese, they're not necessarily the automatic "shizz".

Twenty Inch Burial's How Much Will We Laugh and Smile? is a pretty decent listen when there's nothing good on the Circulodefogo show. Their second full-length release, not including 2 EP's and the split release with New Jersey's With Resistance, How Much Will We Laugh and Smile? - hence fore to be known as Smile, because I'm just too goddamn lazy - shows a band not afraid to kick our respective pricks into the course red dust of Portugal with openers like "Five Forward" and "Letters of Discontempt.' It's enough to make me wish I was a young matador again - happily running through the streets of Lisbon with ripe tomatoes purchased at the local Safewayos.

Rui Miguel Br's knows how to belt 'em out with the best of 'em, and along with....ok, just admit it...if I told you the guitarists were Ricardo da Rocha Correia and Jo'o Pedro Fulg'ncio, are you really going to remember? I didn't think so, you racist scum. Just remember they're better than the guitarist from [insert your favorite not-very-good-band here], so the sooner you accept it, the better off you'll be.

I could go into more detail, but why? You already know you'll buy Smile. And why? Because they're from Portugal. And they'll kick your mama's dead ass.

Twenty Inch Burial – How Long Will We Laugh and Smile? cover artwork
Twenty Inch Burial – How Long Will We Laugh and Smile? — Immigrant Sun, 2005

Recently-posted album reviews

The Necks

Disquiet
Northern Spy (2025)

There are no signs of slowing down for Australian jazz masters The Necks. Following the release of the excellent Bleed in 2024, the legendary trio makes a return with their 20th full-length record, Disquiet. Long-form compositions are nothing new for the trio, but here they dive headfirst into a three-hour tour de force, traversing the abstract and meditative territories they … Read more

The Eradicator

You Can Hate The Eradicator
Independent (2025)

Is The Eradicator a joke that's been going for 10 years (the band), or for 35 (the skit)? Does it matter? Well, only in the sense that I question how much material the Kids In The Hall-inspired hardcore band can cull from a 5-minute skit. (Maybe 10 minutes. The character was revived in 2022's Season 6.) Why do I bring … Read more

Prayer Group

Strawberry
Reptilian Records (2025)

Standing between genres can act as a vantage point. For Prayer Group, sitting at the intersection between noise rock and hardcore has armed them with the necessary arsenal to propel their anger and frustration forward. And so, through a series of EPs and singles, this work culminated in their 2022 debut full-length, Michael Dose, where The Jesus Lizard methodology collided … Read more